BIG BEAM
ArboristSite Operative
Got a 346NE and setting is at max.When I go to fill the gas tank up,if the fuel is at 1/2 so is the oil.One time I ran it out of gas and the oil was very low so I think thats normal.Bars not burnt either.
DON
DON
How do you clean your chains?
- Thread starter BIG BEAM
- Start date
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1. soak in diesel
2. scrub with purple power
3. air compressor
4. WD40
5. air compressor again
6. sharpen
7. buff side & top plates to a high gloss shine.
8. store in oil soaked rag stolen from wife's collection under kitchen sink.
2. scrub with purple power
3. air compressor
4. WD40
5. air compressor again
6. sharpen
7. buff side & top plates to a high gloss shine.
8. store in oil soaked rag stolen from wife's collection under kitchen sink.
voxac30dude
ArboristSite Operative
he's cutting up people. plain and simple guys. the only time you need to clean a saw chain is after you ran it through a person and need to remove the blood and bone fragments!
in all seriousness you dont need to clean your chain with anything but a cloth or scrubber brush to at least wipe it down. chains dont clog up but your bar could clog. then you would have to run a razor blade through the groove and call it a day.
discounthunter
Addicted to ArboristSite
ive had to clean a couple of my "stump" chains. i simply use old gas ,poured in a shallow plastic pan,let soak a while ,scrub with a wire brush ,soak again scrub again, repeat until clean. then take the gas pour it on a fire ant hill and set fire.
There are several threads on this if you search the forum.
Some collectors clean chains for display. Some gummy woods leave residue as noted above. Most guys do nothing. I do some disaster clean up and get roofing materials, etc. mixed in with the downed trees. Also like to keep the crud out of my grinding wheels.
Several people use oven cleaner or 'purple power' to get their chains really bright. Just be careful as these remove all of the oil from the rivets deep between the links. Some of these cleaners use lye (sodium hydroxide) so check to see if you need to wear gloves (or other PPE). Make sure that you rinse off all of these cleaners and re-oil before putting the chain away, or you may end up with an unpleasant surprise.
Paint thinner, kerosene, parts cleaner solvent, etc., remove most stuff and are less harsh, if you don't need it 'display bright'.
I use WD-40 and a stiff brush. Hook the chain look over a screw or knob in a board. Stretch it out. Spray it down. Brush off the big crud. Reposition or flip it and do the other side. Wipe it with an old rag (from the back to the front of the cutters!). Learned it from my local dealer, and it works.
WD-40 removes most crud but leaves some lubrication on the links and rivets.
Philbert
Some collectors clean chains for display. Some gummy woods leave residue as noted above. Most guys do nothing. I do some disaster clean up and get roofing materials, etc. mixed in with the downed trees. Also like to keep the crud out of my grinding wheels.
Several people use oven cleaner or 'purple power' to get their chains really bright. Just be careful as these remove all of the oil from the rivets deep between the links. Some of these cleaners use lye (sodium hydroxide) so check to see if you need to wear gloves (or other PPE). Make sure that you rinse off all of these cleaners and re-oil before putting the chain away, or you may end up with an unpleasant surprise.
Paint thinner, kerosene, parts cleaner solvent, etc., remove most stuff and are less harsh, if you don't need it 'display bright'.
I use WD-40 and a stiff brush. Hook the chain look over a screw or knob in a board. Stretch it out. Spray it down. Brush off the big crud. Reposition or flip it and do the other side. Wipe it with an old rag (from the back to the front of the cutters!). Learned it from my local dealer, and it works.
WD-40 removes most crud but leaves some lubrication on the links and rivets.
Philbert
Slamm
Addicted to ArboristSite
Wow after years of operating chainsaws professionally, I didn't know I was suppose to do anything other than sharpen the chain and then use it .......... now I'm suppose to clean it and also have special techniques for cleaning it????
Using a chainsaw is now becoming more and more complex the longer I read AS, LOL.
Sam
Using a chainsaw is now becoming more and more complex the longer I read AS, LOL.
Sam
When I cut wood, I clean them by cutting wood. When I use it for cutting the legs, or heads off deer, or other big game I will take off the cover and scrape the fat out and then throw it back on and run a little wood through it. works for me!
Slamm
Addicted to ArboristSite
When I cut wood, I clean them by cutting wood. When I use it for cutting the legs, or heads off deer, or other big game I will take off the cover and scrape the fat out and then throw it back on and run a little wood through it. works for me!
I believe that quote will do as good advice for this little question and answer session, and we can bring this one to an end.
So in summary:
If you are cutting wood products then no need for extra-ordinary cleaning processes, simple enough.
But if your cutting session will involve the delimbing or beheading of mammals of any size, then a quick scraping of the larger chunks and then a quick trip to the wood pile should be in order. Again simple enough advice.
Thank you,
Sam
MCW
Somebody's talking crap here & it ain't the tree!
I haven't had any issues with garbage baking on my ABN/CBN wheels. They just keep on grinding through all the crap
Good stuff once again mate. Sodium Hydroxide does an excellent job of getting hard baked sap off of chains. I know that some people may say that cleaning chains is a waste of time but some of the sappy crap I've cut really does load your chain up something fierce. It can be very hard to see chain damage or wear etc with all the crud and in the odd case I've even had chains bind once the sap cools and hardens. I've had sap build up behind the depth guages like a shark's fin with some tree types (Casuarinas etc) too.
I soak in Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) for a few hours, give the chains a good rinse under a tap, the now soft sap washes straight off, I blow the chains off with compressed air, then soak them overnight in bar oil. If you don't oil them after Lye (Caustic Soda in Oz) they go rusty before your eyes.
By the way, I only clean my chains when they are REALLY bad...
WPanhandler
ArboristSite Operative
when chains are gummed up I clean 'em with a grinder. I then clean the metal fragments and stone fragments up with a log. seems to work pretty good for me:monkey:
Seriously I have scrapped the cutters at times to see how much sharpening needs to be done, but mostly I just 'unload' the wheel occasionally and get 'em ready for another go round.
Seriously I have scrapped the cutters at times to see how much sharpening needs to be done, but mostly I just 'unload' the wheel occasionally and get 'em ready for another go round.
What surprises me most, and it occurs on every 'chain cleaning thread', is how many guys appear shocked (shocked!) that some people would even think of cleaning their chains.
It's a matter of preference. Some guys never clean theirs (heck, some guys never sharpen theirs!).
Some guys on this forum clean their saw parts in dishwashers, polish and re-paint the plastic, stencil brand names back onto their bars, spend good money to get replica 'original' style logos, add custom dogs because they 'look cool', etc., etc., etc., and they don't catch a fraction of the grief that is bestowed on 'chain cleaners'.
I enjoy good tools and I like to maintain them. I clean the dirt off of my shovels when I am done (prevents rust). I blow the dust off of my power tools and occasionally Armor All the cases and cords (lets me look for cuts and cracks). Etc.
To me, the chain is the most important part of the saw, even if it is a 'consumable'. I like to know that when I put a chain back in the saw case (yes, I also like saw cases - I know that that is another thread) that it is clean, sharp, free from damage, and ready for use.
Just my preference.
Philbert
It's a matter of preference. Some guys never clean theirs (heck, some guys never sharpen theirs!).
Some guys on this forum clean their saw parts in dishwashers, polish and re-paint the plastic, stencil brand names back onto their bars, spend good money to get replica 'original' style logos, add custom dogs because they 'look cool', etc., etc., etc., and they don't catch a fraction of the grief that is bestowed on 'chain cleaners'.
I enjoy good tools and I like to maintain them. I clean the dirt off of my shovels when I am done (prevents rust). I blow the dust off of my power tools and occasionally Armor All the cases and cords (lets me look for cuts and cracks). Etc.
To me, the chain is the most important part of the saw, even if it is a 'consumable'. I like to know that when I put a chain back in the saw case (yes, I also like saw cases - I know that that is another thread) that it is clean, sharp, free from damage, and ready for use.
Just my preference.
Philbert
BIG BEAM
ArboristSite Operative
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!
You wouldn't machine a piece of steel that was dirty on a lathe or milling machine yet clean a chain.That's a no no?
DON
bitzer
******** Timber Expert
Sounds like the chains not gettin enough oil. Run it thru some ash, it will clean it up!
GASoline71
Mr. Nice Guy
These threads always show all the OCD that runs rampant on this site.
Gary
Gary
Gary,
What happened to your 'closet chain soaker' tag? (back in the closet?
Philbert
GASoline71
Mr. Nice Guy
HAHAHAHA! I forgot about that... 
Gary
Gary
GASoline71
Mr. Nice Guy
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...
Google it mang...
Gary
Google it mang...
Gary
I know all about OCD, thats what my prozac is for.
Would SOMEBODY tell me what all this short bus, long bus malarkey is about?
