Chain Cleaning

I work with some guys that use the chains pretty hard and like to clean some of the chains before sharpening. This lets me inspect them for damage and avoids getting crud on the chain grinder or in the newly cleaned bars and sprockets.

I would be interested in learning any tips or techniques others may have developed for cleaning chains efficiently and effectively.

Right now, I hook one end of the chain over a knob screwed into a board, pull the chain taut, spray it with WD-40, and hit both sides with a stiff brush. It works pretty good, but I'm open to other ideas.

Thanks.

Philbert

dish washer........







































and i like sleeping on the couch..........

Put it in a large wide mouth plastic bottle (i.e. gatorade) with some diesel fuel then cap it and shake. Don't shake too hard or cutters will do in the bottle. Pull it out with a piece of wire. If the diesel smell bothers you rinse in a second bottle with some drygas.

The same solvents will clean quite a few chains.

P.S. this works great on bicycle chains too.

Normally I use diesel but I used carb cleaner last week with good results.

My parts washer with the usual "Super Simple Green" it works great on everything...

i clean mine with sunshine dust and a flux capacitor.



cleaning chains? keep a block of pine out back. nothin to it

stevethekiwi said:

i clean mine with sunshine dust and a flux capacitor.



cleaning chains? keep a block of pine out back. nothin to it

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I gonna have to neg you for that one. A flux capacitor, an AMERICAN invention BTW, is only for cleaning the bar groove and the air filter. PPHHHFFTTTTTT!!!

2dogs said:

I gonna have to neg you for that one. A flux capacitor, an AMERICAN invention BTW, is only for cleaning the bar groove and the air filter. PPHHHFFTTTTTT!!!

Click to expand...

lol neg me?? ill bring down a fire of negative rep on you so hot you will start hunting for an H jet to richen

Mad Professor said:

Put it in a large wide mouth plastic bottle (i.e. gatorade) with some diesel fuel then cap it and shake. Don't shake too hard or cutters will do in the bottle. Pull it out with a piece of wire. If the diesel smell bothers you rinse in a second bottle with some drygas.

The same solvents will clean quite a few chains.

P.S. this works great on bicycle chains too.

Click to expand...

I do this with oven cleaner and rinse with hot water, it's flawless everytime, no smell, no residue, just bare sqeeky clean metal ready for a file.

Later,

stevethekiwi said:

lol neg me?? ill bring down a fire of negative rep on you so hot you will start hunting for an H jet to richen

Click to expand...

you are both wrong.....blinker fluid....is the only way

The really dirty ones go in the parts cleaner, but most just get an over night soak in Purple Power cleaner.
I picked it up at Wally World for 5$ a gallon dilutes out well. I use to clean mowers, dirty saws and weed wackers dilute out pretty thin or it can dull paint.

cleaning chains?

ah... uh....


never mind....

Lakeside53 said:

ah... uh....


never mind....

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I spit up on the keyboard reading what wasn't there.

Don't yall forget to get a box of grid squares to help wipe off all that blinker fluid when your done. Lord knows its helped me a few times to keep the mess clean.

Now I have tried the dishwasher (finally got back in the house), diesel, parts cleaner, etc. All are good but none of them seem to work well to clean the suck back valve. How do you clean it?

Harry K

cleaning chains

I do this with oven cleaner and rinse with hot water, it's flawless everytime, no smell, no residue, just bare sqeeky clean metal ready for a file.

+1

Thanks

Thanks guys.

Philbert

In a 5 gallon plastic bucket Red Devil drain cleaner. Make some hooks so that the chain can be lowered & hang over the side. Do not get in your eye just one drop will burn the lens & there is no repair. So goggles every time . Full strength liquid drain cleaner melts the stuff away pretty good also. Idealy going over them with a power washer after soaking them overnight gets it all off. If you dont have a power washer then rinse in water & scrub brush any residue off wile using gloves . Blow dry ,grind them ,an oil dip. Safety first using this one.

Philbert said:

I work with some guys that use the chains pretty hard and like to clean some of the chains before sharpening. This lets me inspect them for damage and avoids getting crud on the chain grinder or in the newly cleaned bars and sprockets.

I would be interested in learning any tips or techniques others may have developed for cleaning chains efficiently and effectively.

Right now, I hook one end of the chain over a knob screwed into a board, pull the chain taut, spray it with WD-40, and hit both sides with a stiff brush. It works pretty good, but I'm open to other ideas.

Thanks.

Philbert

Click to expand...

I was on the Sharpe Chian Forum, and there was a few Guys on there talking about cleaning saw Chains prior to sharpening them with a Bench Chain Grinder.
One Guy suggested spraying them with Oven Cleaner, then washing them with water. I tried that, but there was still a bit of grunge left on the chains, and still gummed up my grinding wheel.
I tried soaking my chains in a plastic container, with a lid on it, of Oven cleaner for a day, or two, and then rinsing them off with water, in the laundry tub. I leave them hang over night, on my chain rack to let dry, and then I sharpen them.
After I sharpen them, I soak then in a plastic container, with a lid on it, of Bar Oil for over night, and hang them up on my chain rack for awhile to let the axcess oil drip off of them. I have a plastic container under neath my chains to catch the oil, from dripping on the floor
I found that this is the best, and easy way to clean my chains, and there is very, very little grunge if none at all, left on my grinding wheel.
Bruce.