Clipper Blade Advice

Oiling clipper blades regularly keeps them cool.

Oil is necessary for the prevention of rust.

Extremely hot clipper blades can cause:
 
Clipper rash – the reaction will more than likely start when the animal has gone home.
 
A clipper burn(s) which can occur due to a hot clipper blade being in contact with the skin.

If the animal gets a clipper burn/clipper rash, you may encounter an angry owner because the animal could become infected resulting in an expensive trip to the vet and consequently a lost customer for you.

You should check that you are using the correct oil i.e. some oil for clipper machines cannot be used on clipper blades.

Never be tempted to use WD40 because it sticks to the clipper blade causing damage. It is flammable and harmful fumes will emanate from a hot clipper blade.

Do not oil clipper blades with hair on because hair sucks up the oil and prevents it from being useful.

Spray coolants are not intended to take the place of regular cleaning and oiling; they are mostly made up of solvent and water. There is not enough oil in spray coolants to replenish the lubrication on your clipper blades, it is recommended that you use clipper oil with the coolant.
 
If you use a spray coolant make sure you read the manufacturer's instructions and heed the flammability ratings.
 
You should only spray short bursts on the back (flat side) of the clipper blade with the clipper machine turned off and pointing towards the floor. Do not spray the teeth and do not let the solvent get anywhere near your clipper machine because it can cause damage.

If you do not regularly clean your clipper blades, a reddish brown build up will begin to form. This coating will slightly lift the cutting blade from the comb (unnoticeable to the naked eye) and can build up enough to prevent the clipper blade from cutting. Even a perfectly sharpened clipper blade will snag in the coat and stop cutting. This build up on the blades can cause the tension to become too tight, which will prematurely dull the clipper blade and may cause parts of the clipper machine to fail.

At first the red build up will be a semi-hard substance that you can remove, but if neglected will turn into a concrete type substance. It is then very hard to remove and you will require the professional expertise of a sharpener. The sharpening process will remove the red build up and give you two clean cutting surfaces which mate together.

Red builds up starts to form as soon as your clipper blade starts getting hot. As you are clipping, small hairs get trapped between the cutting blade and the comb. As the clipper blade heats up, a sticky subsatnce will begin to coat the clipper blade. This substance is formed due to heat coming into contact with a mixture of small hairs, oil, spary coolant, moisture from the coat and remenants of dirt still in the dog's coat.