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