Do you clean your chains...

After sharpening off the saw either with a bench jig or machine grind. Spray or dunk, or compressed air? I just set up a Stihl FG2(manual bench mount) and it leaves a lot of filings on a chain IF I have to do heavy cutter clean-up.

What's your worry? I clean up the bench with a brush or a magnet. You're worried about the filings getting in between the chain and the bar when you go to run it? I really wouldnt worry one way or another. Just cut wood.

I get some dust build-up on my milling chains hit it with w-d40 and cleans right up. I clean the bench with a california car duster.

Joe Kidd said:

After sharpening off the saw either with a bench jig or machine grind. Spray or dunk, or compressed air? I just set up a Stihl FG2(manual bench mount) and it leaves a lot of filings on a chain IF I have to do heavy cutter clean-up.

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I use to, don't anymore. Doesn't seem to make a difference either way.

I think raw racers might clean their racing chains after filing, but for bush work any filings are inconsequential I think.
John

I blow the filings off with compressed air when it is around, and I have filed a lot - but after a normal touch-up it usually isn't - and I don't miss it!

i use the fileings to lap my bar groove

no

after i sharpen mine i put them in my wifes dishwasher:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

There have been several chain cleaning threads on A.S., with clearly divided camps. Some of my chains from storm clean up are so filled with crud that I clean them BEFORE sharpening. Some guys use strong chemicals to get a showroom finish.

I use a knob or nail screwed into a board or bench; hook one end of the loop over that, and stretch it out with my hand. Then I hit the chain with a stiff brush, turn it over, and hit the other side. If it is really gunked up, I spray it with WD-40 before brushing.

Philbert

From the time the chain is new, till I scrap it, it never sees any type of cleaning. I let the wood clean her off.

This might be going a little overboard :blush: but after sharpening I wash the chain in varsol and blow dry. Then it gets a dunk in chain oil and hung to drip. The groove gets scraped clean and blown. The next time I walk past the bar and chain get installed.
I honestly can;t say whether this provides any further longevity although it doesn;t take long and the cutting certainly goes well following day.
It's :jawdrop: surprising how much iron collects in the varsol container.
The last step of course is

Anthony_Va. said:

From the time the chain is new, till I scrap it, it never sees any type of cleaning. I let the wood clen her off.

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:agree2::agree2:

I tend to blow my chains off with compressed air if they have too many filings on them after grinding/filing. Probably won't make a scrap of difference but I'd prefer to see as little of that metal get to a bar nose sprocket as I can.
Also wear eye protection if using air, a small piece of chrome or metal off a cutter with 120psi up it's bum really hurts the eyeballs I've been lucky as it's come out but always wear eye protection now when doing anything on saws with compressed air.

i take my bars and chains to work and put them in the auto parts washer. brings em up like new, i actually empty my tool box into it and it all comes out like new. best part is i dont get dirty at all.

porky616 said:

i take my bars and chains to work and put them in the auto parts washer. brings em up like new, i actually empty my tool box into it and it all comes out like new. best part is i dont get dirty at all.

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Send me your address. I'll freight you 500 chains, all my tools, plus some other grimey stuff heh heh.

I sharpen my chains on the saw by hand and don't bother cleaning at all.

Suppose I should remove them and use compressed air to blow from the inside out.

I certainly get good mileage out my bars/chains etc regardless.

MCW said:

Send me your address. I'll freight you 500 chains, all my tools, plus some other grimey stuff heh heh.

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ya better come up one weekend and we can load em all in. can fit three truck hubs in it. its one of them fancy ERS parts washers. the ducks nuts in my opinion

porky616 said:

ya better come up one weekend and we can load em all in. can fit three truck hubs in it. its one of them fancy ERS parts washers. the ducks nuts in my opinion

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Bloody hell. I might even have to come up for a bath

I really don't have 500 chains on the go either...

MCW said:

Bloody hell. I might even have to come up for a bath

I really don't have 500 chains on the go either...

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it would certainly get rid of any excess body fur! you can turn the heat up pretty well