Cleaning up pine pitch

[Four Paws]

What's your method? What products do you use to remove the pitch from your saws?

I cut mostly coniferous trees and it seems it makes a mess of my saws in a hurry. Soaking a rag in carb cleaner and good old fashioned elbow grease seems to work best, but it's hard on the components/finish.

 

[skippy]

Gentlkleen hand cleaner it emulsifies the pitch

 

[beaglebriar]

Rubbing alcohol will take it right off.

 

[Four Paws]

Gentlkleen hand cleaner it emulsifies the pitch

Rubbing alcohol will take it right off.

Even after the saw has been run hard and is hot and the pitch is baked on and dry?

 

[skippy]

Even after the saw has been run hard and is hot and the pitch is baked on and dry?

It used too take it off everything ropes bars Saws even the workers when I did tree work. If I remember right it says it right on the bottle

 

[skippy]

Rubbing alcohol works too

 

[beaglebriar]

Even after the saw has been run hard and is hot and the pitch is baked on and dry?

I don't cut much soft wood so I'm not really an expert but the alcohol has worked good for what I've needed to clean up. Baked on might be another story.

 

[skippy]

Rubbing alcohol will take it right off.

I didn't see you said it already sorry

 

[beaglebriar]

I didn't see you said it already sorry

No biggie....

 

[Canadian farm boy]

I think I read it somewhere that pine sol works too. I've never used it personally. I usually use the carb cleaner on a rag trick. Four paws is right though about it being tough on things. It will take the paint right off a bar or crank case if your not careful

 

[skippy]

Carb cleaner and brake clean are both hell on finishes

 

[Canadian farm boy]

Gasoline on a rag works too if your in a pinch

 

[bryanr2]

thought I heard kerosene works.

 

[Four Paws]

Rubbing alcohol worked fairly well...way better than I thought it would.

Although carb cleaner works better, alcohol is so much friendlier on plastics, paint, etc.

Mineral spirits do not work, nor does gas or WD-40.

Rubbing Alcohol for the win!

 

[cgraham1]

Good info. Even though I never, ever use my saws.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... A well known secret up in Maine, is pine pitch cleans up with plain ole Butter,.....

Rub in the Butter, 'n wash it off with Dawn dish soap,....

Don't matter whether it's yer hands, or yer saw,...

Plain ole creamery Butter,.....

 

[fearofpavement]

Try turpentine.

 

[angelo c]

I have a spray bottle of "pitch remover" for woodworking saw blades. It's basically a citrus acid "lemon juice" in a spray bottle.
But I'm gonna go find me a pine tree to cut just so I can see if the butter works.....that'd be crazy cool.

 

[Keith Gandy]

Ayuh,.... A well known secret up in Maine, is pine pitch cleans up with plain ole Butter,.....

Rub in the Butter, 'n wash it off with Dawn dish soap,....

Don't matter whether it's yer hands, or yer saw,...

Plain ole creamery Butter,.....

Never heard that one!!

 

[Canadian farm boy]

I'm definitely gonna give it a try. What's the worst that could happen