Bar Groove Wear Limits?

[SteveSr]

Hello,

I have a Stihl .050" gauge bar. The bar groove measures .058" and appears to be about even to the bottom of the groove so the rails aren't splayed. The chain which is almost new flops around a bit more than I am used to on other bars/saws.

I also have an identical brand new bar and the groove measures .054". The same chain feels much tighter in this bar. I wouldn't have thought that .004" would make that big of a difference in side to side movement.

So does anyone know if there is a specification limit on when a bar should be retired due to groove wear? The only thing that I sort-of go by is the straight edge against the side of the bar test. Of course, the wear is not quite symmetrical side-to-side.

 

[Philbert]

How does it cut?
Can you run a 0.058 chain in it?

Philbert

 

[Ted Jenkins]

After fifty plus years of cutting only threw away three bars. 050 058 then 064 after hundreds of cords which will take a life time. to the metal pile. Thanks

 

[SteveSr]

How does it cut?

Still seems to cut o.k. However, the chain is still fairly new with "wide" cutters.

Can you run a 0.058 chain in it?

I haven't tried it (and don't currently have any .058" chain) but I suspect that it would be a bit tight based on measurements.

 

[Mad Professor]

How are you measuring the groove?

 

[SteveSr]

How are you measuring the groove?

Feeler gauges.

 

[67L36Driver]

The thirty inch bar on my big Poulan was marked for .050” drivers. It was worn so badly I just got a loop of .058” and used a wedge (chisel) to spread the rails at the tight spots until it would travel smoothly. [emoji106]

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Put the next size larger chain on the bar go out side or to your cutting project and let her smoke. Stop and start a few times to let bar cool then go cut. No need to do do any thing else. Thanks

 

[Del_]

Closing the bar rails a bit is also a good solution. I have a bar rail closer but I've found a section of rail road track and a light dead blow hammer works well. Then a short section of chain to see if sections are closed up too much and a small chisel to open it back up a bit. A 4 inch length of new chain works great to check your progress.

 

[Piotr Pakula]

I have one customer runner where the drive links protrude from the runner.I saw in the video that you can deepen this groove

 

[farmer steve]

Maybe one of these if you can find one. From 1954.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

If the bar has pretty even wear the whole way around you can squeeze it with one of those rail closer tools . I have one and it works decent enough, but alot of elbow grease is required.
Usually if I can I'll step up in chain size .058 or .063 I'll do that, at .054 you could try the closer or take a good old metal shank flat head screw driver and tap,tap,tap your way around the bar at an angle to get .058.
Some rare bars like roller noses and bow bars I'll put a couple of hours in to get serviceable again.

 

[Piotr Pakula]

Bench grinder

 

[Philbert]

Bailey's bar rail closer - many similar items sold under different names.

In days of old, when things were more expensive and labor was cheaper, people used to get their guide bars re-grooved. Still happens with more expensive bars, but when average guide bars are $20 to $40, and shop labor is $75 - $80 per hour . . . .



https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/bar-shop.327596/
Philbert

 

[Piotr Pakula]

Well, you will not give him a Chinese grinding guide ;-) but already an antique one, for example, you can

 

[SteveSr]

View attachment 879987
Baileys bar rail closer - many similar items sold under different names.

In days of old, when things were more expensive and labor was cheaper, people used to get their guide bars re-grooved. Still happens with more expensive bars, but when average guide bars are $20 to $40, and shop labor is $75 - $80 per hour . . . .



https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/bar-shop.327596/
Philbert

I actually have a bar rail closer but haven't attempted to use it yet. Since the bottom of the groove is worn I am not sure that bending the rails in will do much to stop the chain from rocking sideways.

 

[pbilly]

http://www.chainbar.com/this place has bee in business for a long time and they are great they can fix bent wornout old bars repair grooves if its repairable they can fix it. good honest folks. i took a bar to him that was bent a little he fixed it while i stood there and didnt even charge me. so i gave him a 20 and said consider it a tip.

 

[KASH]

If I get extra service I always pay forward. Even the kids who work at big stores kids hand loading my truck with cement blocks etc give him a tip.You get some surprised faces but a lot of it comes back later.
It is like Knowledge I am a union Electrician and a lot of my fellow electricians don't want to teach the apprentice because the kid might wind up smarter than them.If the kid winds up smarter than me I feel proud I must have been a good teacher.
Look at how we all share our knowledge on this forum helping your brother so he doesn't make the same mistakes you did.
There aint a horse that's never been rode and there ain't a rider who's never been throwed.
Kash

 

[pbilly]

I am union conductor at a class 1 railroad and there are pleanty of guys that wont help teach the new guys how to work efficantly or even be willing to help them out. its really stupid because they are the same guys that complain about how dumb they are after not teachung them in the first place. I am totally the opposite i will go out of my way to help the new guys because when i have to work with them later i want them to be able to do their job and not have to worry about them getting hurt or being in the wrong place. some people just dont move easily through life i guess. paying things forward is really what makes the world a better place one tiny bit at a time.

 

[KASH]

Small world pbily I worked as a signal maintainer for CN rail here in Canada for 13 years.I did a lot of relief work when we were doing the monthly electrical tests I would ask the apprentice .What do you want to do read the meter or write the cards.I bet half of them would say he doesn.t let me read the meter.Well they learned from me I told them they would feel better and know more about the system .I tried to show them as much as I could and I think I showed some stuff their bosses did not know.I was a foreman on a signal installation gang back in my twenties had all young guys Taught them pole climbing snow shoeing chain saw operating etc .Quite a number have went on into very lucrative careers and still keep in touch every once in awihle. It nice to hear them say rember you told us we would remember these as some of the best days of our lives and they were.Stringing line wire cutting brush putting up signals riding in motor cars on the track drinking beer at night and having a hot lunch over an open fire instead of going back to the cook car.
Kash