Just had a talk with a health inspector that changed how I look at my saws

He was in my shop yesterday for a routine check and pointed at my band saw blade. He said, 'You know, I see more issues with those than any other tool. A tiny bit of fat left in the teeth can turn bad fast.' He told me about a place in the next town over that got shut down for three days last year because of it. I've always cleaned it, but now I'm taking the whole thing apart every single night. How often do you guys do a deep clean on your saws?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbaraw471mo ago

Wow, that's a scary wake-up call!

miles_sanchez1mo ago

That whole thing about fat particles getting airborne is real. Its the same logic as why you shouldnt use the same blender for dairy and raw meat without a full scrub. The little unseen bits build up faster than youd expect, especially in a shop with temperature changes. A deep clean every night sounds overkill until you realize how much gunk a bandsaw throws off during a normal days cutting.

kelly_nelson951mo ago

Have you thought about the air in your shop? That inspector is right about the blade, but fat particles can get airborne and settle on other surfaces too. I run an air purifier near my saw station now and it catches a lot of that invisible grease mist you don't even see on the blade.