So I felt the need to throw my 2 cents on the pile...
I just got 14x Stihl 3/8 72DL semi chisel chains... All of which were those stupid
green saftey chains!
I HATE SAFTEY CHAINS!
They all had an average 1/2 - 2/3 life left which is when I feel chain cuts best and Stihl chain is some of the best! But Nathan you say... What about the saftey rakers? What do you do? muah ha ha ha ha ha ha! (evil cackel)
I used a pair of vise grips and my bench grinder!
SAFTEY CHAIN NO MORE!
After I ground off all the saftey rakers from 6 of the chains (about 8mins each), I took them into my utility tub and gave them a quick scrub with a plastic bristle tire brush and dilluted purple power degreaser to remove any metal shavings and any old gunk. Rised them down with water and they look great now! Just need sharpened...
---- And the peasants can now rejoice! :kilt: :kilt: :kilt: :kilt: -----
For those looking for a good way to keep chain lubricated and stop rust/tarnish from forming... I have had great results with placing chain on top of a scott shop towel (thicker white kind), use a couple squirts of synthetic motor oil, wrap chain up in scott towel, and stick in a ziplock baggie or a chain box. Label chain package and toss in cabinette, or in a tool box that goes with when you cut wood.
The problem with most spray lubricants is that to make them thin enough to be aerosol sprays, they also tend to dry out or evaporate over time. Especially if you hang them up in open air... If you seal the chain with lube in a container the spray lubricant will last alot longer. If you want to last until next year i would probably dip the chain in some used (but clean) ATF, then wrap in the scott towel and put away... Plus I don't know about you guys but oily chain attracts all the metal, wood, and dust particles that are hanging in your shop air... You just spent the time to fix/clean your chain, so why would you leave them out to get dirty again?
You also need to think about the lubrication you are using... PB Blaster is made as a Penetrant, not a long lasting lubricant! So it's thin and will dry out over time. A synthetic lubricant will last the longest and give better lubrication when you first use the chain again. I know it's expensive to buy synthetic spray lubricants and we're not rich... So just get a $5-$8 synthetic qt of motor oil. Easily used in a tray for dipping or a old school, hand pump can... Plus you can use the same stuff to pre-lube when re-assembling a saw you're working on...