cleaning carbide tools

[davy]

I have a 1/4" carbide sanding drum and an orb for my dremel tool. It has gunked up and for the life of me I can't get it clean. I have soaked in turpentine for days but no magic softening powers. Any ideas? Cheers, Davy

[basilisk]

soak it in undiluted clorox, it will dissolve the wood in an hour or so.

basilisk

[MB]

TSP in hot water melts way any gunk on saw blades. It's very alkaline, so wear safety glasses.

[davy]

TSP?

[Lew Hodgett]

Tri Sodium Phosphate.

Available in any supermarket or DIY.

Lew

[David Nebenzahl]

On 6/15/2009 10:46 PM davy spake thus:

AKA trisodium phosphate, very common cleaning compound.

[dadiOH]

Borrow your wife's can of Easy Off oven cleaner (aka lye).

[Thomas Walz]

see

and oven cleaner work fine

I run parts like this through the dishwasher but I'm a bachelor. Maybe not a good idea for a married man.

Tom

[davy]

Thank you all, davy

[Father Haskell]

Metal, with carbide whiskers? Burn it clean with a torch.

Dental pick.