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Has anyone built a band cleaner?

Started by Delawhere Jack, June 19, 2013, 07:36:14 PM

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Delawhere Jack

Seems that I've got the sharpening thing down, but cleaning sappy bands with an old chisel, and then steel wool and mineral spirits is a real time killer.

WH_Conley

Just  take a long handled wire brush, turn the lube wide open hold the brush against the band and it is clean in seconds.
Bill

Stephen1

I had the same problem till someone here suggested cleaning the bands before I took them off the mill. Run the blades with lots of lube and use a wire brush to clean before changing the blades.
Stephen
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

Delawhere Jack


barbender

I think if your blades are gunked up enough you gave to scrape it off, you need more lube in the first place ;)
Too many irons in the fire

Magicman

Yup, I am wondering how/why the blades need cleaning.  My dull blades are just as clean when they come off of the sawmill as they were when I put them on.   Even sharp blades will not saw without giving problems if they have buildup.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

terrifictimbersllc

I never remember to run them clean before taking them off.   I have a floor standing drill press and use a wire cup brush pressed against a board fastened to the press table. I turn it on and pull the inverted band between the cup brush and the board.  Takes less than 30 seconds to completely clean a band.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

tyb525

I use a scraper or brush of some sort to clean the blade while it is on the mill, like others have said.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Stephen1

Quote from: Magicman on June 19, 2013, 10:51:30 PM
Yup, I am wondering how/why the blades need cleaning.  My dull blades are just as clean when they come off of the sawmill as they were when I put them on.   Even sharp blades will not saw without giving problems if they have buildup.
Quote from: barbender on June 19, 2013, 08:02:06 PM
I think if your blades are gunked up enough you gave to scrape it off, you need more lube in the first place ;)
I didn't realise that. Could be I need to use more lube. I will take more notice of how clean my blades are. I tend to see some gunk on the blades when I am sawing pine.
I use pine sol and water. Maybe I need more pinesol in the mixture. How much would be enough?
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

Magicman

I use 2 oz. of liquid Cascade per gallon, but that is just my mixture.  Everyone has their pet formula.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

WH_Conley

My wife gave me some of the Cascade "pods", more convenient than the liquid, just drop one in the lube jug.
Bill

Magicman

Somehow that has gotta be cheating.   ;D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Delawhere Jack

I use about 1/2 cup of Pinesol per fill up of lube tank (4-5 gal?). It doesn't seem to matter if I use a trickle or a flood of lube, the bands tend to have some gummy buildup on the inner face.

I'll get a long handled brush and try to remember to use it from now on.

Stephen1

Quote from: Delawhere Jack on June 21, 2013, 05:17:20 PM
I use about 1/2 cup of Pinesol per fill up of lube tank (4-5 gal?). It doesn't seem to matter if I use a trickle or a flood of lube, the bands tend to have some gummy buildup on the inner face
That is what I have been using also. Time for me to change. I will try the cascade next.
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

Ga Mtn Man

1/2 cup isn't nearly enough when sawing pine.
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

Magicman

Quote from: Delawhere Jack on June 21, 2013, 05:17:20 PMI use about 1/2 cup of Pinesol per fill up of lube tank (4-5 gal?) 
Maybe you need to try a different additive.   ;D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Ga Mtn Man

Quote from: Magicman on June 21, 2013, 10:08:13 PM
Quote from: Delawhere Jack on June 21, 2013, 05:17:20 PMI use about 1/2 cup of Pinesol per fill up of lube tank (4-5 gal?) 
Maybe you need to try a different additive.   ;D

Go ahead and say it, MM.  Casca.... :)
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: WH_Conley on June 21, 2013, 07:42:31 AM
My wife gave me some of the Cascade "pods", more convenient than the liquid, just drop one in the lube jug.

Get up with Magic and find out how many pods = 1 Glug.  :D
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Magicman

I filled both of my 5 gallon lube jugs yesterday getting ready for Tuesday morning sawing.  Five glugs per jug.   :)


 
One glug per gallon.   ;D


 
My new glug jugs are green.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Happycamper

glug 
/gləg/
Verb
Drink or pour (liquid) with a gurgling sound: "he glugs down his beer".
Noun
A hollow gurgling sound or series of sounds as of liquid being poured from a bottle
                                    Jim
Wether you think you can or you can't you're right

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: Happycamper on June 22, 2013, 08:56:53 AM
glug 
/gləg/
Verb
Drink or pour (liquid) with a gurgling sound: "he glugs down his beer".
Noun
A hollow gurgling sound or series of sounds as of liquid being poured from a bottle
                                    Jim

:D :D :D
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Bibbyman

The body of the blades will come off reasonably clean and if I remember,  I'll flood the blade and run it for a minute to get the body clean.  But the teeth always have a buildup on them.  Unless this buildup is removed,  accurate set is not possible.

I've thought of building a contraption out of bicycle wheels and tires.  Maybe a hand crank or small motor.  Maybe mount a pair of wire brushed to scrape off crud? 
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

drobertson

Lots of good ideas here, I have thought about the same as well,  just how to do it, (quick as possible) I do like the drill press wire wheel technique. It doesn't take much to knock off the stuff that's left on, and in the gullet area,  I have always thought a brass wire brush was best for cutting edges.  I have been fortunate enough to get around 4 to 5 sharpenings without re-setting, so the good point Bibby brought up does not affect my application. This said, if the bands being sharpened are for personal use, not for customers, I would use the flush method and a brass brush just before band removal, otherwise some sort of gizmo will need to be made up to set up the blades and run them through,  this type of apparatus is open for all types of design techniques,  david
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

losttheplot

I use normal amounts of water during sawing, after the last cut I give it a squirt of diesel/trans fluid mix from an oil can, while the blade is spinning full speed.
The blade comes off clean as a whistle and they dont go rusty if I don't use them for a while.

Works for me might not work for others  :)
DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK !

Peter Drouin

Quote from: drobertson on June 22, 2013, 01:52:06 PM
Lots of good ideas here, I have thought about the same as well,  just how to do it, (quick as possible) I do like the drill press wire wheel technique. It doesn't take much to knock off the stuff that's left on, and in the gullet area,  I have always thought a brass wire brush was best for cutting edges.  I have been fortunate enough to get around 4 to 5 sharpenings without re-setting, so the good point Bibby brought up does not affect my application. This said, if the bands being sharpened are for personal use, not for customers, I would use the flush method and a brass brush just before band removal, otherwise some sort of gizmo will need to be made up to set up the blades and run them through,  this type of apparatus is open for all types of design techniques,  david


How do you get 4 or 5 sharpenings and not set them and have them cut flat ?
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Chuck White

I set mine before every sharpening, without fail.

I have always found that, especially the teeth on the inside of the band are off quite a bit, the outside, so-so!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

drobertson

Quote from: Peter Drouin on June 22, 2013, 07:12:21 PM
Quote from: drobertson on June 22, 2013, 01:52:06 PM
Lots of good ideas here, I have thought about the same as well,  just how to do it, (quick as possible) I do like the drill press wire wheel technique. It doesn't take much to knock off the stuff that's left on, and in the gullet area,  I have always thought a brass wire brush was best for cutting edges.  I have been fortunate enough to get around 4 to 5 sharpenings without re-setting, so the good point Bibby brought up does not affect my application. This said, if the bands being sharpened are for personal use, not for customers, I would use the flush method and a brass brush just before band removal, otherwise some sort of gizmo will need to be made up to set up the blades and run them through,  this type of apparatus is open for all types of design techniques,  david


How do you get 4 or 5 sharpenings and not set them and have them cut flat ?
I reckon I am lucky, if you believe in luck,  this is not typical of every single band but close to it. I have only been doing this with the Cook's Super sharps,  david
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

barbender

I get about 3 sharpenings before I see any effects from not setting, compared to new. I take a very light grind.
Too many irons in the fire

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