Cryogenic Treatment

[treefarmer]

I'm trying to determine if there exists any benefit to cryogenically treating cetain chainsaw components to enhance durability. I searched the past threads, but didn't find much information. Has anyone used a cryo process on their saws or heard of someone else using the process?

 

[Walkerized]

HI we tried it several years ago on our Go-Kart 2 cycle motors but never had much time to really test it out as we gave up the racing a few months later. i have a frien who owns a large machine shop where they had punch presses and they would on average get 1000 holes before replacing the punch. After treatment he said he could get 3000 punches from the same punch. he was sold on it.

John W

 

[builder]

never tried chainsaw parts but I've got a bit of a knife fetish so I know a bit about the process,makes a huge difference in a knife blade,gets the grain structure aligned the right way to take an edge,but also leaves the metal quite hard....might be too brittle for engine parts.And what happens when you got it hot? would it be right back where you started? What I'm curious about is boron carbide coating...leaves a film as thin as 2 microns at 98(I think)Rockwell,might be just the thing to make a saw live forever,anyone know what nikisil actually is?

 

[seesaw]

Softball is a pretty serious hobby of mine and they cryogize the high tech alloy bats for durability. To tell you the truth, I can't notice the difference but, other players swear by it. I suppose it couldn't hurt when some of these guys are paying $200-300 for a softball bat that they usually only get one season out of!
Seesaw

 

[Dagger]

NikaSil

NikaSil..=
Nickel/Silicon mixture that lends itself easily to many electrostatic adhesion methods. In the context of IC/engine cylinder coating, has proven desireable because of its porus surface properties, for lubrication adhesion,... insulative properties , for lower heat transfer...and abrasion resistive qualities.

 

[confused]

Dagger = answers

 

[treefarmer]

Well the process at least sounds encouraging. A local logger told me there's an outfit in New Hampshire that is cryo treating whole saws, plastic and all, and providing extended warranties on any new saws that they treat. I can't remember the name of the saw shop, and I haven't seen the logger in a while. I also have no idea what they charge to treat a saw. I know I'd like to have a chain that I didn't have to sharpen all the time.

I'd probably be better off avoiding rocks than relying on a deep freeze to preserve my chains.

Thanks for the input. If I can find dig up any more local info before I buy a new saw, I'll pass it along.

-ACJ

 

[sedanman]

I've heard of guys doing an entire automatic transmission for drag-racing use with good results.

 

[seesaw]

If it's any help, the price difference between a non-cryo treated bat and one that has been thru the deep freeze is about $20.