question chain cleaning

[stoveliker]

As you can interpret correctly from the title, my chainsaw maintenance skills are still in development.

I finally got some time for saw maintenance - after I had a friend use my saw. (Lesson learned about that...)
I sharpened my chain. (Somehow that I can do quite well, based on the chips it throws after I sharpen.)

I found a lot of fines and some chips had clogged the oil hole in the bar. As a result the bar had gotten hot (bluish edge in places).

When I took the chain came off to clean the bar, I found it had burrs on the side, not surprisingly.

So, I filed those off, gently, and I dressed the bar (using a square block pressed against the side of the bar and with the file pressed on the top, so as to have it 90 degrees to the bar).
That seemed to have worked fine. (did not use the saw yet after this).

As I had learned that cleaning the chain from the filings is a good idea (duh, but one gotta learn things at some point), I used kerosene and a brush in a shallow tray that came from a chemistry lab.
While that did get a lot of crap off, a lot of fines still stick to the chain near the cutting pieces. See pics.
I can use a fine screw driver or pick to scratch that off, but that would take a lot of time. The kerosene and plastic brush did not take it off.

- Is bad for chain life or sawing performance to leave these fines on there?
- If it's better to get this off, how do you do that? In particular after sharpening the chain (so no metal brush...)

thanks

 

[Murray01]

Brake or carb cleaner with a brass wire brush?

 

[stoveliker]

okay, thanks, I'll try those solvents.

I'm hesitant with brass, though, given that I don't wish to saw through a brass screw either. Of course that's with much higher impact (speed), but - well, maybe I'm too antsy.

Do y'all use brass brushes for the chain without adverse effects (to the sharpness)?
Maybe next time I should clean the chain before filing (and then rinsing the filings off after that with a plastic brush).

 

[Murray01]

If you’re nervous of trying brass maybe an old toothbrush, bristles might be stiff enough.

Try cutting a log, maybe that would knock the gunk off.

I’ve never had any buildup on a chain so I’m only guessing.

 

[stoveliker]

okay, thanks.

 

[Eman85]

What is the buildup on the chain? It looks like burnt on oil and sawdust. You say the bar was blue I guess the chain got hot. I would soak it in kerosene or mineral spirits and then brush it with a wire brush.

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, it's fines+ likely bar oil. No sap. (I think the guy cut maple with it.)
Yes, the bar has to have gotten hot (see oil hole blockage).
Soaking in kerosene did not loosen it up enough for the plastic brush visible in the pic. A screw driver did get stuff off, so it's not fused to the chain.

I guess it's just using a stiffer brush and other solvents. (I'm not sure cutting with it is going to help, given that the stuff caked on while cutting (with insufficient oil).)

 

[salecker]

Most bars have blue edges from the original heat treat process.

 

[stoveliker]

ok, that's good to know.
Though the burr had appeared while this friend/neighbor used the saw - and with the oil hole clogged, I think it got hot, even if the color may not have been produced then and there.

 

[blades]

depending on where you are working , hot water and a heavy duty cleaner dergreaser with a brush gets the out side clean, and some of what might be built up in the pivot pins. mineral spirits is another option and not worry about rusting that the degreaser and water causes(need to oil after degreaser bath).
my own system is to media blast the chains- fast- and gets everything off the out side then a mineral sprits bath / soak to get the insides clean( WD 40 works good for this as well but more costly also not a lubricant ) lightly lubed with a thin oil. As i am commercial I do a lot of chains.

 

[Turbo89]

If that’s just oil and wood dust I would just wipe it with a rag or put it in some wood. I honestly never clean chains, even when I sharpen them. Lately I’ve been filing the top of the tooth I start filing on so I can quickly tell where i started filing.. so in that case the wood dust and oil is actually a feature.

 

[stoveliker]

With a screw driver I can get it off but I have to scrape. And that was after soaking in kerosene and brushing.
A rag won't work.

The top of the teeth I don't mind much and it's much thinner there. but I did scrape that with my nail before filing so I could see better when the little burr flips over , and the filings can be blown off then better than when they are on a caked surface.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I have never worried much about it. If it gets thick enough while cutting wood to catch on the log, it’ll be scraped off.

You may want to soak the chain in bar oil overnight before putting it back on the saw after hitting it with the solvent. There’s no lube between the links. It may stretch like a brand new chain does! I have an old pickle jar with some bar oil that I use. If you don’t have an old pickle jar handy, it’s a good excuse to buy some pickles!

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, I do have a pot of bar oil (that I use to coat the seal between air filter and carb so fines get caught there).

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Before I do any of my chains. I soak / rinse them in gas. I use an old cut open windshield washer jug. After they are clean I use my blowgun with compressed air hooked to my compressor. Then I put the chains on the grinder. Then blow them clean again, then PB blast them. Then in the correct container they go until needed.

 

[salecker]

I just sharpen my chains and don't worry about anything on them
Then i use them, rust and gunk comes off with use
The last new chain i bought and used was at least 15 years ago, that was because i was putting the log house on my basement and needed a good chain the next day and i was near the Husky dealer
I have probably 100# of used chain that i have accumulated over the years from the dump and yard sales.
When i need a chain i go through the ones i have sorted out and find one that fits the bar and sprocket.
Then onto the grinder it goes, if it's on my saw it gets touched up by hand till i hit something that is harder than the chain
I have vintage chain that was so rusted it had to go into the E tank to be able to bend it,after the E tank it get treated like above