Chainsaw Repair

Probably already posted this somewhere here on CR ('CSR'?)

If a chain is pretty clean, I might just wipe/brush off excess oil or light dirt/wood chips, etc.  A lot of the chains I get, scrounge, or accept into Philbert's 'No-Kill-Chain-Shelter' are pretty grungy.  On some, I can't read the markings.  And often, they have defects (rust, burrs, **** links, loose rivets, improvised repairs, upside down/inside out tie straps, etc.) hidden by gunk.  I like to fix these before sharpening, and to keep the gunk out of the grinding wheels.

- I dip the dirty chains in a commercial, water-based degreaser with lye (sodium hydroxide).  'Super Clean' is one brand I use.  Note that not all 'purple cleaners' have the sodium hydroxide, which makes a big difference, so read the label. 10 - 15 seconds is all that is needed sometimes.

- Brush lightly with an old toothbrush, in the bottom of the laundry tub, wearing gloves, and splash goggles.  Repeat if necessary.

- Rinse well in clean water.

- Dry on an old, garage sale cookie sheet for 15 to 20 minutes at 200*F to remove any water and prevent rusting.

- Since this removes all the lubrication, I re-lube after sharpening with a heavy coat of WD-40, since this is thin and penetrates well around the rivets.  I have another old baking pad with an absorbent pad in the bottom I use for this.  Brush the WD-40 on with another old toothbrush, and run the chain over a dowel to make sure that all the links are free and lubricated.

Sounds like a lot, but I try to clean/sharpen chains in batches, so not much time per chain.  I tried the USC, and that works, but it takes longer and is harder to clean afterwards IMO.

Philbert

Got the Bailey's/Molemab wheel (Left) to compare with the Tilton/Total wheel (Right)! Look identical Cost was almost half.
The Molemab wheel is brand new. The Total wheel has been used on about 15 chains - wear is not noticeable.

Philbert

Good to know. Thanks for all the digging in and up on this stuff.