Pitch Remover

eldyfig · Post by **eldyfig** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:16 pm

Just bought a bottle of Pitch Rx pitch remover from my local Woodcraft for $14.50. I will be honest. This is the first time I bought some. I smelled the stuff and it just smells like a strong soapy cleaner.

What's in the stuff? Does anyone here use something else to clean pitch?

psf513 · Post by **psf513** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:00 pm

For my router bits, etc I use Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner and a used tooth brush. Works well for me and not nearly that expensive.

eldyfig · Post by **eldyfig** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:47 pm

psf513 wrote:For my router bits, etc I use Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner and a used tooth brush. Works well for me and not nearly that expensive.

I have used Simple Green before for other things. It is good stuff. As a matter of fact, this Pitch Rx smells about the same. Maybe close to the same formula.

cincinnati · Post by **cincinnati** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:28 pm

Simple Green here also. It is suggested you do not let your carbide blades soak for more than 20min.
I also have used http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5396. It works well and was tested best in a woodworking magazine. But given the price, I think Simple Green works just as well for less money.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:34 pm

eldyfig wrote:Just bought a bottle of Pitch Rx pitch remover from my local Woodcraft for $14.50. I will be honest. This is the first time I bought some. I smelled the stuff and it just smells like a strong soapy cleaner.

What's in the stuff? Does anyone here use something else to clean pitch?

Please let us know how it works. I have pondered purchasing this stuff before but I simply couldn't convince myself it was worth the price. Perhaps I was wrong and the stuff is so great we all need it.
Ed

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:38 pm

Guess I take the hard but inexpensive route. For both saw blades and router bits I use my jackknife. I realize this takes a bit of time, but understanding that the metal in my knife is softer than carbide, the pitch comes off with no scratching of the bits and blades.

There is an advantage to this method. I get to inspect each tooth and each gullet, checking for sharpness, chipping and bent teeth on the saw blade. Afterward, the knife sharpens up nicely! In case you are wondering, I buy a pocket knife about every four or five years. The present one is a small Buck, purchased at Wal Mart for +/- $15.

kalynzoo · Post by **kalynzoo** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:30 pm

I use WD-40, then wipe of the WD-40 with simple green if I need to remove the oil.

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:33 pm

charlese wrote:...............The present one is a small Buck, purchased at Wal Mart for +/- $15.

Contrary to many beliefs, Wal Mart sells many USA made products. I buy there. Currently, Buck knives are manufactured in Lochsa, Idaho, and still by members of the Buck family. http://www.buckknives.com/

IMHO, the Buck knife is one of the best.

charlese,
That may be a good way to clean the pitch, but I think that I will try the Simple Green method. The product is biodegradable, cheap and I know that it works on many things, why not pitch?

crousetrodomis · Post by **crousetrodomis** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 7:33 pm

One word of warning about simple green. Just using the basic Simple Green cleaner is actually BAD on the carbide on blades and bits by what I read in ShopNotes mag (#96). It breaks it down, making it weak. NOW, with that being said. Simple Green does make a cleaner which does not break down carbide but its slightly more than the original. Its called Simple Green Aircraft cleaner, its 10$ per 32 oz. bottle but works great. I've used it before, (my Dad does body work on airplanes) and it works great for removing pitch with very little scrubbing

Quoting from the article:

"While the original Simple Green is an effective cleaner, the manufacturer warns that it should not be used to soak carbide-tipped blades or bits. The contents of the cleaner will cause the carbide to leach from the metal"

eldyfig · Post by **eldyfig** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:19 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:Please let us know how it works. I have pondered purchasing this stuff before but I simply couldn't convince myself it was worth the price. Perhaps I was wrong and the stuff is so great we all need it.
Ed

Got out a small catch pan and poured a 1/4" of Pitch Rx into it. Let a 7.25" carbide tip blade soak in it for about 10 hours. Came back to it and lightly scrubbed with a nylon brush and now I have a very clean blade.

I reached high on the pegboard today to grab my original SS table saw blade. This thing hasn't been mounted in the SS since the early 90s. From the pictures below, you can see it needs a bath. Put it in the same Pitch Rx that the other blade came out of. I will post pics of the results.