Using old gas to clean chains

[TreeGuyHR]

You can buy WD-40 by the gallon can -- which I used to clean around 50 chains split between two metal pails.

The chains had been in a milk crate that went through a flood. Managed to get around 20 very good (also fairly new and sharp) chains, and around 15 more that just needed some sharpening; threw away around 15 that had frozen links.

Process:

Soak in water first, and brush off each side with a tough fiber brush; rinse in water

Soak in WD-40 for a few days; take out and scrub, put the ones with rust back in again for a few days

Repeat, and toss chains that still won't loosen up.

It helps to scrub the chains with them laid flat on some cardboard (the cardboard makes great stove lighter material!).

Downside -- I thought I was getting these for free from a friend in return for cleaning up his gear and organizing it, and the he demanded that I pay him for the chain because he "forgot" we had a deal.

Other downside: now I have a lot more square-cut chain (most was), and some in another gauge (.063) in addition to the .050 I already had. Some lengths don't fit any bars! Bought an Oregon .063 gauge 32 in. for some of that chain, as well as a used Stihl 36 in. .050 gauge (part of the crate of chain deal). Keeping everything sorted out is a problem; I'm gonna need about 10 more nails in the shop wall for all the lengths and gauges. (Yes, I bought the chain--- guy really needed the cash, but still pissed me off)

Should I cut the odd length chain and make useable lengths, or just hold on to them? Haven't made my own chain loops before. I have some 24 in. and 48 in. full skip square cut .063 that doesn't fit anything. (I now have two 16 in., two 24 in. one 32 in., one 36 in., and one 42 in. .050 bars, all Stihl, and an Oregon 32 in. .063)

 

[nstueve]

Should I cut the odd length chain and make useable lengths, or just hold on to them? Haven't made my own chain loops before. I have some 24 in. and 48 in. full skip square cut .063 that doesn't fit anything. (I now have two 16 in., two 24 in. one 32 in., one 36 in., and one 42 in. .050 bars, all Stihl, and an Oregon 32 in. .063)

If you have an outdoor or morton wood burner you probably should have kept that chain with frozen links... I have NEVER needed to throw away a chain before no matter how frozen!

1.) use wire wheel on bench grinder to clean off loose junk
2.) throw in a pan of synthetic oil or ATF
3.) set pan on wood burner to heat oil (het helps penetration) and leave for 1 day - 2 weeks
4.) remove chain and sharpen
5.) work the remaing links that are stiff

Synthetic oils and fluids have a higher detergency factor; meaning they clean and lubricate at the same time. ATF by formulation has higher detergency factor, synthetic or not.

Are you saying you have a 36 and 42inch bar that are 050 guage? that guage seems small for that length of bar... Just sayin... Seems to me there was a Oregon knock off spinner on Ebay for about $40 shipped. All you have to do is buy the master links and resize. However, I wouldn't downsize 32-36inch skip tooth chains to 20in loops... just doesn't make sense... You don't really need a breaker, just grind the rivits and smack with a nail punch to release chains. I've also seen guys do master links with a ball peen hammer before... I've resized tons of chain to suit my needs! Worst case senerio is that you throw the extra bits in a box and use them later to fix chain or readjust to another length.

 

[TreeGuyHR]

If you have an outdoor or morton wood burner you probably should have kept that chain with frozen links... I have NEVER needed to throw away a chain before no matter how frozen!

1.) use wire wheel on bench grinder to clean off loose junk
2.) throw in a pan of synthetic oil or ATF
3.) set pan on wood burner to heat oil (het helps penetration) and leave for 1 day - 2 weeks
4.) remove chain and sharpen
5.) work the remaing links that are stiff

Synthetic oils and fluids have a higher detergency factor; meaning they clean and lubricate at the same time. ATF by formulation has higher detergency factor, synthetic or not.

Are you saying you have a 36 and 42inch bar that are 050 guage? that guage seems small for that length of bar... Just sayin... Seems to me there was a Oregon knock off spinner on Ebay for about $40 shipped. All you have to do is buy the master links and resize. However, I wouldn't downsize 32-36inch skip tooth chains to 20in loops... just doesn't make sense... You don't really need a breaker, just grind the rivits and smack with a nail punch to release chains. I've also seen guys do master links with a ball peen hammer before... I've resized tons of chain to suit my needs! Worst case senerio is that you throw the extra bits in a box and use them later to fix chain or readjust to another length.

Just might try your suggestion -- I actually only threw away the chain as far as a bucket. I have a wood stove and metal buckets. Just checked: the 36 in. IS actually 1.6 mm (.063) gauge, as is the 42 in.

I wasn't planning on re-sizing the long chain to 24 in. -- I have a lot of that, because I run the 24 in. bars on the 361 and 046 (if I don't have the 32 in. on the 046). I don't run 20 in. bars anymore, but I have a few chains because I used to have a Farm Boss with a 20 in. If I re-size any odd lengths (short and long), it would be to make 32 in. and 36 in. loops, because I have relatively few of those, and the bars would be run on either the 046 or 084.

The guy I got the chain from liked to run a 24 in. bar on the 046 with square-cut skip chain while climbing. Kinda of a crazy dude that started out logging.

 

[Sport Faller]

You can buy WD-40 by the gallon can -- which I used to clean around 50 chains split between two metal pails.

The chains had been in a milk crate that went through a flood. Managed to get around 20 very good (also fairly new and sharp) chains, and around 15 more that just needed some sharpening; threw away around 15 that had frozen links.

Process:

Soak in water first, and brush off each side with a tough fiber brush; rinse in water

Soak in WD-40 for a few days; take out and scrub, put the ones with rust back in again for a few days

Repeat, and toss chains that still won't loosen up.

It helps to scrub the chains with them laid flat on some cardboard (the cardboard makes great stove lighter material!).

Downside -- I thought I was getting these for free from a friend in return for cleaning up his gear and organizing it, and the he demanded that I pay him for the chain because he "forgot" we had a deal.

Other downside: now I have a lot more square-cut chain (most was), and some in another gauge (.063) in addition to the .050 I already had. Some lengths don't fit any bars! Bought an Oregon .063 gauge 32 in. for some of that chain, as well as a used Stihl 36 in. .050 gauge (part of the crate of chain deal). Keeping everything sorted out is a problem; I'm gonna need about 10 more nails in the shop wall for all the lengths and gauges. (Yes, I bought the chain--- guy really needed the cash, but still pissed me off)

Should I cut the odd length chain and make useable lengths, or just hold on to them? Haven't made my own chain loops before. I have some 24 in. and 48 in. full skip square cut .063 that doesn't fit anything. (I now have two 16 in., two 24 in. one 32 in., one 36 in., and one 42 in. .050 bars, all Stihl, and an Oregon 32 in. .063)

Tell that guy to get ####ed
orrrrr, soak all those chains in vinegar for a few days and then give em back