# What takes pine tree sap off a chainsaw??



## bushwackr (Jun 7, 2011)

The last storm we had here had straight line winds and of course trees were breaking. Well my neighbor to the south had a big pine land on his car and his house:msp_thumbdn:. Three more blew over on his property. He doesnt have a saw to clean up so I offered him a hand. It all went smooth as silk ,besides seeming like the pine was eating up my chain. Now I have in my possesion a dull ,sappy 036 :msp_smile:. It has bits of red shop rag and paper towel stuck to it when I tried to clean the sap off. What cleaner would do the best for cleaning it off. Ive tried dawn dish soap ,and purple cleaner.


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## Evanrude (Jun 7, 2011)

GooGone


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## nmurph (Jun 7, 2011)

Gas-O-Lean


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## sloweather (Jun 7, 2011)

Wick lighter fluid AKA Ronsonol like you'd put in your Grandpa's Zippo lighter, which is just petroleum naptha, available in the paint aisle. Might need to look for VM&P Naptha (Varnish Makers and Painters).


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## bushwackr (Jun 7, 2011)

I was thinking about trying gas but I didnt know if it would soften thefoam on the hand grip. I didnt even think of goo gone. I think I even have some of that.


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## nmurph (Jun 7, 2011)

It won't hurt it. I wouldn't soak it in gas for days, but a wipe on, wipe off, won't hurt.


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## Oldsawnut (Jun 7, 2011)

> It won't hurt it. I wouldn't soak it in gas for days, but a wipe on, wipe off, won't hurt.



+1


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## jus2fat (Jun 7, 2011)

Gunk engine cleaner...
(basically just spray kerosene)

J2F


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## Streblerm (Jun 7, 2011)

Alcohol, acetone, oil (pam, cooking, motor, etc) mineral spirirts, turpentine, wd-40. I have even heard peanut butter and/or mayonaise but that just sounds gross.


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## caleath (Jun 7, 2011)

goof off


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## flushcut (Jun 7, 2011)

+1 for acetone


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## stihl 440 (Jun 7, 2011)

nmurph said:


> Gas-O-Lean


 
Gas on a good rag works extremely well even with sap that has been on there for awhie.


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## K5krawler (Jun 7, 2011)

I used WD40 on my bars...Might work on the sap. 
-K5


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## CJ1 (Jun 7, 2011)

When we were cutting Balsa [sp] we would clean the saws at the end of each day with gas. As for the clothes, after a few days you would throw them out and get some more. Never had to worry about wearing out any pants for a few months!!! CJ


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## Valkyrie Rider (Jun 7, 2011)

I'll add to the WD40 or Goo Gone. Id try those before going to something more harsh.


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## CTYank (Jun 7, 2011)

Plain old kerosene and some shop rags. Much less volatile than gasoline, lighter fluid, acetone, etc.

Whenever a saw chain is suspected of getting dull, it gets some hits with a file, around here.


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## yooper (Jun 7, 2011)

wear and tear is the best method. a littler pine sap will not affect the performance of the saw. cant believe some people are so up tight they have to get sap off a chain saw. must be a home owner thing.


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## Jon1212 (Jun 7, 2011)

yooper said:


> wear and tear is the best method. a littler pine sap will not affect the performance of the saw. cant believe some people are so up tight they have to get sap off a chain saw. must be a home owner thing.


 
Bushwackr, please ignore the slightly incontinent Mr. Yooper as he is the type to shrug his shoulders, and turn his underwear inside out to get another days wear out of them.
My preferred product for removing sap is Citrus Oil based cleaners. They are really good at emulsifying the sap without being volatile, and they don't require the ventilation of flammable fuels or solvents.


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## yooper (Jun 7, 2011)

Jon1212 said:


> Bushwackr, please ignore the slightly incontinent Mr. Yooper as he is the type to shrug his shoulders, and turn his underwear inside out to get another days wear out of them.
> My preferred product for removing sap is Citrus Oil based cleaners. They are really good at emulsifying the sap without being volatile, and they don't require the ventilation of flammable fuels or solvents.


 
another up tight home owner


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## Jon1212 (Jun 7, 2011)

yooper said:


> another up tight home owner


 
Yooper 5word thread isn't here.


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## angelo c (Jun 7, 2011)

Jon1212 said:


> Bushwackr, please ignore the slightly incontinent Mr. Yooper as he is the type to shrug his shoulders, and turn his underwear inside out to get another days wear out of them.
> My preferred product for removing sap is Citrus Oil based cleaners. They are really good at emulsifying the sap without being volatile, and they don't require the ventilation of flammable fuels or solvents.


 
+1...any good wood worker would know to have a citrus cleaner available for pitch removal on tools/


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## motoman.5150 (Jun 7, 2011)

googone makes an aerosol spray thats pretty good but I noticed that you need to spray and wipe or scrub immediately or it doesn't work but if your quick its great


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## sgrizz (Jun 7, 2011)

wd 40 and rubbing alchahol have worked for me on stihl plastic for removing sap.


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## dancan (Jun 7, 2011)

Baby oil .


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## nmurph (Jun 7, 2011)

Ya'll are really over thinking this; open the fuel cap, stick a folded napkin in, pull out, wipe, replace cap, continue with whatever else you need to do.

Volatility, fumes, citrus oil, baby oil.....save it for the wife......it's chain saw; operating it is dangerous.


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## zopi (Jun 7, 2011)

the groundie...


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## w8ye (Jun 7, 2011)

Turpentine works pretty good

At work we dissolved rosin with denatured ethyl alcohol so present day gasoline should work well.

When I was a kid, all the pulpwood saws were covered up in pine rosin. Was a sign of hard work.

Think of driving a pulpwood truck with about 2" of rosin stuck on the seat and clumps all around the steering wheel and on the gear shift and peddles. Oh, and no doors.


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## andosca (Jun 7, 2011)

+1 for alcohol.......and to clean the saw, actually alcohol's pretty damn good for that too.


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## J.W Younger (Jun 7, 2011)

w8ye said:


> Turpentine works pretty good
> 
> At work we dissolved rosin with denatured ethyl alcohol so present day gasoline should work well.
> 
> ...


 Turpentine is sum good ####, can't seem to find it anymore. Best damn rusty bolt loosener ever, most people don't know dat.
Has the EPA banned it or something , used to be I could get it at the drugstore or hardware. Same thing with liquid glass, can't find it but when we were killin cars for the cash for clunkers program I stocked up.
Thanks uncle sam.


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## 2dogs (Jun 7, 2011)

yooper said:


> wear and tear is the best method. a littler pine sap will not affect the performance of the saw. cant believe some people are so up tight they have to get sap off a chain saw. must be a home owner thing.


 
I can't believe I'm writing this but... I agree with Yooper. Pine sap hardens up pretty quickly so I just rub some clean soil on it comes off in a few days. The chain and bar just need to cut a little and the sap will be gone. Just don't cut another pine.

Baby oil kinda works too.


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## RiverRat2 (Jun 8, 2011)

bushwackr said:


> I was thinking about trying gas but I didnt know if it would soften thefoam on the hand grip. I didnt even think of goo gone. I think I even have some of that.



TURPINTINE works fine!!!!


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## bushwackr (Jun 8, 2011)

For those out there that gave me a suggestion Thank You :msp_thumbup: . One quick thing for those who dont think its a big deal to clean the sap off. I think of my saws like a fine tuned machine, A little up keep goes a long ways. Its just like washing your car,truck,hauler what have you. You dont clean them when they get dirty? Thanks again


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## w8ye (Jun 8, 2011)

I get some sap spots on my saws and after a while it hardens and is rather stubborn to remove.

On the metal saws, a Popsicle stick seems to break the crust off and then I've used WD-40 to remove the shadow. I suppose gasoline would work better?


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## KD57 (Jun 8, 2011)

I have no experience with Pine, but I had to chunk a bar and chain after cutting Mimosa trees, totally ruined them. I tried everything, even cutting a bunch of oak, nothing worked. It was so bad the chain would hardly turn on the bar. That stuff hardened like epoxy.
No big loss, I was using the MS250 loaner saw to do it, I suspected I was gonna have a problem. I'll never cut another one tho.


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## Doug Fir (Jun 8, 2011)

andosca said:


> +1 for alcohol.......and to clean the saw, actually alcohol's pretty damn good for that too.


 
I agree--rubbing alcohol is the way to go. Get the stuff that is 90+ percent isopropyl alcohol. I've lived in pine forests for 30 years. During certain times of the year we get pine sap on everything--shoes, carpeting, upholstery (in the truck and the home), dogs, and of course on various tools. If you want to clean it off completely without damaging the item and without leaving any residue, alcohol does the trick. In fact it cleans better than the more toxic alternatives. 

Rubbing alcohol rocks as a pine-sap cleaner. 

Doug


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## Simonizer (Jun 8, 2011)

Go to the hardware store and buy a gallon of 99% isopropyl alcohol. End of problem.


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## bobt (Jun 8, 2011)

Yes, Alcohol should do the trick.

If all else fails,,,Lacquer Thinner! May not have any finish left on the plastic, but it cuts just about anything. Had some road tar on a car once. Used lacquer thinner,,,,,,,,then repainted the fender!! Haha!

Bob


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## teacherman (Jul 16, 2017)

bushwackr said:


> For those out there that gave me a suggestion Thank You :msp_thumbup: . One quick thing for those who dont think its a big deal to clean the sap off. I think of my saws like a fine tuned machine, A little up keep goes a long ways. Its just like washing your car,truck,hauler what have you. You dont clean them when they get dirty? Thanks again



I was reading a thread yesterday about corrosion on saws, and that sap is a major cause of this. If we have nice modern saws we hope will someday be nice older saws, or if we want to keep an 041 or 056M2 in good shape, we might want to consider wiping the sap off occasionally. My 361 has some hardened sap/sawdust on it, and I don't even recall what I was cutting, but I got it new 8 or so years ago, and it works great, and I want it to be in good shape for when my son has to take over the saw duties when I start leaking from all points. due to my case being corroded...

Born in the fifties, have a three year old, gotta think of these things yee haw


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## Sylvan21 (Jul 16, 2017)

Moonshine


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## Mad Professor (Jul 16, 2017)

Diesel fuel


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## teacherman (Jul 16, 2017)

Here's why we should clean our saws..
.



Does anyone think this is saveable?


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## pioneerguy600 (Jul 16, 2017)

teacherman said:


> Here's why we should clean our saws..
> .View attachment 591027
> View attachment 591028
> View attachment 591029
> ...


 Somebody been cutting palm trees?


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## teacherman (Jul 16, 2017)

Not saveable, right?


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## cruiser77 (Aug 30, 2019)

I rubbed my saw with kerosene this morning, and it cleaned up a little bit. I clean my motorcycle chains with kerosene so nothing new to me. Figured there must be something better because it didn't do much for the caked on sap. Tried some 91% isopropyl alcohol and cotton balls from the grocery store and it worked 100 times better! Sap was gone in seconds. Thanks for the alcohol tip guys!


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## andy at clover (Aug 31, 2019)

Veggie oil is cheapest and works great.
It melts the sap and all blends together.
I use it to clean sap off my cars then wash all the mess with dish or car wash soap.
No damage to clear coat... super cheap.


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## MJM268 (Aug 31, 2019)

I use standard hand sanitizer to remove sap on saws and hands


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## farmguywithasaw (Sep 1, 2019)

teacherman said:


> Not saveable, right?


You could try some jb weld when it hardens you can sand and shape it. Worth a shot anyway


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## capetrees (Sep 1, 2019)

or, depending where you're located, Marine Tex. Similar to JB Weld

and WD-40 gets the sap off


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## newforest (Sep 1, 2019)

I just leave the rosin, mostly from Balsam Fir, on the saw. I cut many other species at the same time so the total buildup is not all that much. A solid week in only one Pine/Fir species would be different. 

The upside of ignoring it is that I could pick out my saw from any quantity of same model saws sitting near it, just about instantly.


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## Huskybill (Sep 2, 2019)

I can’t remember, brain fade but we mixed kerosene in the bar oil too.


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## dmb2613 (Sep 2, 2019)

Use the same mix that you run in the saw. Case closed horse is dead


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## Okie294life (Sep 2, 2019)

I would stay away from acetone or carb cleaner, whatever you do! It will take the paint off a bar...don’t ask me how I know.


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## Ted Jenkins (Sep 2, 2019)

Vegetable oil and if it is real build up put some on a rag and leave it for several days. Thanks


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## capetrees (Sep 2, 2019)

Huskybill said:


> I can’t remember, brain fade but we mixed kerosene in the bar oil too.


I mix some gas in there in the winter if it's real cold to make it pour a bit easier


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## Jeeptrekker (Sep 3, 2019)

Rubbing alcohol and automotive buffing wax are what I use to remove all sap from vehicles. Works on glass, plastic , mag wheels. No residue and safe on the paint. Imagine it would work the same on a saw.


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## dando127 (Sep 3, 2019)

Baby oil is good to get it off your hands.....otherwise......my rule is "like dissolves like" from chemistry class. Oil products dissolve oil products


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## Mad Professor (Sep 3, 2019)

Diesel or kerosene works best but stinks. Follow up with dish detergent/water. VERY CHEAP too.

We used diesel on the rollers when cutting WP on the edger. When mill was down, we sprayed the rollers. Pitch would make the flitches feed sideways. Bad boards.


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## Okie294life (Sep 3, 2019)

teacherman said:


> Here's why we should clean our saws..
> .View attachment 591027
> View attachment 591028
> View attachment 591029
> ...


What causes this? I’m just curious, never heard of sap or tar rotting a saw, in my territory never really heard of anyone cleaning a saw either, other than the bar or air filter.


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## cheeves (Sep 4, 2019)

dando127 said:


> Baby oil is good to get it off your hands.....otherwise......my rule is "like dissolves like" from chemistry class. Oil products dissolve oil products


Loggin' White Pines in 70's always used Gas! Clothes threw away every Friday! lol


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## barie (Sep 4, 2019)

Just let it burn 

https://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/7749501/3f16974e/palmboomsnoeier_krijgt_uitbrander.html


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## Huskybill (Sep 4, 2019)

Diesel fuel is great for cleaning stuff even cosmoline but it reeks forever.


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## Matt Hogden (Sep 4, 2019)

Turps

Sent from my SM-A505YN using Tapatalk


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## Sylvan21 (Sep 4, 2019)

Baby oil will remove blacktop when I paved if we got it on something the oil would clean it off


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