Rusty Chain - want to clean and protect a little

sandman2234 · Nov 18, 2007

Yea, but if they hang up on something in the cement mixer, you just get a chance to smell the belt burning. Going 45 mph on a ATV and it hangs on something, your going to be lucky to smell anything when your nose plows up the road in front of you.
David from jax

mrutkaus · Nov 19, 2007

Might try "Fluid Film" discussed in these forums, spray it on or dip it. It is messy (but not unhealthy messy, it is also a good hand cream) at first but after a while it sort of just settles in.

Mike

Lloyd_E · Nov 19, 2007

molassas...wash and oil chain.

Do a test, place rusty item in a quart of molassas for about a week. Remove and wash but re-oil quickly. If not it will rust before you eyes. Also, use ketchup for polishing copper...

Lloyd

john_bud · Nov 19, 2007

Drag clean the chain then put it in a bucket and pour in a bottle of "the must for rust". Let it set over night. I use that stuff on bare metal and it works great at forming a rust protecting layer and will take off some surface rust.

jb

J_J · Nov 20, 2007

Rusting chain is a fact of life. Why bother making it pretty. Use gloves. How many of you have worn out a chain.

firemanpat2910 · Nov 20, 2007

I chain my forklift down all the time at work, with a white shirt and a tie on. If you are carefull you can stay clean. Oil would be even worse and a pain to haul around in the truck.

MrJimi · Nov 21, 2007

Well last Saturday I took four of my chains for a short ride behind my truck, I only pulled them about a half mile each way but it's much better now see dragged chain here works great
Jim

sandman2234 · Nov 21, 2007

The problem I have with using chains, is that they rust. Rust destroys the strength of a chain. Now you drag the chain down a road, and abrasives remove the rust, and a little of the metal with it. Now it rusts again, and this process goes on for a few years. Next thing you know, the chain fails, and you wonder why it failed.
I think the best thing to do if you don't use them regularly is to clean them and paint them. Regularly used chains don't usually rust enough to make a difference, unless you store them on the front of the tractor.
Hmmmm, maybe I need to go take them off the front of both tractors, and put them in the garage. LOL
Has anyone ever tried using gloves when working with chains? I know it is a required safety gear when working with cables, but maybe we need to make it standard for chains also. Wouldn't want to get dirty while out playing on our tractors, now would we?
David from jax