I had a family member borrow 2 saws the other day with out permission. He used them to cut several small stumps down, flush to the ground. When I got them back the chains where very loose and dull. I resharpened them and tightened them up, but when I started to cut with them they would go into the wood about 6 in. and bind up. When I pulled them out you could see where the cut took a sharp turn and binded. These are pretty new Stihl bars. I flipped one over and tried it again, but it just turned the other direction. Any idea what causes this? I figured the rails are uneven or out of whack, is there a way to fix this?
saw cutting crooked
- Thread starter DustyH
- Start date
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Sounds to me like that family member owes you 2 new bars and chains. The bars sound like they're crooked, you probably need new ones.
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When a chain gets dull and the driver really pushes on the saw it goes to the right. If there are many cuts to make then the rails get worn to the right also. The more use and the worse it gets. If the chain was already cutting to the right then the bar and chain together magnify the problem.
The solution is to dress the rails with a simple edge tool and then file off the bur. The cutters should be checked to see if they are the same length side to side. A few minutes with a file or better yet a grinder will remedy this problem. A bar can be ruined by a bad chain but it takes awhile for that to happen. You can also take your bar to a dealer for a quick machine grind (remove any burr first). They can also close the rails if they are slightly spread.
Time for a chain and a padlock, eh?
The solution is to dress the rails with a simple edge tool and then file off the bur. The cutters should be checked to see if they are the same length side to side. A few minutes with a file or better yet a grinder will remedy this problem. A bar can be ruined by a bad chain but it takes awhile for that to happen. You can also take your bar to a dealer for a quick machine grind (remove any burr first). They can also close the rails if they are slightly spread.
Time for a chain and a padlock, eh?
You can look at your unauthorized use in a positive way because of what did not happen. People are fond of filling up borrowed saws with straight gas. (#1 reason not to loan out saws.)
ciscoguy01
Addicted to ArboristSite
Different Chains
Did you swap chains yet??? I ran into this problem a couple times. No matter how i sharpened the chain, it'd run... Thought it was the bar and even bought a new one. Ended up being the chain. Something funky with the rakers we think, this stumped me and a couple other dudes... Change the chain and go from there.
opcorn:
Did you swap chains yet??? I ran into this problem a couple times. No matter how i sharpened the chain, it'd run... Thought it was the bar and even bought a new one. Ended up being the chain. Something funky with the rakers we think, this stumped me and a couple other dudes... Change the chain and go from there.
opcorn:1953greg
ArboristSite Guru
your bil prolly returned the saws w/ improper sharpened chains or dulled one side of the chain (usually the right side making the saw drift to the right when cutting verticle).
examine the chain and look for one side rocked out or one side sharper.
a good file n file guide wil strighten it out
examine the chain and look for one side rocked out or one side sharper.
a good file n file guide wil strighten it out
Burvol
Bullbuck
Your chains have one side screwed up, and for a bad bar...good luck trashing one in a day.
Sounds like that family member needs a kick in the A$$!!!!
Be happy they didn't get kickback in the face. (since they obviously don't know how to use a saw properly)
then it would be YOUR fault.:angry2:
SawTroll
Information Collector
Yes, if it was the chains or unevenly worn rails, it should have "crooked" the same way, after flipping the bar.
At least that is what my logic tells me......:biggrinbounce2:
More logic would think that they wouldn't have wore the top of the bar too much. Logic would also say that it couldn't cut in the opposite direction unless the chain was on backwards. Steve
SawTroll
Information Collector
...unless the bar is bent.
I think he would have notised, if the chain was on backwards......:biggrinbounce2:
Acually, it could be a combination of several factors, but the bent bar looks like the only one resulting in the "crook" going the other way, after beeing flipped.
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Crofter
Addicted to ArboristSite
The bottom of the chain rails get worn lopsided as much as the bar rails when someone continues to cutwith a running off condition. Just think what caused one bar rail to wear! It was one side of the chain pushing on it. You have to look or measure closely but can see the wear below the rivets on the side it was running off to. That is the usual problem when a chain cant be made to cut straight if the bar is ok. That is assuming that it is evenly sharpened. Garbage if that is the case.
clearance
Addicted to ArboristSite
Sounds right, the bars are bent, s.o.a.b.
