Iron out works pretty good. Just mix it with water and let it soak for 24 hours. Or just use an old bar and run the chain through some wood and the wood will buff the rust right off.
Rust removal from chains?
- Thread starter ClintC
- Start date
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Dave86
ArboristSite Operative
This includes the acetic acid in vinegar. Vinegar will not stop with removing rust, it will remove iron as well, further reducing the base metal.
Might work on surface rust, but will not reach corrosion on the inside of the tie straps, around the rivets, etc. Depends how bad chain is rusted.
Philbert
Part of it is to use a weak solution, limit exposure, and rinse well afterwards. Some acids (hydrochloric, sulfuric, nitric) are especially damaging.
Philbert
Canyon Angler
Addicted to ArboristSite
If you use vinegar or acid or anything with a low pH, you should probably degrease the chains really well first with something that has a high pH, like lye or ammonia or oven cleaner or Simple Green, because acids can't cut through grease (think: oil and vinegar), but bases (ammonia, lye, etc.) can – which is how oven cleaner (lye) cuts through grease in your oven, or ammonia cuts through wax/grease on your floor.
After you degrease with lye/ammonia/oven cleaner, then rinse the chains well with water, then hit them with vinegar/acid, then rinse again, then oil.
If you try to use acid without degreasing first, the acid will never touch anything that has a film of oil (including petroleum solvents) over it.
Bases remove grease, oil, petroleum, etc.
Acids remove rust ... and eventually, metal.
After removing rust with acid/vinegar, and rinsing, it's probably not a bad idea to hit the chain once more with a weak solution of ammonia to neutralize any residual acid (in rivets and crevices, etc.) before rinsing one final time, then drying and oiling. (Better to leave a residual base than a residual acid.)
In a nutshell: Degrease with a base. Then de-rust with an acid. Then neutralize with a base. Then rinse/dry/oil.
After you degrease with lye/ammonia/oven cleaner, then rinse the chains well with water, then hit them with vinegar/acid, then rinse again, then oil.
If you try to use acid without degreasing first, the acid will never touch anything that has a film of oil (including petroleum solvents) over it.
Bases remove grease, oil, petroleum, etc.
Acids remove rust ... and eventually, metal.
After removing rust with acid/vinegar, and rinsing, it's probably not a bad idea to hit the chain once more with a weak solution of ammonia to neutralize any residual acid (in rivets and crevices, etc.) before rinsing one final time, then drying and oiling. (Better to leave a residual base than a residual acid.)
In a nutshell: Degrease with a base. Then de-rust with an acid. Then neutralize with a base. Then rinse/dry/oil.
Spoke to a chemist about degreasing (in the Challenge Chain thread). He broke them down into 3, general families:
- caustics (e.g. lye, sodium hydroxide, etc.);
- citrus based (limonline, orange, etc.);
- petroleum solvents (e.g. in parts washer).
Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Use caution with each for skin / eye contact, flammability, fumes, etc.
Philbert
Canyon Angler
Addicted to ArboristSite
Only the first two will make it possilble to rinse off oil/grease with water and then get off the rust with acid. And emulsifiers/saponifiers like jojoba oil (Gojo) or limonene ('orange oil') are iffy. As for petroleum solvents, if a film remains after degreasing, the acid generally won't cut through it. This is why gunsmiths use lye to degrease guns before re-bluing them.
CocaCola.
It has phosphoric acid.
It has phosphoric acid.
CentaurG2
Addicted to ArboristSite
Its just a loop of chain. Disposable. If the bar oil and heat from the wood don’t free it up, just chuck it out.
I have a couple of old metal hubcaps that happen to fit nicely on a couple of old coffee pot hot plates (one of them is a Melitta, for example).
I have soaked chains in various warmed solvents and oils in these hubcaps, periodically taking them out to work the kinks out, draining them, brushing them, wiping them, etc..
It's a crap shoot. A few chains recover, many don't. They almost never come back completely.
it's most unfortunate that the OP lost a bunch of good equipment! Hopefully some of those chains can be salvaged.
I have soaked chains in various warmed solvents and oils in these hubcaps, periodically taking them out to work the kinks out, draining them, brushing them, wiping them, etc..
It's a crap shoot. A few chains recover, many don't. They almost never come back completely.
it's most unfortunate that the OP lost a bunch of good equipment! Hopefully some of those chains can be salvaged.
Canyon Angler
Addicted to ArboristSite
Kroil is the best penetrating oil I've found for freeing up seized stuff. You can make your own analog of Kroil by mixing equal parts of ATF and acetone.
CentaurG2
Addicted to ArboristSite
Howes is the best stuff I have found. Used Kroil for years but Howes simply works better. Don’t waste it on a loop of saw chain.
https://www.howeslube.com/products/multi-purpose-lubricator
Some of this is just experimentation for curiosity; gotta rule out the 'what does not work' to find the 'what works' stuff. Some of what we learn on 'scrap chains' can be useful on more valuable stuff later on. Some older chains are no longer available, so it can be helpful to collectors.
A lot of this I have down to a 'system' now, where it takes me little time to decide what is worth saving and what is not. Does not take a lot of time once you have it worked out.
Best 'system' is to keep the chains from getting rusted in the first place!
Philbert
Just don't use that Howes winter diesel conditioner/antigel/dewaterer in extreme cold weather, as it fails miserably. just a little aside..
back to filthy rotten chains smokin' in the acid bath...
Dave86
ArboristSite Operative
It is 13/16 by .074 gauge chain on my Mac 99. Nearly impossible to replace.
Dave86
ArboristSite Operative
CentaurG2
Addicted to ArboristSite
Trust me. I can tell you in less than a second if a chain is worth running. Aint my first day at the rodeo and time is money.
People actually collect saw chain?? Sweet Jesus. Now I have heard just about everything. Old tools and old fools. Cant separate them.
I think some of the suggested methods are more applicable to valuable/rare chains, not necessarily saw chain or common, cheap chains.
