Chain hygiene

[GrizG]

Out of curiosity, do you ever clean your chains to remove filing swarf, grinder dust, sap, dirt, etc., and then relube them with bar oil after sharpening? I've been doing that when I sharpen batches of chains and the amount of crud laying in the bottom of the solvent after it settles is astounding. I have to believe that doing so saves wear on the bars and chains... Combined with cleaning and filing the bars, I've worn all the paint off bars but still had a tight and deep chain groove in them and the roller nose worked flawlessly.

What prompted me to write this is I bought another saw (MS661) and decided to read the manual... I haven't done that since four or five saws ago.

From the manual section on sharpening the chain:

-After sharpening, clean the chain thoroughly, removing any filings or grinder dust.
-Oil the chain thoroughly.

I didn't recall reading that previously so I went and looked in the other Stihl saw manuals and low and behold the same basic instructions are there. I started doing it simply because of experience with tools and machines and doing so made sense to me...

 

[computeruser]

Nope. Not anymore.

I used to clean up chains that I would grinder sharpen. That way they would be clean and lubed and ready for service, hanging on a nail in the garage. Now I sharpen on the bar and run chains until they wear out, without swapping in a different chain during the day.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Nope.

After sharpening, I'll add a dose of whatever is oily and closest to hand - motor oil, ATF, bar oil, WD40, etc, to the Tupperware container the chain is in, for rust protection, if it looks like it needs it. That's my chain cleaning regimen, in it's entirety.

Some people swish their chains in kerosene, and lovingly caress every link with a new toothbrush, purchased just for this purpose. I can't be bothered. I don't wash the bed of my pickup truck, either.

 

[ericm979]

If I had a parts washer in my garage/shop I'd probably give the chains a quick clean off in it. Getting the swarf and grit from grinding off the chain seems like a good idea.

 

[snobdds]

I drop the chain in a bucket of diesel if I'm breaking the saw down for cleaning. Then I reassemble and sharpen the chain.

I think it makes sharpening easier and faster.

 

[Jasonrkba]

If im using a grinder I'll spend a minute cleaning them. Not a lot of time but I try to keep the grinding disk from gumming up.

 

[capetrees]

While hanging on the hook waiting to be grinder sharpened, I'll spray them with WD-40 and let it run down the chains, maybe do it twice before sharpening them but never any cleaning after. I don't see the need.

 

[pdqdl]

Nope.
Washing in a parts washer or equivalent might be beneficial, but not by much. The grinder throws the grit away from the chain. Any grit on the chain from using it will quickly be replaced with fresh grit.

On top of that, you might just get accelerated wear on the rivets, having washed the bar oil out and replaced it with a solvent that will likely evaporate. Dry chain=bad.

 

[Jasonrkba]

I've always been told the best way to clean a chain is to cut with it. Sharp that is.

 

[Dr_Anon]

I run them through an ultrasonic cleaner before grinding and soak in bar lube after. Let them hang drip dry over a bucket.

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Nope.

After sharpening, I'll add a dose of whatever is oily and closest to hand - motor oil, ATF, bar oil, WD40, etc, to the Tupperware container the chain is in, for rust protection, if it looks like it needs it. That's my chain cleaning regimen, in it's entirety.

Some people swish their chains in kerosene, and lovingly caress every link with a new toothbrush, purchased just for this purpose. I can't be bothered. I don't wash the bed of my pickup truck, either.

I haven’t washed any part of my truck in the 8 years I’ve had it.

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Never clean chains. If they are rusted and no moving freely I’ll throw them in a bucket of diesel for a bit and then put them back on the saw. Usually that’s only on chains I get from other places like yard sales or find in the dump.

 

[pdqdl]

I run them through an ultrasonic cleaner before grinding and soak in bar lube after. Let them hang drip dry over a bucket.

Daaamn. That would work well. Kinda pointless, I think, to do such a fine job.

 

[sand sock]

I sharpen on the saw bar. I run a chain till it's used up. I have to be mindful to grease the needle bearing and flip the bar.

 

[GrizG]

Nope.
Washing in a parts washer or equivalent might be beneficial, but not by much. The grinder throws the grit away from the chain. Any grit on the chain from using it will quickly be replaces with fresh grit.

On top of that, you might just get accelerated wear on the rivets, having washed the bar oil out and replaced it with a solvent that will likely evaporate. Dry chain=bad.

But… the second part of the instructions is “oil the change throughly.”

 

[REJ2]

I blow off the chain with compressed air before and after filing, thats about it.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I have my ward, Robin clean my chains for me.

 

[buzz sawyer]

I scrub the top of the cutters as I sharpen, so I can see the cutting edge clearly, Other than that, no, I just sharpen on the bar and let the saw lube it well before putting it in a cut.

 

[PV Hiker]

I blow off the chain with compressed air before and after filing, thats about it.

Same here.

 

[.358 win]

Out of curiosity, do you ever clean your chains to remove filing swarf, grinder dust, sap, dirt, etc., and then relube them with bar oil after sharpening? I've been doing that when I sharpen batches of chains and the amount of crud laying in the bottom of the solvent after it settles is astounding. I have to believe that doing so saves wear on the bars and chains... Combined with cleaning and filing the bars, I've worn all the paint off bars but still had a tight and deep chain groove in them and the roller nose worked flawlessly.

What prompted me to write this is I bought another saw (MS661) and decided to read the manual... I haven't done that since four or five saws ago.

From the manual section on sharpening the chain:

-After sharpening, clean the chain thoroughly, removing any filings or grinder dust.
-Oil the chain thoroughly.

I didn't recall reading that previously so I went and looked in the other Stihl saw manuals and low and behold the same basic instructions are there. I started doing it simply because of experience with tools and machines and doing so made sense to me...

That's rich... I'm seriously picky about the o-ring chains on my bikes.. Not so much about saw chains... Makes me want to get a bath-tub next to the sharpener.. Thanx for the heads-up.