Hi Guys,
I'd be grateful for some more advice about the set-up on the Stihl 064 I got from ebay. The saw runs great since Fish advised me to ignore the Stihl spec sheet and fill it with 50:1 mixture. However, it has a well worn chain with plenty of chips on the cutters which are also filed to a variety of different angles! I could file off the damage but I thought I would start off my life with this saw with a new chain. I therefore took it off to have a good look at the bar and the drive sprocket at the same time and this is where my confusion began.
First let me explain. About 25 years ago when I was about 25 my dad finally had to admit that I was old enough to be allowed to use the chain saws. Up to that time he made my hump the brush and logs. Since then he has taken exclusive charge of the sharpening. He is not satisfied unless the saw is producing long shavings like bits of apple peal. Any time I make a move towards a file he tells me to leave it alone as it is beyond my abilities. That was OK with me as it was like having my own chain tech. However, now that he is enjoying a spell in hospital after his second by-pass (ex-smoker but won't stop eating), I find I don't know what's going on. So, I have a number of questions as follows:
1 Was the last owner of this saw an idiot? The Stihl manual says this saw can have an 8-tooth 3/8 inch sprocket or a 7-tooth 0.404 inch sprocket. When I looked at the chain it had 3/8 stamped on it, the bar has "1.6 3/8 30 inch" stamped on it and the drive sprocket has 7 teeth. Am I missing something, or is this sprocket the wrong one for this bar and chain? Also, what does the 1.6 mean?
2 How much wear is allowed on the sprocket before it should be changed? On this saw each sprocket tooth has a shiny central notch on either side that does not pass over the crown. This looks like it was machined and like it is supposed to be there. On either side of this there is another smaller shiny notch that does cross the crown of the sprocket tooth … these look a bit uneven on different sprocket teeth and look like they might be the result of wear or the fact that this saw possibly has the wrong sprocket for the bar and chain.
3 When I count the links on this chain I find there are 48 cutters and 97 drive links. I thought I had miscounted until I noticed that at two different positions round the chain there is an extra drive link inserted between adjacent cutters. What is the explanation for this? Is this chain home made off a roll or what?
4 Is it really necessary to soak a new chain in an oil bath over night before fitting?
5 Should you really change the drive sprocket every two chains?
6 Should you really file only in one direction, or can you file back and forward when removing a lot of material because of damage on the cutters.
Thanks in advance, Ronald.
OFF TOPIC
While I'm writing I would just like to say that I was talking to my neighbor who is head of the casualty department at a large city hospital. He was complaining about the number of .22 air gun pellets he had to remove each day from children and the brain damage caused by the head shots. Anyway, I asked him about chainsaw injuries and he said he never got any. That cheered me up a lot but after reading the forum for reporting injuries on this sight, I am going to be VERY VERY careful with this big Stihl. I'm a small guy and it’s a real beast.
Also:
Does anybody know my very good friend the arborist TODD WOOD , ex of Louisiana and Boston and last heard of in Austin, Texas. If so, please give him my warmest regards.
I'd be grateful for some more advice about the set-up on the Stihl 064 I got from ebay. The saw runs great since Fish advised me to ignore the Stihl spec sheet and fill it with 50:1 mixture. However, it has a well worn chain with plenty of chips on the cutters which are also filed to a variety of different angles! I could file off the damage but I thought I would start off my life with this saw with a new chain. I therefore took it off to have a good look at the bar and the drive sprocket at the same time and this is where my confusion began.
First let me explain. About 25 years ago when I was about 25 my dad finally had to admit that I was old enough to be allowed to use the chain saws. Up to that time he made my hump the brush and logs. Since then he has taken exclusive charge of the sharpening. He is not satisfied unless the saw is producing long shavings like bits of apple peal. Any time I make a move towards a file he tells me to leave it alone as it is beyond my abilities. That was OK with me as it was like having my own chain tech. However, now that he is enjoying a spell in hospital after his second by-pass (ex-smoker but won't stop eating), I find I don't know what's going on. So, I have a number of questions as follows:
1 Was the last owner of this saw an idiot? The Stihl manual says this saw can have an 8-tooth 3/8 inch sprocket or a 7-tooth 0.404 inch sprocket. When I looked at the chain it had 3/8 stamped on it, the bar has "1.6 3/8 30 inch" stamped on it and the drive sprocket has 7 teeth. Am I missing something, or is this sprocket the wrong one for this bar and chain? Also, what does the 1.6 mean?
2 How much wear is allowed on the sprocket before it should be changed? On this saw each sprocket tooth has a shiny central notch on either side that does not pass over the crown. This looks like it was machined and like it is supposed to be there. On either side of this there is another smaller shiny notch that does cross the crown of the sprocket tooth … these look a bit uneven on different sprocket teeth and look like they might be the result of wear or the fact that this saw possibly has the wrong sprocket for the bar and chain.
3 When I count the links on this chain I find there are 48 cutters and 97 drive links. I thought I had miscounted until I noticed that at two different positions round the chain there is an extra drive link inserted between adjacent cutters. What is the explanation for this? Is this chain home made off a roll or what?
4 Is it really necessary to soak a new chain in an oil bath over night before fitting?
5 Should you really change the drive sprocket every two chains?
6 Should you really file only in one direction, or can you file back and forward when removing a lot of material because of damage on the cutters.
Thanks in advance, Ronald.
OFF TOPIC
While I'm writing I would just like to say that I was talking to my neighbor who is head of the casualty department at a large city hospital. He was complaining about the number of .22 air gun pellets he had to remove each day from children and the brain damage caused by the head shots. Anyway, I asked him about chainsaw injuries and he said he never got any. That cheered me up a lot but after reading the forum for reporting injuries on this sight, I am going to be VERY VERY careful with this big Stihl. I'm a small guy and it’s a real beast.
Also:
Does anybody know my very good friend the arborist TODD WOOD , ex of Louisiana and Boston and last heard of in Austin, Texas. If so, please give him my warmest regards.
