by Jeff Andrews, Northern Tails Sharpening
Are you looking for a way to cool blades without spray coolants? There are alternatives to using spray coolants for cooling blades.
Use a ceramic tile purchased from any home improvement center.
Ceramic is naturally cold and draws heat from hot blades. You have to rotate blades from your clipper to the tile using several blades. You may need a second tile if you use small tiles.
You can make a tile colder by putting it in a freezer. Keep spares in the freezer too. You can leave them in your car during Winter to keep them fresh.
If you are afraid that moisture from the frozen tile will rust your blades, put the tile inside a plastic bag. The cold will go through the bag and moisture will stay inside.
Blades can be placed near the edge or in the middle of tiles, whichever works faster.
What size should you buy? A common tile size is 6” by 6” and 1/2” inch thick. These sell for about $1.00. For approximately $3.00 you can buy a 12’ by 12” tile. Plain, solid color tiles are the least expensive. Tiles will shatter if you drop them.
What’s in Spray Coolants
Average Analysis of Aerosol Coolants
Taken from information on cans or MSDS
30% – 40% Propellant
Butane or Iso-Butane or Propane or Butane/Propane Mix
60% – 75% Alcohol
Common: 2-Propanol or Ethanol, Some use mixtures with Naptha or Triethylene Glycol
< 1% Oil (if present)
0.1% Disinfectant (some 0.4%) Common: Phenol-Phenyl
