Mick!
TreeHouser
At first glance looks like one side of rakers has been filed down, and the other side hasn't.
Probably Easy Chainsaw Question for You Guys
- Thread starter RSWMTB
- Start date
- Replies 71
- Views 9K
Ax-Man
Don't make me chop you
I agree that was the first thing I noticed. Those are way out of whack. That bar don't look to good either, looks like it is bent, don't know what gauge it is but the rails look spread and are getting thin on one side in the middle which is where most of the cutting is done. Sprocket also looks like it needs to be replaced.
Burnham
Woods walker
Agreed, on all counts.
sawinredneck
Treehouser
Got to go with Jomo, you might get another season out of the sprocket, but it's worn badly, the chain was not sharpened correctly, which is going to be a bear to get back to good, and that poor bar is just dun!
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
5-10 minutes with a raker file and a gauge, chains have more than 50% life on it. Sharpen and use it till it screams DONE.
Bar is toast. Looks like he missed the antivibe/safty part of the raker on one side completely. Or the whole side of the chain.. No biggie except pissing me off if I paid to have it sharpened.
Bailey's has some reasonable... Sometimes a bar & chain combo could be had. I think you were running 24"?
http://www.baileysonline.com/Chainsaw-Bars/Bar-Chain---Sprocket-Nose-Consumer/
Bar is toast. Looks like he missed the antivibe/safty part of the raker on one side completely. Or the whole side of the chain.. No biggie except pissing me off if I paid to have it sharpened.
Bailey's has some reasonable... Sometimes a bar & chain combo could be had. I think you were running 24"?
http://www.baileysonline.com/Chainsaw-Bars/Bar-Chain---Sprocket-Nose-Consumer/
Grendel
TreeHouser
no wonder she was cutting crooked. . . New bar, zap the rakers on the other side and save those chains for spares.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Not the best picture of the sprocket, but it looks like you might have your chain too tight as well. Looks almost separated and the bearings are probably shot and about ready to fail.
Here is stuff you can read up on through Madsens site. The more you understand about how something works, the easier you are on it working it. Easier it is to spot mistakes people make...
http://www.madsens1.com/muu_barchain.htm
Here is stuff you can read up on through Madsens site. The more you understand about how something works, the easier you are on it working it. Easier it is to spot mistakes people make...
http://www.madsens1.com/muu_barchain.htm
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Bill passed away a number of years ago.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #36
The rakers are wrong on both chains?
or...
Which chain are you all talking about? the one on the saw, or the one in my hand?
Plus, if one chain looks OK, then why the left drift? The chain on the saw is relatively new, and has only been refreshed with the STIHL file guide tool, which does teeth and rakers @ the same time. And yes, I'm meticulous about the same amount of strokes each side.
I'll grab a bar tomorrow if I can after work. The one on there has been through a lot, as I've used the saw a lot since late October when i got it.
or...
Which chain are you all talking about? the one on the saw, or the one in my hand?
Plus, if one chain looks OK, then why the left drift? The chain on the saw is relatively new, and has only been refreshed with the STIHL file guide tool, which does teeth and rakers @ the same time. And yes, I'm meticulous about the same amount of strokes each side.
I'll grab a bar tomorrow if I can after work. The one on there has been through a lot, as I've used the saw a lot since late October when i got it.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Yes both chains.
Somehow you are missing the one part of the raker on one side.
Counting strokes is ok, but not exact for proper raker height. Get a raker guide (a few bucks at the hardware store), a raker file (again a few bucks at the hardware store) and adjust the rakers by the instructions I linked to at Madsens.
Counting strokes works ok for a bit, but then you have to pay more attention to detail later and get the rakers back to proper clearance.
But somehow, you are missing one part of the process completely with the tool you have. Could be the play in the bar letting the chain dance while you sharpen.. Dunno.. But it is evident that one side is not filed down proper.
Somehow you are missing the one part of the raker on one side.
Counting strokes is ok, but not exact for proper raker height. Get a raker guide (a few bucks at the hardware store), a raker file (again a few bucks at the hardware store) and adjust the rakers by the instructions I linked to at Madsens.
Counting strokes works ok for a bit, but then you have to pay more attention to detail later and get the rakers back to proper clearance.
But somehow, you are missing one part of the process completely with the tool you have. Could be the play in the bar letting the chain dance while you sharpen.. Dunno.. But it is evident that one side is not filed down proper.
Ax-Man
Don't make me chop you
That Stihl file guide is a knock off of the old Perd chain and depth gauge file . The Stihl system isn't as clunky looking as the old Pfered but the principal is the same anyway. I was never impressed with these type of filing systems. The depth gauges never got filed down correctly. If that flat file is not sharp it will not cut that depth gauge it will just ride over the depth gauge and not remove as much metal as it should. Your better off filing the depth gauges by themselves instead of trying to kill two birds with one stone.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #40
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Don't feel frustrated, RS, these are things that a lot of us once had to go through, part of the learning curve.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
You only really need to file the rakers a couple times the whole usable life of the chain .I noticed the top plate of the cutters had kind of a roundish look on one side .
To get it to cut good it has to have the top plate and the side plate meet at a junction of the tooth called the "working corner " .If one side of the top plate is relatively straight and the other side cutters are roundish it will run crooked .
Try filing "over the top " .In other words right over the back of the saw where you can look straight down on the cutter .File a left then a right until you get clear around it .This method works good for me . Full stroke of the file now .
To get it to cut good it has to have the top plate and the side plate meet at a junction of the tooth called the "working corner " .If one side of the top plate is relatively straight and the other side cutters are roundish it will run crooked .
Try filing "over the top " .In other words right over the back of the saw where you can look straight down on the cutter .File a left then a right until you get clear around it .This method works good for me . Full stroke of the file now .
Moparmyway
TreeHouser
I am still curious as to how one set of cutter rakers got filed so far down, and the other side looks like it wasnt touched, on both chains ??
Maybe the file was started from the same side for both sets of cutters ?? (like all of the filing was done from the one side instead of filing left cutters from left side and right cutters from right side) ??
Maybe the file was started from the same side for both sets of cutters ?? (like all of the filing was done from the one side instead of filing left cutters from left side and right cutters from right side) ??
Your sprocket is worn quite a lot. You need a new one!
With the spur sprocket you have (one piece sprocket and bell housing) they don't 'float' like a rim and spline sprocket (two piece) so any new chain you put on it will have to run in those wear grooves and not seat where it 'wants' to...that can cause some issues right there, forcing a chain to run in old wear grooves. Wear on the chain components, wear on the bar...follow that through and it also could lead to the 'banana cut'.
That last chain picture the angles don't look right either, too 'flat'.
And yes, your bar is bent!
With the spur sprocket you have (one piece sprocket and bell housing) they don't 'float' like a rim and spline sprocket (two piece) so any new chain you put on it will have to run in those wear grooves and not seat where it 'wants' to...that can cause some issues right there, forcing a chain to run in old wear grooves. Wear on the chain components, wear on the bar...follow that through and it also could lead to the 'banana cut'.
That last chain picture the angles don't look right either, too 'flat'.
And yes, your bar is bent!
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
It's proven fact that people tend to have a tendency of filing one side heavy if doing one side then the other .One option is to flip the saw over if using that method .It's a trait you have to really work on to over come .
There's a zillon methods ,a person just needs to find what works best for them .
There's a zillon methods ,a person just needs to find what works best for them .
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
The bar can be straightened .Use a big vise and a straight edge .I've unbent some dandies from people using the danged bar for a crowbar.Some were so bent I had to take them to work and use an arbor press .
Ax-Man
Don't make me chop you
I have been down this bent bar trying to straighten them out road a couple times. Yes they can be straightened but they are never really the same. That metal gets a memory in it when they get bent which makes it hard to truly straighten them out especially a big long bar. One might have better luck with a hydraulic press instead of a vise. Never tried it myself because I just recently added a press to my shop.
Sometimes it is just easier to bite the bullet and get a new bar instead of trying to straighten one out. A long bar is worth trying to straighten but a short bar isn't worth it.
Sometimes it is just easier to bite the bullet and get a new bar instead of trying to straighten one out. A long bar is worth trying to straighten but a short bar isn't worth it.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
I took the curl out of a mini 12 incher with a.042 slot I found in the bottom of one of Toms truck boxes .It came on an 020T originally .How in the world they ever managed to curl a trim saw bar is beyond me .I had to put that one in a 12 inch Wilton vise and use a 36" pipe wrench .
Keep in mind time means little to me if I do it at work .As long as I keep the machines running they really don't care what I do .Within reason of course .
Keep in mind time means little to me if I do it at work .As long as I keep the machines running they really don't care what I do .Within reason of course .
I disagree about the Stihl filing gauge.
My dealer introduced me to it, because I was giving a chainsaw safety course for woodturners.
He sells a ton of them to homeowners, firewood cutters and other casual saw users.
That thing actually works real well, which came as a surprise for me, since I've always despiced such devices.
Tucker943
Bamboo Plantation Owner
Harvester bars can be pressed out just fine.
