Saw Chain Maintenance; Clean; Inspect; Discard - Oregon Harvester Handbook

Saw Chain Maintenance

WARNING: To reduce risk of injury, always use personal
protective equipment (gloves and safety glasses) when
handling saw chain .
Saw Chain Maintenance
Before sharpening, you should:

Clean

• Clean your saw chain, removing dirt, debris, and lubricant .
This step is required before you inspect the chain .

Inspect

• In a well-lit area and using Oregon's Multi-Purpose Tool and
Stretch Gauge, inspect your saw chain for Chain Stretch .
• Inspect for broken, cracked, damaged, or missing saw chain
components .
• Inspect loose rivets . If you can turn a rivet with your fingers its
loose .
• Inspect for excessive stretch, stretch is actually wear
occurring to the flange of the rivet and the holes in your drive
links .
• Inspect the chain chassis for abnormal wear patterns, which
are indicators of other cutting system issues with the guide
bar and drive sprocket .
Decide to Discard or Repair

Discard

Discard your saw chain when it has:
• Broken
• Broken and parts are missing
• Excessive stretch
• Loose Rivets
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Mechanical Timber Harvesting Handbook