[kathrein]

is there any way to unclog carbide, ruby or diamond carving bits when they get cloged? I think they might be cloged with glue or just wood.

[DiamondWillow]

I normally take a small propane torch to mine and just burn the stuff off of them. Take a small brass brush and brush them clean. You can also put them in a pan of hot water on the stove and just boil them for a little bit and they clean up pretty nicely also. I have heard of others using oven cleaner and I guess that cleans them also. I have not tried that one yet.

I have used the propane torch for a number of years and it does not seem to hurt the bits a single bit. Of course be careful with dust and wood around. Find yourself a good safe area.

Good Luck

Gene

[susieq]

I have cleaned my rubies, diamonds and kutzals with spray oven cleaner for many years. I keep an old shot glass handy, put the bits, head down, in the glass and then spray some "Easy Off" or any other brand of spray oven cleaner into the glass and leave over night. Then brush them off with a wire brush, rinse and they should be good a new.

If I was working in something that had a finish on it, I simply put some laquer thinner into an old glass jar with a seal in the lid, put the bits in and tighten the lid enough to keep the laquer thinner from evaporating out. Overnight, brush with a wire brush. No need to rinse as the stuff evaporates quickly.
hope this helps.

[mark yundt]

I'm with Susieq,,E-Z off. If it can dissolve and break down that gunk in an oven ,,it can dissolve the fine wood particles,dust and burnt on wood in the little crevices in a burr or bit.
I've tried heat,,,seems to help,,unless it's something other than just wood. I'm also a bit afraid,,even with just a propane torch of quickly overheating such a small bit pretty quickly and easily as I imagine they must tempered somehow along the way.And the heat at times seems to "set" the wood in the cracks even more as at times that's how it got in there in the first place,,by over heating the wood and burning it as you were grinding it. That's why I like the E-Z off as it removes the stuff thats already burnt on.
That's my thought anyway.

[Jim-Iowa]

Alright while we are on the subject anyway.
I puled a real boneheaded stunt and used my cutsall cutter to grind some aluminum.
Needless to say it loaded up badly. I have tried heating it with a torch to no avail. Is it scrap or do you have any ideas?

[BobD]

I'd try running it against a stiff brass brush at low speed...it might help...

Bob

[mark yundt]

I've used large carbide burrs to do that as well as cut iron...but I kinda' sorta' think this is a write off on this one.Aluminum does have a fairly low melting point,,but here too I don't believe it will work even though I think these bits are tungsten carbide to use heat,,,even a lot of it. That aluminum I'm sure is buried in that bit. Hope whatever you cut was worth the price of the cutter.That's how I try to reconcile this type of thing.

[kathrein]

OVEN CLEANER, I never would have thought of that! It fixed some of my oldest bits that I thought were hopeless.
Thanks

[Jim-Iowa]

Originally Posted by mark yundt

I've used large carbide burrs to do that as well as cut iron...but I kinda' sorta' think this is a write off on this one.Aluminum does have a fairly low melting point,,but here too I don't believe it will work even though I think these bits are tungsten carbide to use heat,,,even a lot of it. That aluminum I'm sure is buried in that bit. Hope whatever you cut was worth the price of the cutter.That's how I try to reconcile this type of thing.

I'll try the wire Brush Bob and see what happens?
Mark I kinda sorta think your right! I think I was making light mounting brackets for a utility trailer when I did that. Was it worth it, yeah I guess?
Live and learn, but as many lessons I have learned that way I should be a genius!