If you have found yourself stuck with a tangled chainsaw chain, then don’t worry we have got your back!
A chainsaw doesn’t have a sharp blade, instead, it has a chain with a lot of small sharp teeth that have sharpened blades. When you store a chainsaw chain, there is a high possibility that it gets tangled up in the process.
Undoubtedly, it is definitely an unfortunate situation to find yourself in because untangling a chainsaw chain can be quite frustrating especially if you don’t know the first thing about it.
Luckily for you, we have crafted this very easy-to-follow guide to teaching you how to untangle a chainsaw within just a few minutes without you injuring yourself because as we mentioned above a chainsaw’s chain has extremely sharp edges that can injure your hands.
You will learn how to untangle a new or an old chainsaw chain in a few easy to follow simple steps, and once you have this trick up your sleeves untangling a chainsaw will be very easy for you.
While you must think how hard it really can be to untangle a chainsaw, the truth is it isn’t, only if you know what you are actually doing. In this guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about how to untangle a chainsaw safely.
Untangling a chainsaw isn’t as simple as untangling a rope or earphone. We highly recommend that you follow this guide to the tea to successfully untangle the chain and get on with the task you want to use your chainsaw for.
Let’s start learning how to untangle a chainsaw chain, shall we?
Taking All the Safety Measures
Before we begin the untangling process, some important safety measures need to be taken to protect yourself from any accidents that might injure you. The personal protection equipment you need:
- Protective Goggles
- Chainsaw Gloves
The protective goggles are needed because a chainsaw’s chain is home to debris, bits of rust, and sawdust that can irritate the eyes when you are untangling the chain. While the chainsaw gloves are necessary because the chain has sharp edges, the gloves will protect the fingers and the hands.
In case you don’t have a chainsaw, gloves or can’t find them you can substitute them for either work gloves or leather gloves. Just makes sure that the material the gloves are made from is thick and tough enough that it protects your hands from injury or cuts.
Further Preparation Before the Untangling Process
Before we get to the main untangling process, there are a couple of preparations you will have to make. These steps are important necessary to successfully untangle the chainsaw chain without compromising on the parts of the chainsaw.
Placing the Chainsaw
Once you have the protective gear on, the next thing you will have to do is place the chainsaw on a completely flat surface. Either you can place it on a wooden table that is strong enough to carry the chain. If you can’t find anything to place the chainsaw on, you can simply place it on the ground.
Now depending on how old or new the chainsaw chain is, you will need to lubricate it and for that lubricating oil is needed.
Lubricating the Chainsaw Chain
If the chainsaw chain is new, clean, and appropriately lubricated then you will not have to lubricate it, and untangling it will be a breeze.
However, if the chainsaw chain is old, rusty, and has debris it will have to be cleaned first, and adequately lubricated. Otherwise, untangling a rusty chain is difficult and dangerous at the same time. The lubrication will loosen up the chain that will allow for a smooth untangling experience.
The Tools Needed
Apart from finding a flat surface to place the chainsaw and lubricating the chain if needed, you will also need the right set of tools to help you unscrew the chain from the chainsaw blade.
The chain is removed from the blade because it makes the untangling process easier, quicker, and safer at the same time. You can check the chainsaw manual to figure out how you can remove the chainsaw chain from the guide bar. Either you will need a screwdriver or a wrench to remove the chain.
In any case, consulting the manual that came with the chainsaw would be a better option.
How to Untangle a Chainsaw in 6 Simple Steps?
Step 1: Removing the Chain
In this step you will be placing the chainsaw on a sturdy table or the ground, depending on what is convenient for you. Using a screwdriver you will have to remove the chain from the guide bar and the chainsaw housing. If you are unaware or uncertain about how to remove the chain from the chainsaw, you can go through the instruction manual of your chainsaw to learn how to remove it easily.
If for instance, the chain is fairly new then you will have to be careful because it would have sharp edges that could cut you, precisely why wearing protective gloves is very important.
However, if the chain is old and rusty, you will have to lubricate it as we had discussed above. Once you have successfully removed the chain, and lubricated it if needed you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Finding the Loops
The second step requires you to be vigilant and you will have to find the two opposite loops of the chain. Once you find the two opposite loops, you will have to hold the chain from one loop in your left hand, and from the right hand, you will have to hold the chain from the other loop.
The chain will hang down when you are holding the chain from both hands. This will help in unraveling the chain and the complex untangling the chain was in before when you stored it.
Step 3: Extending the Loops
In the step above how the chainsaw chain is tangled will be much more visible and you will have a better idea of the full extent of the tangles as well. In this step, the idea is to make the loops bigger and extending the loops until they form one large single loop.
However, you also have to ensure the opposite loops are not lost in the process. With the help of the slack, make the opposite loops as big as you can.
Step 4: How to Untangle the Chain Finally
While your hands are still in place, you will have to locate the lowest part of the chain. Guiding that part allows the lowest part to shoot straight in a vertical position.
You should know that a chainsaw chain is extremely stiff and by using the correct method you can easily raise the lowest part for the loops in your hands are basically below the portion you raised.
Step 5: Spreading the Chainsaw Chain Apart
We are onto the final step of the untangling process, once the loops are below the portion you raised you can focus on each loop and spread them apart.
Once you start spreading the loops apart the chainsaw chain will be completely untangled and you will have an untangled chain.
Step 6: Placing Back the Chain
Once the chainsaw chain is untangled, you can check if it needs lubrication or not because the untangling process can leave the chain unlubricated. Making sure the chain is appropriately lubricated you can assemble the chainsaw back by screwing back the guide bar and chain on the chainsaw housing.
You can use the chainsaw instruction manual to make sure you assemble the chain back accurately because if the chain is not placed back in the correct way and direction it could be dangerous, while it might cause an unnecessary kickback as well.
Final Conclusion
We hope this guide was helpful and you were able to learn how to untangle a chainsaw chain. It is important to keep in mind that you wear all the personal protective gear before you start the untangling process. It might seem that untangling a chainsaw chain doesn’t require a method to untangle it.
However, you have to untangle every loop using the steps we have mentioned in this guide. Just be patient when you are untangling the chainsaw chain, as it is a delicate process and by following the steps in the correct order you will have an untangled chain in no time.
Moreover, as you will be removing the chain from the chainsaw pay extra attention to the step where you have to install the chain back on the chainsaw and make sure you follow the correct steps because you don’t want to end up with a chainsaw that doesn’t have a running chain!
