Blade scrapers

[Neil_B]

Hope you all had a great Christmas!

Saw a comment from ' deadheader about a wire toothbrush that he installed on his mill for keeping the blade clean. I've also seen, on Cook's mills I think, a setup with heavy felt that would hold the oil or cleaning solution and wipe the blade while running.

Question is, what is generally the type of scraper used?
Mine has a phenolic resin (plastic) scraper on one side of the blade but it wears quickly and doesn't really work that well. I hate using a lot of fluids to clean it as it is expensive and not good for the environment. Generally I use washer fluid and a bit of bar oil.
I thought about making something like Cook's except with steel wool packed in it. Could still saturate with oil and cleaners but would hold it in better than spraying it on. I would mount one for each side of the blade and take off the scraper alltogether.

Any thoughts ???

[Fla._Deadheader]

Reason I used that Plater's Brush (Toothbrush) is to kinda scrape the blade, but, also to allow the sap-dust to fall off the blade before getting between the blade and wheel. It is mounted on an angle so it does just that.
   I would think??? that a steel or brass wool type would clog, and it COULD get pulled loose by a chunk of wood coming off the blade, and get hooked on the teeth and REALLY create havoc. That was my real concern, Don'T LIKE havoc. ;D ;D

  I can get a pic later this week if ya need one.

[Neil_B]

Thanks deadheader, a pic would be helpful if you can get one.
Reason I thought of the wool was it may hold up better than this heavy felt that Cook's use. It would be packed into a steel housing as tight as it could be scrunched up. If I did do something like that I would more than likely put it on the idler side so that any renagade wood bits should likely be gone before it hit the wool. Just for that purpose though, maybe I can still leave the scraper in to deflect any pieces away from the stationary roller.

How do the wire bristles stand up on the "toothbrush"? I thought of the same thing with those cheapy brass brushes but figured the bristles would bend up off the blade quick.

What do other mills use?

[Fla._Deadheader]

We are using the brass bristle brush. I didn't put it so tight to the blade that it mashed it too badly.

  If ya put it on the idle side, before the blade goes into the cut, what good would it do??? By then, the wood has wiped the oil off with the dust and mashed the dust against the blade causing build-up. That makes it harder to scrape off???

[Neil_B]

Hmmm, I see your point. But, if it's on the idle side then there is fresh oil wiped on the blade right before the cut. It should still do the same job as having it on the drive side except the oil would have less chance of being slung off the blade as it's going around.  ???  ???

See, the scraper right now is on the drive side after the cut so anything that is not scraped off gets pressed onto the blade by the wheels and is still there when it comes back around through the wood.

[Fla._Deadheader]

That's where it will do the most good, on the drive side of the cut.

  With the Monkey blades, nothing seems to stick, until the blade starts getting dull and probably heating up a little. I have checked it, and, it never feels very warm, but, it probably cools quickly after the cut???

[dail_h]

   Felt works very well, most commercial resaws,like McDonah (sp) use oiled felt

[Neil_B]

Since deadheader told Deepwoods to come look at this I thought I would post an update.  ;D
I asked my wife to pick up some brushes at the dollar store in the town she works at, 3 for a buck, one plastic, one steel and one brass. They are 1 1/2" long so they are a good fit and stay out of the teeth. I mounted 2 on the drive side but couldn't put them anywhere but after the blade has gone around the wheel.  

They work great!  8) Keeps the blade nice and shiny and I only have to give the lube a squirt once in awhile. Usually when I can hear the blade chattering on the rollers.

I'll try and get a couple of pics before Shannon has to take the digi cam back to work.