Removing Dried Jam

[Windows]

What’s the best way to get the congealed jam off newly acquired router bits (eg Trend bits)?

I know it’s not dried jam, but it reminds me of it. Protective plastic coating. You know what I mean.

 

[Mike G]

It's wax, isn't it? You just peel it off with your thumbnail. Or am I missing something?

 

[Windows]

It could be wax. I've done the thumbnail thing with one bit. Tried that before posting. It didn't come off in one blob - took a fair amount of picking at it - and I am aware that there are sharp surfaces under the wax, so thought I'd gather the wisdom of the crowd before I do any more.

 

[novocaine]

it's wax. warm water.

 

[9fingers]

Put the bit in a router and pass over a piece of scrap wood. Use eye protection as the coating might just fly off when you start up

Bob

 

[Alf]

Good grief, Bob, you can't even manage this without using power?! :lol:

Last time I had to do this, it was a plastic-y casing sort of stuff and I sliced it with a scalpel. Sounds like yet another thing that has changed. But if it's wax, heat'll should, indeed, sort it.

 

[9fingers]

Good grief, Bob, you can't even manage this without using power?! :lol: .

It was a bit tongue in cheek Alf but assuming the next operation would be to use the bit for cutting then why not combine the tasks?
I must admit just cutting through the “wax” somewhere avoiding the sharp regions and peeling off the coating works for me. A bit tedious when a high tooth count circular saw blade comes back from the saw doctor though so I do use the power method.
I do have to wonder quite what difficulty the op is experiencing.
Bob

 

[Windows]

Did another one. More like plastic than wax. It's translucent. Doesn't appear to melt/dissolve in boiling water. It's on the bits in the "Trend router cutter starter set" so it's weird to me that they don't actually describe what to do with it. It's not particularly difficult dealing with it, Bob, but I can see it getting kind of boring when I've got another 48 to do.

 

[9fingers]

I’d keep them covered until you want to use them. It will protect from dings and digital damage.
Avoids the boredom too!
Bob

 

[spb]

I've had some Trend router cutters come with something that looks more like hot glue than wax. Comes off fairly easily when it's a one-off but I wouldn't fancy doing a big batch at once. As Bob said I'd just leave it on until you need to use a particular cutter.

 

[RogerS]

Why does the phrase "mountain" and "molehill" spring to mind ? :eusa-think:

It's a doddle. Just pick it off carefully. Most of the time, once you've started getting a bit off the rest peels off in one piece.

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

 

[Cabinetman]

You lost me there Sam.

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

It's wot the lad needs to give him the muscle to pull the wrapping off his router bit?

 

[Lons]

You lost me there Sam.

I got it
All that exposure to the US has drained your sense of humour Ian.

 

[Trevanion]

Definitely leave the wax coating on until you actually need a specific bit, I've come across old sets of bits where rust has seriously corroded the uncoated shanks but the parts under the wax were in perfect order. Generally, I will just slit down one side with a razor and it peels off easily then, fresh wax comes off very easily but stuff that's been on for years can be a bit more of a challenge as it will have dried out and become harder.

With saw blades that have come back from the saw doctor, I will install the blade into the saw with the wax still on as it will protect the teeth from getting chipped if they bang against anything accidentally, once installed you just pull the wax up off a tooth and generally you can just peel off the wax in one long piece which is oddly quite satisfying.

 

[Cabinetman]

You lost me there Sam.

I got it
All that exposure to the US has drained your sense of humour Ian.

Haha, probably right, things are different in so very many ways here. The sense of humour being just one.
Strange things like "he lucked out" I didn’t know, but that’s a good thing, I assumed it meant his luck had run out, but no it means he was very lucky.
And don’t get me started on street wiring. Saw this today in New Jersey, it’s a different planet!

 

[RogerS]

You've not been to India then, Ian ?

 

[Doug71]

I got a plunge saw blade back from the saw doctor with the wax on and left it in the bottom of the Systainer that my TS55 lives in. When I came to need the blade it seemed stuck in the plastic insert at the bottom of the Systainer, after I prised the blade out I found it had left a nice little pattern in the plastic tray where it had melted into it.

I don't know what the wax/oily coating is but it doesn't seem to play well with some plastics.

 

[Doug]

I wonder if it’s something to do with the oil content Doug as it has stained many things I’ve rested newly sharpened blades on sometimes for quite short times, they now get put away as soon as I get them back.

As for wax on router bits I’ve not seen it on the cutters I’ve bought of late I don’t know if that’s because they come in individual packs now :eusa-think:

 

[Phil]

The last two bought recently had the soft plastic coating which needed a nick from a Stanley and then just peeled off.

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

You've not been to India then, Ian ?

india wiring.png

I actually believe that street to be one of the more 'restrained' ones Roger! I am certain I saw worse in New Delhi.

 

[9fingers]

You've not been to India then, Ian ?

india wiring.png

I actually believe that street to be one of the more 'restrained' ones Roger! I am certain I saw worse in New Delhi.

I’m sure I heard that closer to home in norn iron that it was not unheard of to run leads to the nearest pole and croc clip on for some free leccy.


Bob

 

[spb]

You've not been to India then, Ian ?

india wiring.png

I actually believe that street to be one of the more 'restrained' ones Roger! I am certain I saw worse in New Delhi.

Very much so - at least all the cables there appear to be above head height.

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

I’m sure I heard that closer to home in norn iron that it was not unheard of to run leads to the nearest pole and croc clip on for some free leccy

Eminently possible!! There was certainly a thriving trade - from an 'engineer' ostensibly employed by a Boeing subsidiary factory - in 'by-pass' boxes for Sky, Virgin, Whatever. No encyption stood up to his wee box of tricks apparently; no need for a card yada, yada, apparently. He did "get done" I hasten to add.

Going back further, there were swathes of the Bogside and West Belfast where no T.V. licence was to be had. Detector vans make great blazing barricades the natives found, and so the P.O. ignored those ("No-go") areas for quite some considerable time.