# How do you clean your chainsaw?



## deerjw (Feb 21, 2009)

I'm sure it has already been discussed on this forum many times, but being new here I was wondering what's the best way to clean a saw?


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## husky455rancher (Feb 21, 2009)

someguys put em in the dishwasher. i personally dont have the sac to do that. id be sleepin in the woodpile if i got caught doin that. 


most i do is take all the plastic off and use the air compressor and wipe em down.


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## windthrown (Feb 21, 2009)

Yep, I use an air compressor and towel. I use acetone or terpentine to get rid of the pitch and sap on the handles. For small areas I use an old toothbrush.


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## landroverbill (Feb 21, 2009)

Same as above ( no dish washer). I use oven cleaner on pitchy chains, wash with hot water, blow dry , and spray with wd40. Then sharpen.


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## outdoorlivin247 (Feb 21, 2009)

Soft bristle brush in the tool box for cleaning in the field and the air compressor when they get home...


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## whitedogone (Feb 21, 2009)

If real caked on I use Cheap oven cleaner, soak,and hot water blast. Works great. WDO


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## PatrickIreland (Feb 21, 2009)

An old paint spray gun running off my compressor, filled with meths. Like a pwer hose but without water. Leave it to dry for half an hour and it's like new. Well, like 31 years of wear new. It takes the dust and oil off it, anyway,


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## deer slayer (Feb 21, 2009)

Dollar store special, AWESOME. stuff works great on everything. Simple green on the tougher stuff that needs soaking.


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## Banshee (Feb 21, 2009)

When I do clean them. I use a 2 inch paint brush with warm dish soap water. Then I run them until they are fairly dry.


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## Evanrude (Feb 21, 2009)

outdoorlivin247 said:


> Soft bristle brush in the tool box for cleaning in the field and the air compressor when they get home...



Same here. Once in a while I do take the hood and starter cover off and blow them out.


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## Gologit (Feb 21, 2009)

The only thing really wrong with using the dishwasher is you have to cycle it again after the saw parts are done. Otherwise your next load of dishes might have an oil film. Running the dishwasher is expensive.

I use compressed air set low, rags, and a toothbrush. Rubbing alcohol will take pitch off.


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## Jonny Quest (Feb 21, 2009)

1. Remove bar & chain
2. Clean bar groove with tool
3. Using compressed air, blow-off power head, clutch cover, bar
4. Remove filter cover & blow-off (careful around filter)
5. Remove filter & inspect
6. Replace filter & cover
7. Inspect bar, chain, clutch, etc.
8. Replace bar, chain & clutch cover
9. Final blow-off & wipe-down

My wife just shakes her head. She says: "They're just chainsaws". She doesn't understand...


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## rngrchad (Feb 21, 2009)

husky455rancher said:


> someguys put em in the dishwasher. i personally dont have the sac to do that. id be sleepin in the woodpile if i got caught doin that.
> 
> 
> most i do is take all the plastic off and use the air compressor and wipe em down.





gologit said:


> The only thing really wrong with using the dishwasher is you have to cycle it again after the saw parts are done. Otherwise your next load of dishes might have an oil film. Running the dishwasher is expensive.



Are you two serious!?!? Who does this? Tell me your both joking. I want to see a saw in a dishwasher picture! :jawdrop:


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## Rftreeman (Feb 21, 2009)

greased lighting and the water hose.....


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## Gologit (Feb 21, 2009)

rngrchad said:


> Are you two serious!?!? Who does this? Tell me your both joking. I want to see a saw in a dishwasher picture! :jawdrop:



LOL...Try a search. There were several pictures of saw parts in dishwashers. And, speaking from personal experience, try to get the bigger hunks of crud and wood chips off first...otherwise it clogs the drain.
You can grab all your saw parts and hustle them back out to the shop but when your wife catches you cleaning wet sawdust out of the drain elbow...you're busted.


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## forestryworks (Feb 21, 2009)

i drive down the highway 100mph and hold it out the window...

aside from cleaning it builds your grip strength tremendously


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## moose42 (Feb 21, 2009)

I take the bar and drum off. Knock the big parts off with a stiff brush. Take it to the parts washer for a little scrubbin'. wipe it down with rags and blow it off with air compressor. looks good. 

A guy I know has a almost new 660 and doesn't clean it at all. My 064 looks newer than his year or so old 660. I wish I could rescue it and show it some love. He just leaves it outside next to his house. He lives on a ranch so there ain't many people around, But still!


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## stihl sawing (Feb 21, 2009)

Jonny Quest said:


> 1. Remove bar & chain
> 2. Clean bar groove with tool
> 3. Using compressed air, blow-off power head, clutch cover, bar
> 4. Remove filter cover & blow-off (careful around filter)
> ...


Pretty much what i do too. I always sharpen the chain after a good cleaning though.


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## rngrchad (Feb 21, 2009)

Gologit said:


> LOL...Try a search. There were several pictures of saw parts in dishwashers. And, speaking from personal experience, try to get the bigger hunks of crud and wood chips off first...otherwise it clogs the drain.
> You can grab all your saw parts and hustle them back out to the shop but when your wife catches you cleaning wet sawdust out of the drain elbow...you're busted.



Oh my! You are serious. I would assume this CAD that is contagious among AS members is at it's highest level of infection when you start putting chainsaws into the wife's dishwasher. opcorn:


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## Gologit (Feb 21, 2009)

rngrchad said:


> Oh my! You are serious. I would assume this CAD that is contagious among AS members is at it's highest level of infection when you start putting chainsaws into the wife's dishwasher. opcorn:



It has nothing to do with CAD...it has everything to do with lazy.


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## Dan_IN_MN (Feb 21, 2009)

*What kind of toothpaste?*



windthrown said:


> Yep, I use an old toothbrush on the saw teeth.



What kind of toothpaste? :greenchainsaw:


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## slinger (Feb 21, 2009)

Stiff paintbrush


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## rngrchad (Feb 21, 2009)

Gologit said:


> It has nothing to do with CAD...it has everything to do with lazy.



It has something to do with something that sure is not right. I'm still hoping they are both just joking around.


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## stihl sawing (Feb 21, 2009)

rngrchad said:


> It has something to do with something that sure is not right. I'm still hoping they are both just joking around.


Nope they are not, There have been a couple of threads of guys using dishwashers. I think blsnelling has rebuilt several by cleaning them up in one.


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## Gologit (Feb 21, 2009)

rngrchad said:


> It has something to do with something that sure is not right. I'm still hoping they are both just joking around.



Serious. Do a search. I only tried it a couple of times. The saw parts get REAL clean...but it's hard on the dishwasher.


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## Photog95 (Feb 21, 2009)

Brake Clean and air compressor. Hose it down with Brake Clean and dry it off with air hose


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## BobL (Feb 21, 2009)

Light use;
Before turning of saw in the field run the saw so the chain gets a nice coating of bar oil This softens the resins and helps flush out gunk. Blow everything down with compressed air, including inside of clutch cover and chain. Remove filter cover and knock out filter. 

After multiple light uses or heavy/extended use
1. Run the saw so the chain gets a nice coating of oil. 
At home
2. Use compressed air to quickly blow down entire saw 
3. Squirt simple green over everything and leave it soak for 10 - 15 mins. I also do this to my alaskan mill as well.
4. Use garden hose on jet to wash off simple green followed by a quick blow off of excess water 
5. Remove bar & chain from saw
6. Clean bar groove with piece of broken hack saw blade - blow residual and oil hole gunk out with compressed air, blow out nose sprocket.
7. Hang chain and blow off residual. If it's still gunky I soak it in simple green O/N, rinse and then blow dry next day. 
8. Using compressed air, blow-off gunk around clutch and inside clutch cover.
9. Remove filter cover & blow-off (careful around filter)
10. Remove filter & inspect, if required soak filter in simple green and water O/N then rinse in clean water and hang out to dry.


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## rngrchad (Feb 21, 2009)

Gologit said:


> Serious. Do a search. I only tried it a couple of times. The saw parts get REAL clean...but it's hard on the dishwasher.



Hmmm....I did the search and I found Heinmann has one mounted in his garage:






You guys kill me. I can't believe some of it. WOW.


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## flatpikr (Feb 21, 2009)

manyhobies said:


> What kind of toothpaste? :greenchainsaw:



If your chain is habitually loose, try polygrip.


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## songofthewood (Feb 21, 2009)

rngrchad said:


> Hmmm....I did the search and I found Heinmann has one mounted in his garage:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Years ago used the dishwasher to clean hub caps and mag wheels.Sooooo what's the problem?:crazy1:


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## outdoorlivin247 (Feb 21, 2009)

rngrchad said:


> Hmmm....I did the search and I found Heinmann has one mounted in his garage:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thats where our is going after the wife gets a new one...Much easier than running to work and putting it in the hot parts washer...


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## Dan_IN_MN (Feb 22, 2009)

*Caution!!*



BobL said:


> Light use;
> Before turning of saw in the field run the saw so the chain gets a nice coating of bar oil This softens the resins and helps flush out gunk. Blow everything down with compressed air, including inside of clutch cover and chain. Remove filter cover and knock out filter.
> 
> After multiple light uses or heavy/extended use
> ...



Don't over spin the nose sprocket and blow out the bearing! Also, check CL for dish wahers. I got one off of there cheep!


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## Old Goat (Feb 22, 2009)

Most of the used saws I buy need a good cleaning. WD40 (Wal-Mart brand stuff) and compressed air works great for me. The Wal-Mart stuff is cheap, less then a $. One can will clean a neglected saw. I take most of the covers off, spray everything, let it soak in for a 15 minutes and blow the crud off with the compressor. Repeat on the tuff areas. If the cylinder is really bad I will fire the saw up after the WD40 has soaked in and the heat melts the crud off and it blows off with out much effort. 

For normal day to day use just compressed air before the saw is bedded down for the night.


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## Raymond (Feb 22, 2009)

outdoorlivin247 said:


> Soft bristle brush in the tool box for cleaning in the field and the air compressor when they get home...



That's it. 
Maybe a carwash every now and then, with the side cover off. Just gotta start it up and run the water out of everything then blow it out.


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## dsm382 (Feb 22, 2009)

love the dishwasher, I have a small apartment size washer/dryer in the shop that i had back when i was in an apartment. I use it for cleaning rags and heavy soiled work cloths...makes the wife VERY happy keeping the grease/dirt/crap out of the house washer 
will find a place for a DW now, makes sense, hot hot water just like one guy said almost as good as hot tank, just need to find the right 'soap/cleaner' to put in. and maybe try to re-troft a better strainer over drain to keep the crap out of it....can't wait. thanks.


oh, i clean mine like a lot of folks here have already said. everyother time i use it at home. or after a two day woods cut.

i take all the plastic off and clean clean clean. just be sure and NOT use carb cleaner, had a buddy do that once and although it cleaned well it also MELTED!!!!! the plastic... 

I'm sure most/all of you know that but just in-case just one of you don't.......

I like my saw clean. last longer i hope.

Boss, hasnet' cleaned his in YEARS and wonders why it does not run all the time or ever sometimes....

someone here says a clean saw is a happy saw...i like that.


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## logbutcher (Feb 22, 2009)

Non house DW does the job, sure. Oven cleaner, fine. WD-40, why not. Mix in with compressed air, good. Acetone ? Well, it is intra-dermally absorbed, leading to possible sterility.  Then again, maybe that's a need. :jawdrop:
Forgotten is the one substance used by us Downeasters to clean tools:

*Preparation-H. *

Use with care, light touch with an ( old ) teethbrush on all parts.:stupid::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:


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## gmax (Feb 22, 2009)

rngrchad said:


> Are you two serious!?!? Who does this? Tell me your both joking. I want to see a saw in a dishwasher picture! :jawdrop:



Here you are..


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## Raymond (Feb 22, 2009)

gmax said:


> Here you are..



Parts right? At first I thought you guy were talking about the whole saw. :crazy1:


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## slinger (Feb 22, 2009)

gmax said:


> Here you are..



Better get that outta there before your wife gets home:jawdrop::jawdrop::jawdrop:


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## thomas72 (Feb 22, 2009)

I learned my lesson about cleaning causally used saws with a water hose. I used a saw all day cutting oak and took most of the housings of and rinsed it off. I then ran the saw for 10 minutes and put it away. Then for some reason decided to change the sprocket a couple of weeks later and the bearing had rusted to the clutch drum. I was lucky it did not trash my crank. From then on I just blow them off with compressed air, and if they get too bad I spray them off with gasoline. Be careful about using brake cleaner and those type chemicals around rubber parts especially the intake boots.


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## thejdman04 (Feb 22, 2009)

I just used compressed air


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## flatpikr (Feb 22, 2009)

windthrown said:


> Yep, I use an air compressor and towel. I use acetone or terpentine to get rid of the pitch and sap on the handles. For small areas I use an old toothbrush.



Yep-- me too -- except I use a little kerosene and compressed air. Gets off the oily crud and the pitch. I just bought a small squirt jug of Awsome to experiment with. I use a parts cleaner brush (like you'd find in a solvent tank) and a tooth brush.


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## Saw Bones (Feb 22, 2009)

deerjw said:


> I'm sure it has already been discussed on this forum many times, but being new here I was wondering what's the best way to clean a saw?




I take the covers off, rinse with garden hose, spray every thing down with WD 40, Wipe it dry and let it sit in the sun for a while. Clean the bar grove out , Re assemble and run it till it gets warm. Let it sit till it cools off, Sharpen the chain and put it away till I am ready to go to work again. I usually do all of that once a week, and clean it daily by just rinsing the sawdust out from around the sprocket and chain brake. I clean the bar groove at the end of the day, or during a break if I have been working hard. Since I am not a pro, I don't usually work too hard.

:greenchainsaw:


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## Raymond (Feb 22, 2009)

Some time this early summer I'm going to buy and mount one of those air compressor tanks to the underside of the frame of my main gear truck. 
The ones the guys use for adjusting air in the tires for rock climbing trucks and jeeps. 
With a air nozzle at the back of the bed. Would be great for cleaning and gas and oiling saws? :computer:


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## edisto (Feb 22, 2009)

My compressor is on the fritz, so I've been using a stiff parts brush, a screwdriver to get the chunks out, and a lot of careful work with a rag.

I have taken to sharpening before I clean the saw, so that I'm not running filings in the bar.

Without the compressor, it takes some time, and I must look like I'm enjoying it because my wife got jealous of the saw.

How do I tell her I was planning on a weekend getaway with the saw?


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## Raymond (Feb 22, 2009)

edisto said:


> My compressor is on the fritz, so I've been using a stiff parts brush, a screwdriver to get the chunks out, and a lot of careful work with a rag.
> 
> I have taken to sharpening before I clean the saw, so that I'm not running filings in the bar.
> 
> ...



Itn't that the truth?? 
For me to clean and sharpen saws in the comfort of my boxers in my shop, is like pulling teeth here. 

So half the time I'm doing it on the back of the truck in the cold, making the day just that much longer.

So why is it maintaining our work gear like jacking with a bass boat or golf cart?


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## IchWarriorMkII (Feb 22, 2009)

I blow them down with air, but I've been known to pressure wash them down.


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## husky455rancher (Feb 22, 2009)

rngrchad said:


> Are you two serious!?!? Who does this? Tell me your both joking. I want to see a saw in a dishwasher picture! :jawdrop:



like i said i wont do it, i dont have the sac. theres no amount of reasoning that would make this acceptable to my wife. other people do it here but not i.


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