4x6 Bandsaw Blade Cleaner Pics

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umahunter

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I find myself cutting a lot of aluminum lately and am realizing I need a blade cleaner having coolant would be great but it's not an option at the moment so I figured I'd make a cleaner wondering what's worked for others pics would be nice :)
 
Make up a block with air jets on it (close fitting U over the back of the blade). It probably would not take much air pressure to clear most of the chips. I've been thinking of doing that myself - just never got aroundtoit.
 
Take a felt self adhesive pad that they sell them at home depot for furniture feet, cut a square to fit on the inside blade guide (the one closest to the drive pulley). Cut a slice 3/4 of the way through it down the center, let the blade ride in the center of tbat and adhere if to the plate that the little verticle table mounts to. Quick cheap solution that gets most of the chips off the blade.
 
adding a chip brush as mikey illustrated would do a great job of getting the aluminum swarf off your blade. All industrial horizontal saws I have used come with them. This is how the one on my 7x12 looks
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Good info! I think I'll make a chip brush for my recently acquired used Carolina bandsaw. One quick question: Do you guys without coolant use any cutting oil when cutting steel on the bandsaws?
 
I've tried a few things when cutting. I've used oil, oil/kerosene mix, kerosene, ATF, & water. ATF does OK but has some clogging. Kerosene is about the same as ATF but it also stinks. Oil has to much clogging. Water seemed to work the best buy leaves a mess.

I usually cut dry.
 
Cutting oil on steal , wd40 on aluminum , just a drop or two, nothing on brass , seems to work for me. I don't use a chip brush on the H/V 4x6's , my Doall vert saw could use one , it's on the list.
 
I agree with kingmt01. At home I cut almost everything dry. The only time I can remember using any fluid was sawing a very large block of aluminum.
 
I have yet to use anything for coolant on my Enco 7x12. It cuts fine and I get a nice chip dry.
I have cut some mystery steel 5" wide, and aluminum 4" square on it and it seems to do just fine.
I did try using some WD40 on it with aluminum when I first got it, but it seemed to make the mess worse and the chips stayed stuck to the blade past the chip brush. The chips mostly brush off when dry. I have not tried again with different feed and speeds though.
So far, the added maintenance of coolant does not seem to be worth it. I assume I would get a better cut with coolant, but I don't need a better cut.
 
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