Cleaning the rust off a chain

Stan in Oly, WA

Well-known Member
A friend borrowed a few things from me this morning, including a couple of short lengths of chain. He noted that my chain was a lot cleaner than his, and when we were putting the things in the back of his truck, I saw that he wasn't kidding. There was a length of chain there that looked like it had been stored in a wet location---it was badly rusted. Different methods of cleaning rust off chain have been posted here, but I don't remember any except for electrolysis, and there's probably a way that's easier than that (it's going to have to be pretty easy, or my friend won't bather). Suggestions?

Thanks

Stan
 
That's how my elderly neighbor told me how to clean up a chain..tie behind the pick up and go for a slow leisurely drive and your chain will be clean
 
Look on youtube how there are several guys useing black strap molasses. They say it works really well. Living in south jersey and it is a giant cat box of nothing but sand. Go drag a tow chain around the back field a couple of laps. Cleans them up very nicely.
 
Put it in a cement mixer half full of sand. If you drag it down a gravel road it will polish the outside but leave the rest of it rusty. Any abrasive cleaning will weaken the chain.
 
How about the kid who had a crazy old uncle. The guy was dragging a logging chain down the middle of main street. "Uncle why are you dragging that big chain down the street"??? His uncle Looks at him and replys "Hey kid, you ever try to PUSH one of these damn things" !!???
 
Had a fairly new transport chain once that got rather greasy. Put it in the parts washer, and the cleaning fluid took off all the coating on the chain.
Since it usually lives outside, I soon had a rusty chain. Level of rust varies with how much I use it.
 
Go to walmart or any auto place that sells paint. Get a metal conditioner that reduces iron oxide back to iron. I used it on a rusty tractor rim, works very well.

Then paint it with rustoleum.
 
Sounds like the guy that didn't want to get manure on his tractor tires and ruin them.
Where and when does a farmer use log chains? Growing up all of our tractors had log chains wrapped around the axle housings so when needed they were where needed. I never saw a log chain that was not rusty for any length of time on the farm. Dad would drag a chain behind the tractor down the road when they were caked with mud and they did get shined up before being wrapped around the axle housing.
 
Put in a tumbler with small rocks and sand. Had a guy packing nails for a big box store. Came in to the US in 50# boxes rusted to beat all. Dumped them in the tumbler for an hour and came out just like they were just made.
 
I hooked my chain one time to the old trip plow where it drug in the furrow from my last past. As the plow covered the chain it shined up in one round while being pulled under the dirt. I've also pulled it behind my lawn mower while mowing. That sure wore me out. Next time I'll use the riding mower instead of the push mower..
 
Thanks for the suggestions. My friend seems comfortable with his tools in pretty beat up condition, so I'm fairly sure he would never spend any money to do something as non-critical as cleaning a length of chain. He might drag it behind his truck, though. Free is a price he's comfortable with.

Stan
 

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