crooked cut

[J D]

How much is your time worth? How much is a new chain? For me, that answer is simple: buy a new chain. I don't have the time, patience or desire to break out a set of dial calipers and gauges, stop production for however long it takes to sharpen it, etc..... Im putting on a new chain.

I think the OP is more concerned about bettering his understanding of why his chain isn't cutting straight. Sure a new chain will solve the problem, but how many times do you just replace the chain before you realize it would've been cheaper to work out what the issue is in the long run... & if he replaced chain like for like & it's the wrong guage for the bar it wouldn't solve the problem anyways

 

[jetsam]

A business that runs on chainsaws is going to operate a lot differently than a firewood cutter who wants to learn all about chain!

That's not bad or good, just the way it is. (Though the first one could probably save some money by sending their chains to the second one instead of scrapping them!)

 

[Huntaholic]

A business that runs on chainsaws is going to operate a lot differently than a firewood cutter who wants to learn all about chain!

That's not bad or good, just the way it is. (Though the first one could probably save some money by sending their chains to the second one instead of scrapping them!)

LOL I don't scrap them, I send them to yard duty. I keep at least 2 saws on yard duty at all times so they get sharpened in the downtime between loads. Once they get down close to the guide marks though they do get trashed. My point in saying get a new chain was that with a new chain, the novice can look at the angles on it and try to match those on his used chain. Filing the rakers IMHO is trial and error. Taking too little is way better than taking too much though. Unless we dull a saw severely, we normally don't touch the rakers until the 3rd or 4th sharpening. At that point it only takes 2 light passes with a flat file to get it back to cutting like it should.
Its just not cost effective for me to spend too much time fooling with gauges. I buy chains precut to length in bulk and by doing so I get them for $13.99 ea. 30 minutes of downtime or $14 bucks is a no brainer for me, get a new chain!

 

[fields]

I think the OP is more concerned about bettering his understanding of why his chain isn't cutting straight. Sure a new chain will solve the problem, but how many times do you just replace the chain before you realize it would've been cheaper to work out what the issue is in the long run... & if he replaced chain like for like & it's the wrong guage for the bar it wouldn't solve the problem anyways

This pretty much sums it up. Buying a new chain is not a problem. but solving this issue is just something to mess around with in down time. I exhausted my limited knowledge of what to try next, thats why I posted here as an attempt to learn.

I went to take pics, but upon sharpening it last time, it got mixed in with the the others, so now I have to go cut again to figure out which chain it is.. I had it separate from the others for so long and now that I could gain access to this site, its temporarily lost in the mix. I'll take pics when I find/try it next time..
Thanks for all the suggestions/information.

 

[lone wolf]

This pretty much sums it up. Buying a new chain is not a problem. but solving this issue is just something to mess around with in down time. I exhausted my limited knowledge of what to try next, thats why I posted here as an attempt to learn.

I went to take pics, but upon sharpening it last time, it got mixed in with the the others, so now I have to go cut again to figure out which chain it is.. I had it separate from the others for so long and now that I could gain access to this site, its temporarily lost in the mix. I'll take pics when I find/try it next time..
Thanks for all the suggestions/information.

You are sharpening one side of the chain somehow differently. I have that problem at times ,what ever side it is pulling towards is more sharp, so take it from there.

 

[Okie]

What is the pitch on the chain and what size file are you using?
Is it a LP chain?
Is it a low kickback chain?
Do not just guess at the pitch measure it.

You have really answered your own question if you have taken other chains and you sharpened them and they cut ok you have a bad chain. Most likely you are not making it bad unless your filing is way off for some reason on this one particular chain.

 

[fields]

3/8th... not LP. could not tell you if it was a low kickback when new...

PV Hiker mentioned a rocked chain. He could be on to something here, but how many sharpenings would it take to get back to a good cutter, I am sure I sharpened the chain 4=5 times and still have problems.
Anything is possible with my chains too. My boy helps cut and isn't always aware of what is under a log, I'm guilty at times too.. I will inspect the teeth next time.

 

[Philbert]

Welcome to A.S. !

What you describe is a common problem. Usually a bar that is worn unevenly, or a chain sharpened differently one side than the other.

Since you have tried different chains, it appears that the bar is not the problem.

Sharpening with a grinder (type? model?) should help you get consistent cutter angles. Hold a Right cutter back-to-back with a Left to compare lengths. Then verify that the depth gauges are the same, using a gauge.

Philbert

 

[PV Hiker]

3/8th... not LP. could not tell you if it was a low kickback when new...

PV Hiker mentioned a rocked chain. He could be on to something here, but how many sharpenings would it take to get back to a good cutter, I am sure I sharpened the chain 4=5 times and still have problems.
Anything is possible with my chains too. My boy helps cut and isn't always aware of what is under a log, I'm guilty at times too.. I will inspect the teeth next time.

If it is rocked then you need to remove back on the top plate until the working point matches a new chain. If it was rocked bad then it could be quite a bit of top plate removal.

Look at the chains and look at the top of the top plate and the side to find the chain that is damaged. Yea you'll need a lot of work with a file but mentioned you have a stone grinder. Be carful hitting a tooth being tempted to remove it back in one pass. It will heat up the tooth and harden it, then it will be trash. Take a quick bit off each pass around until the working corner is sharp and pointy looking like a new chain. Adjust the "depth gauge" after you are done with the tooth.

 

[BangBang77]

"A picture tells a thousand words"

 

[Dcsco]

I suggest making some cuts with only the weight of the saw pressure. Take your influence out of the equation. Pulling up with the left hand to leverage the dogs can torque it left. I do this myself sometimes.

 

[jetsam]

"A picture tells a thousand words"

With chains, I used to think so, not so much anymore.

I can't tell you how many times I've looked at a cutter and said, "This one is shorter than the rest", measured it, and found out it was the other way around. I used to measure teeth 5 and 10 times because I absolutely could not believe the difference between what my eyes told me and reality. This effect is milder if you go around the chain and look at every other tooth (so you see all same-side teeth), but it is pretty strong if you look at each one in order. It must have something to do with the way the teeth lean.

 

[jeffbecky1]

Does the chain guage match the guage of bars you have been using? As previously mentioned I'd suggest inspecting & comparing your chain to a new one (including drive links/ tie straps etc not just cutters/ rakers). Some well focused close up pics of your chain will probably help us give more specific advice

My brother-in-law had a saw that cut crooked, too. I looked at it and discovered he had a .063 bar with a .050 chain. The chain was flopping around in the groove causing cooked cuts. Put the proper chain on and it cut straight.

 

[djones]

Not only the proper bar and chain combo, I'd measure the bar slot to be sure it's not worn out and the chain guides for the proper thickness. It is virtually impossible for a matched new bar and chain to cut crooked out of the box without some other outside influence.