cleaning your chain?

[madhatte]

Best way to clean a chain that I know of is to cut clean wood. Just the day before yesterday I was cutting some nasty rotten fir, and the chain and everything was covered in pitch and dust and mung. Next cut was in clean pine, and after about 30 seconds of cutting, the chain looked good as new. Regular maintenance helps, too. It's gotta be able to cut if it's gonna be able to clean itself.

 

[MR4WD]

Take another look at the 'Before' photos. If you want to run stuff like that through your saw, that is your choice.

Philbert

It's not like it's passing through the carb into the crankcase. It's going around the bar.

I found one in my gangbox in the back of my truck that was there for about a year and a half. It was mostly run out, but I washed it off with a hose and threw it on to cut up some stumps I dug out. What do you know, good as new.

 

[056kid]

Take another look at the 'Before' photos. If you want to run stuff like that through your saw, that is your choice.

Philbert

Similar to mr4wd's story, I took a chain that had completely rusted together, no shiny or clean metal at all. after a sufficient beating the chain was limber enough to get on the rail, after that I had to start the saw and rotate the chain to loosen it up enough to actually get the chain tight around the bar. After a quick filing I had a cutting chain, after a tank of gas the chain looked completely different. It looked old, but there was very little rust and no dirt etc. I had to do all this after getting pinched while bucking, I had nothing else at the time. . Chainsaws are tough pieces of equipment. . . . .

 

[Gologit]

I get chains that gum up cutting pine. Usually a couple of passes through an old dry oak stump or a piece of dry madrone makes them shiny again.

I don't think I've ever had a rusty chain.

 

[MR4WD]

I should start a thread: How to make the bucket on my excavator shiny?

 

[Gologit]

I should start a thread: How to make the bucket on my excavator shiny?

Or the tracks on my Cat. Gotta admit though, they do get rusty when they sit awhile.

 

[komatsuvarna]

I should start a thread: How to make the bucket on my excavator shiny?

Or the tracks on my Cat. Gotta admit though, they do get rusty when they sit awhile.

Just run them through a ultra sonic cleaner,,,,,er wait, how bout a couple passes through some dirt.


I've never cleaned a chain. I agree on making a few cuts in clean wood and they look good again.

 

[Philbert]

Again, they are your chains and your saws, and another good reason not to loan them out to others who view them differently!

I don't mind running a chain that has bar oil and some wood chips on it though my saw, because that is the world that they live in. But if I can, I try to avoid tar, sand, etc. in my bar grooves, under the clutch covers, inside the nose sprocket, etc.

I also like to keep that stuff out of my files and grinder wheels. Just my preference.

If MR4WD is cutting up dug out stumps, they are going to be full of sand anyway, so it may not matter in that case.

The chains I was cleaning were salvaged, and I had to clean them to inspect them as well. Found some burrs, a broken tie strap, mis-installed links, etc. that I took care of. If it is your chain and you just have bar oil or pine sap on it from some recent cutting, that, again, is a different story.

Philbert

 

[madhatte]

I also like to keep that stuff out of my files and grinder wheels.

That's a different story. Any chain going on my grinder gets inspected and at least blown out with compressed air before going under the wheel. Files? Expendable. I use 'em 'til they are done, then grab a new one from the box. It is a good idea, however, to blow or wipe off your bar between sharpening the chain and running the saw. Metal filings have the nasty habit of stealthily contributing to early wear on things.

 

[oscar4883]

I don't have a grinder so I can't comment on inspection when it comes to grinding chains. However, like some of the other guys, I have put some horrible looking crusty chains on a saw and run them. Every so often I find something in the truck bed, stuffed way under the toolbox amongst the empty chew and energy drink cans. I beat the frozen links some, toss it on and run it with a little re-tensioning thrown in.