> O.K., here's a really stupid question:

> I bought a little Sheffield saw for cutting strips in my home-made miter
> box and am having some difficulties using it. The flanks of the blade
> stick to the wood as it cuts through. The blade has a plasticy coating of
> some sort on it, presumably to prevent it from rusting on the store shelf,
> that makes it difficult to use. It's not a plastic sheet like the kind of
> thing that you peel off a wristwatch, clock, etc. Is this coating meant to
> be removed before use, or do I just use the saw until it eventually wears
> away, as it's starting to do now?

> Dean Trexel, Village Idiot

Remove the coating if it is causing the balde to stick to the wood. Paint thinner, or some similar solvent should work.

Some blades are coated to make them glide through the wood more easily. Typically these coatings are wax or oil based, and lubricate the cut, as well as serving as a barrier to airborne moisture which can oxidize (rust) the sharp edges of the blade, and make them dull. Some people wipe a blade with an oily rag after it is removed from the saw, and before storing it.

There are also blades that are impregnated with a lubricant like teflon, or have a similar surface bonded to the blade to give a lifelong slippery surface to the blade. These just need to be kept clean.

On a similar note, there was a recent post suggesting that ez off oven cleaner be used for cleaning blades, to remove the build up of sap that accumulates. I haven't tried this myself, but I'll keep it in mind.

The biggest problem with coatings on blades, wheter they are oil, wax, or old sap, is that some of this may transfer to the wood being cut. Then you have to sand off the scum so it doesnt interfere with gluing or finishing. Oil acts a a barrier to epoxy, so you don't want that on your strips. so if your blade is oily, wipe it clean before using it, and oil it again when you put it away.

Hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson