[AT] Chain saw cutting issues

Thu Jan 22 03:34:17 PST 2015

Here is a chapter out of a US Forest Service Manual that appears to have
generally good information other than apparently mixing up the pictures of
chain cutter type by reversing the chipper cutter and the chisel cutter
image.
About a third of the way down the page is an illustration of some of the
bar issues I was talking about. I hope it's helpful.
I used to have a one page flyer with similar bar information that we would
drop in the bag with sharpened chains going out but I can't find one right
now.

As always chainsaw rule # 1 is still "DO NOT BLEED!"
:-)

On Thu, Jan 22, 2015 at 12:37 AM, Cecil R Bearden <crbearden at copper.net>
wrote:

> Farmer I think you it the nail right on the head!
> There are closers to close up the bar groove if it gets worn too wide
> and the chain rolls when cutting.
> Several years ago I was using a chainsaw and did not have a file or my
> 12V grinder to sharpen the chain when I hit a barb wire when cutting a
> tree out of the fence.  However, I did have my Dewalt cordless grinder
> with a thin cutoff blade.  I sharpened the chain with that and have used
> it ever since for sharpening chains.  I will say that I go thru chains
> more quickly as it is hard to keep from grinding too much, but it only
> takes about 2 minutes to sharpen the entire chain.  I also grind down
> the depth tooth more than recommended to make it cut quicker.  I use a
> high horsepower saw with a shorter blade to allow it to cut out trees &
> brush in fence rows.  Since I am always cutting out of position, I don't
> want to be in that position very long.   I have one of those Harbor
> Freight chainsaw sharpeners and it works very well.  I got it on sale
> for less than $30....   I try to sharpen my chains on that before I go
> out, but I hit a lot of metal and rocks and dirt...  I try to buy those
> cheaper Poulan refurbished saws and really have good luck with them for
> the price.
>
> Cecil in OKla
>
>
> On 1/21/2015 11:13 PM, Indiana Robinson wrote:
> > As Big-dog says it is most likely the bar instead of the chain. If you
> have
> > a new chain in an older bar your drive teeth on your chain may be riding
> on
> > the bottom of the bar groove. Make sure that the chain is only riding on
> > the edge of the bar rails. It is possible to mill the bottom of the bar
> > deeper but it is not worth it unless you already have the tools on hand.
> > Standard short bars are cheap. Check the bar rails all around with a good
> > small square. They both must be the same height. Unless you have
> something
> > like one of those silly banana bars you should make a habit of flipping
> > your bar over each time you have it off so that the rails and the contact
> > points on the chain will wear evenly. It is also sometimes necessary to
> > slightly tighten the width of the bar channel as it can wear too wide to
> > guide well.
> > I seriously doubt that your problem is the chain teeth unless something
> > serious has happened to them. Chain sharpening is normally pretty
> forgiving
> > as long as you get the basics. Bar fit on the other hand...
> > I have professionally sharpened thousands of chainsaw chains for over 40
> > years. I really always preferred to get the bar and chain both so I could
> > check them for fit together. There is a lot more to a chainsaw than teeth
> > and a motor.  :-)
> >
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Jan 21, 2015 at 11:14 PM, Vaughn Miller <vemiller at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> >> Almost certainly an improperly sharpened chain.  The cutters on each
> side
> >> should be equal length.  I keep a dial caliper handy when sharpening
> chains
> >> to check my work.
> >>
> >> Vaughn
> >>
> >>
> >>> On Jan 21, 2015, at 9:57 PM, David Trompower <flywelder at live.com>
> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> I have a [U]Poulan  18 inch classic, chain saw.   [/U]    and had it
> for
> >> years.
> >>> Today though, I have issues with the chain blade.
> >>>
> >>> the chain is but 2 months old.  it now will only cut the soft outer
> wood
> >> of a log and stops when it reaches the hard wood of the center of a
> log. It
> >> is nut cutting straight through a log.  Instead, it is cutting in such a
> >> way, that by the time the blade reaches the hard wood...  my left hand
> is
> >> in the air and my right ( which is operating the throttle)  is down, and
> >> the blade has cut a curve? a curve that  heads in the direction of my
> left
> >> leg.
> >>> SO I sharpened the blade teeth and filed down the  blade depth gauge
> >> just a bit...( using a Oregon,sharpening device to do so).
> >>> [U]I am [/U]getting short chips  off the blade but the saw shows no
> >> improvement in cutting abilities and continues to  cut a curve . ???
> >>> I have resharpened  and resharpened and even sharpened only the left
> >> cutters,  No improvement.
> >>> then only the right cutters, and no improvement?
> >>> maybe I need to sharpen yet some more the teeth on one side more than
> >> the other?,.... but which...the left cutters or the right?
> >>> And it seems that once the blade reaches the hard center wood of a log,
> >> the only way I can get and  more shavings is to rock the saw  ( tilt it
> >> left and right in a rhythm,)  but it cuts a deeper groove towards my
> left
> >> leg.
> >>> Tell me what is causing this curved cut issue ? and how do I correct
> it?
> >>> and why the cutting stops when I reach the hard wood in the center of a
> >> log?
> >>> R. David
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
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> >
> >
>
>
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-- 
-- 

Francis Robinson
aka "farmer"
Central Indiana USA
robinson46176 at gmail.com