Cleaning chains

[tjkubota93]

I have three or four chains with plenty of life left, but they are kinda dirty (especially the one I used to cut on stumps I dug up). I sharpened them and tossed the nasty ones in a pie plate full of diesel.
I know they don't have to be super clean and I've never cleaned one before. But it can't hurt. I do regularly clean out my bar and the oil passages.
So, is there a better way to get tree gunk and dirt off besides diesel? I don't want to use gasoline.

 

[Thomas]

Seen some folks drag tire chains down dirt road for couple miles or so.

 

[Code54]

Think he is talking chainsaw chains.....
Diesel works - use a scrubbing brush in a old baking pan or if you have a parts cleaner I just put mine in there and scrub them off if they are a mess.

 

[oosik]

I don't really think dragging chain saw chains down a dirt road would help a lot. I do occasionally slosh mine around in a small bucket of gasoline, let them air dry, then back into a small tub of motor oil. I don't have a better solvent, than gas, available to clean them with.

 

[Otgaugres]

Great question. Got me thinking, there is a homemade solvent called Ed’s Red that is typically used for cleaning firearms. Should work good for chains and such too. I think I’ll give it a try. With lanolin and transmission fluid, it has some lubricating properties. Would think it would be better than straight solvents.

Link to recipe:

Homemade Firearm Related Products

There are tons of recipes online....Google it.

 

[cqaigy2]

I never thought to clean the chains, yes the bar and oil passages. I never cut up stumps though, seems it would be good to get any abrasive material out of the chain and diesel has some lubrication properties. I'll have to keep that in mind.

 

[SandburRanch]

I use WD-40 for cleaning most everything industrial and some things not so industrial.

 

[Toyboy]

I spray mine down with brake cleaner, blow them dry and then spray with wd40

 

[tjkubota93]

They soaked in diesel 2 days then wire brushed today and back in the diesel, some of that gunk was really stuck.
As for the dirt road, that's kinda how I got here in the first place.
I will look up ed red.

 

[atsah]

I use brake clean.

 

[hslogger]

Best way to clean a chain is to put it where it belongs, in the wood.
If you have spare chains that are cruddy, run em clean, then take em off. They should be cleaned and oiled by your oiler. Take your chain and wrap it up in news paper, label it, 32" good, or 36" dirt and store em till you need them. If you hang em up someplace and never use them the dampness sooner or later will get to them.
In the PNW, rust never sleeps.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

Boil them in anti freeze in an old crock pot for 24 hours. The chains will come out clean as new. Keep the crock pot for such cleaning. I would never use it for food again. I have used that to clean horribly caked engine parts, and they came clean.

 

[Bravo Xray]

Great question. Got me thinking, there is a homemade solvent called Ed's Red that is typically used for cleaning firearms. Should work good for chains and such too. I think I値l give it a try. With lanolin and transmission fluid, it has some lubricating properties. Would think it would be better than straight solvents.

Link to recipe:

Homemade Firearm Related Products

There are tons of recipes online....Google it.

+1 for Ed's Red. Just get an empty paint can from Home Depot to mix it up and store it in, and it'll last for years. The crud will settle at the bottom of the can, and you can siphon off the top liquid or filter it through some cheesecloth when it gets too dirty. I'm still using my first batch that I made about 4 years ago. As an easier alternative, regular kerosene will work just fine.

 

[xyz123]

In the wood best for cleaning a grungy chain

 

[cqaigy2]

Not to mention cleaning the bar and sprocket to get the grit out, if your getting into the dirt.

 

[hslogger]

If yer dragging yer thang in the dirt,shame on you. sprockets clean themselves if you are using free floating and not a star.
Bars need to be removed and drug out with a putty knife or one of your chain reflectors or thin knife. put it in the tip end and pull back through the groove in the rail so it exits at the mount end. sawdust compacted with oil, or dirt.

 

[TomSeller]

Some of the cheaper bar oils seemed to gunk up on me leaving a residue, I went beck to Stihl's oil.

 

[tjkubota93]

Yeah I cleaned bar out, I usually do that periodically.

I have been using Wal mart bar oil. Maybe that's why the fine dirt was so glued on.

I used to use motor oil. I noticed it's not as snot like and flings off too easy.

After soaking and wire brushing I threw them back in the diesel to clean off the mess from brushing. Look good as new.