Cleaning saw chains
#7350582
09/08/21 05:01 PM
09/08/21 05:01 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150 Tennessee
Scuba1
OP
"color blind Kraut"
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OP
"color blind Kraut"
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
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I have tried all sorts of things from soaking them for weeks in kerosine and paint thinner and oil to scrubbing them with soap and a stiff brush. Nothing worked to my satisfaction. I don't like the residue that is left on the chains when cutting hardwood as it stops the oil to get to the places it needs to get to. A week or so ago I bought a ultra sonic cleaner mainly for carburetors and sail winch parts etc. Today i thought, screw it, i'll throw a chain in the thing. And TARAHHH it works a treat. Gets rid of nearly all of the nasty stuff that stuck to it. Quick dry with compressed air and a squirt of oil and job jobbed. If ya want to find out how to do something,...... ask a lazy person.
Let's go Brandon
"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: lumberjack391]
#7350607
09/08/21 05:26 PM
09/08/21 05:26 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,561 Green County Wisconsin
GREENCOUNTYPETE
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,561
Green County Wisconsin
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I cut millions of feet of hardwoods and never noticed a residue that would cause any problems. I haven't cut that much , but it didn't bother me either , put new chain on , sharpen on saw , flip the bar once in a while when I have it apart for blowing out all the crud under the clutch cover. I have been thinking about an ultrasonic cleaner for cleaning brass it seems like it would be easier than separating steel pins and better than my current method of a big pickle jar of brass and dish soap and water every time I walk by agitate then let set , after about 2 days rinse and dry then again the pickle jar is paid for now carburetors could be very good , i have one that needs doing what model do you have?
America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: Scuba1]
#7350629
09/08/21 05:49 PM
09/08/21 05:49 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,872 Central, SD
Law Dog
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trapper
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Central, SD
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Buy some new chains ya tight wad! LOL
Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!
Jerry Herbst
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: lumberjack391]
#7350654
09/08/21 06:24 PM
09/08/21 06:24 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150 Tennessee
Scuba1
OP
"color blind Kraut"
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OP
"color blind Kraut"
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
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I cut millions of feet of hardwoods and never noticed a residue that would cause any problems. It is more when I am milling with the alaskan sawmill. And yes I use lots of bar oil when working with a longer bar. Maybe the .050 chains are more finicky than the .063's I do notice that chains that I keep clean last longer and are not as prone to snapping. I'll have to measure the drive link pin size of the different state chains to have data that could correlate with what I am experiencing. But I am not yet bored enough to just split chains to measure the bearing surfaces.
Last edited by Scuba1; 09/08/21 06:28 PM.
Let's go Brandon
"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: Scuba1]
#7350665
09/08/21 06:35 PM
09/08/21 06:35 PM
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Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 25,694 nm
adam m
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That's a good idea.
Been trying for months to convince my uncle to buy one to clean the parts and products he makes.
How dirty was the cleaner afterwards
Last edited by adam m; 09/08/21 06:35 PM.
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: lumberjack391]
#7350754
09/08/21 08:11 PM
09/08/21 08:11 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150 Tennessee
Scuba1
OP
"color blind Kraut"
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OP
"color blind Kraut"
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
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How dirty was the cleaner afterwards
The cleaning solution was dirty but the cleaner is just a stainless tub with a ball valve on one side. I drained it and wiped it out with a paper towel. Ready to go again. Are your chains breaking at the connecting rivet or just anywhere? They break at random places. But before they go south, they get " floppy " in other words worn pins and drive link holes. Milling is tough on chains for sure and maybe I should have gone with a o.063 slot bar and chains instead of the standard Stihl 0.050 as they have less " meat "to them Its not going to be an issue once I have my bandsaw mill finished and I'll just use the saws for felling and bucking then
Let's go Brandon
"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: Scuba1]
#7350801
09/08/21 09:01 PM
09/08/21 09:01 PM
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Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 25,694 nm
adam m
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Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 25,694
nm
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: Scuba1]
#7350962
09/08/21 11:31 PM
09/08/21 11:31 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,561 Green County Wisconsin
GREENCOUNTYPETE
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,561
Green County Wisconsin
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I have only had .063 and .058 chain , never broken one, I also don't mill , I have ripped 7 cutters off on a nail once that was a 20 inch bar .063 chain
I thought .063 was the standard Stihl chain , that is all the dealer I bought mine from sold unless you asked for something else. he must have just ordered only .063 I suppose if you only ever went to a couple stihl dealers and they all stocked everything in .063 you would never know about .050 on a stihl
America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: Scuba1]
#7351083
09/09/21 08:00 AM
09/09/21 08:00 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,849 Pa
Wright Brothers
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Chicks are buying the USCs for their jewelry, brilliant. My wife needs one lol. You can tell chain wear by flexing it side ways, just like bike chain. Maybe a tension thing Scoob? Or brand/batch, seems odd. 50 gauge is easier over here, everyone carries it.
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: lumberjack391]
#7351101
09/09/21 08:28 AM
09/09/21 08:28 AM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,464 Tug Hill, NY
Squash
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Tug Hill, NY
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I cut millions of feet of hardwoods and never noticed a residue that would cause any problems. X2 and I can add millions of feet of softwoods.
Last edited by Squash; 09/09/21 08:30 AM.
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: Wright Brothers]
#7351131
09/09/21 08:58 AM
09/09/21 08:58 AM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150 Tennessee
Scuba1
OP
"color blind Kraut"
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OP
"color blind Kraut"
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
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Chicks are buying the USCs for their jewelry, brilliant. My wife needs one lol. You can tell chain wear by flexing it side ways, just like bike chain. Maybe a tension thing Scoob? Or brand/batch, seems odd. 50 gauge is easier over here, everyone carries it. Thats what I meant by the chain getting " floppy " To get an accurate result one would have to measure the tolerance of the pins and holes of the drive links. But as I said earlier, I am not bored enough to do that just yet. These chains are all of the same bulk roll from Oregon. So you may be on to something there as well. I'll get a new roll and see what happens or get a couple of ready made chains to have a looksee. Its not a tension thing as I tend to run them on the loose side for the most part. I don't have this problem with the shorter 25" length that I use for felling and bucking. Its just the ones I make up for milling for the 36" bar. As i said earlier, I run plenty of oil using the longer bar and don't have excessive bar wear, Anyway, now that I have found a way for me to keep them clean, this whole thing may just be over with from now on.
Let's go Brandon
"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: Scuba1]
#7351138
09/09/21 09:06 AM
09/09/21 09:06 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,872 Central, SD
Law Dog
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Posts: 34,872
Central, SD
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I never broke a chain yet but I do all the things a guy should not do to a chain so I ruin them pretty quickly here. LOL I start big projects with a new chain often and finish on the logs on the ground or cutting stumps both are tough on chains. I load up on a few new chains when the local store has a bucket sale 17% off.
For smaller jobs I’ll touch up a old chain if I can but chains are cheap and speed up the big jobs so they are worth the time and hassle saved.
Last edited by Law Dog; 09/09/21 09:08 AM.
Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!
Jerry Herbst
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Re: Cleaning saw chains
[Re: Scuba1]
#7351140
09/09/21 09:10 AM
09/09/21 09:10 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,849 Pa
Wright Brothers
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I have new to me x-cut and a full skip. Like lures, I just have to try them.
Earlier I worked white pine for two weeks, what a mess they make of everything.
Last edited by Wright Brothers; 09/09/21 09:13 AM.
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