I hit metal and now make crooked cuts

[pdqdl]

Similar.
Didn't realize the tree had grown around the 6' tall sign pole about 40 years ago. It was embedded into the middle of the tree trunk. Multiple cuts to drop the trunk. Eventually, after ruining 5-6 chains, we lifted the thing with an excavator, remaining part of the pole still sticking out of the bottom of the 6' tall trunk.

I've had that happen, too. I've had good luck getting the wood carved out of the way, and then polishing the steel off with a cutting torch or an abrasive saw. One time only: The contractor that hired me had a huge excavator on site. They gave me a key and let me push the large oak tree over, snapping the hidden metal fence post.

Worst case was a 3' diameter oak tree that had a hidden column of concrete in it. We managed to break it off by attaching a chain to the 25' tall spar and yanking on it with a truck.

Has anyone ever used a carbide chain to gnaw through a metal post? That's what the firemen use on roof penetration.

 

[pdqdl]

Yes he did and I have heard that a lot of people think they have to be even to cut straight but I have heard that is not true. I have seen saws that have uneven length cutters and cut straight.

It's not wrong.

Tooth size is unimportant. Keep the depth gauges filed correctly for the tooth length and the chain will cut fine.

EDIT: My 500i behind me has cutters on the right side of the chain that are shorter than the left because the right side hit a rock twice...chain cuts just as straight as a brand new out of the box. I know because I just cut up some 30" wide ash with it. No issues.

I think this is a case where everyone might be right or wrong, depending on the situation.
Arathol is right, uneven cutters will make a chain less efficient. Unevenly sharpened chains, where one side is consistently longer than the other will consistently cut crooked. Most often, sloppy operators cut downward toward the ground with the right side closer to the earth than the left side, and it gets grounded first. Same story when flush cutting with stumps. Then the right side is duller, gets more filing strokes, and I will guarantee that it cuts crooked if you ignore the uneven cutting height, even if all the "rakers" (properly called depth gauges) are properly set.

Nobody has mentioned bar dressing on worn bars. This is an often overlooked cause of crooked cuts, perhaps worse than poor sharpening.

I've also seen chains so worn on the rails or drag links that they wobbled crooked in the cut, even when the bar was properly dressed and the chain was nice and sharp.

 

[John Lyngdal]

If you were close by, I'd put the chain on a grinder and see if cut straight afterwards.
Since that isn't a reality, I'd compare the price of a replacement chain vs local sharpening services.
If ~3x the sharpening charges will buy you a new chain, that's the direction I would suggest given the prior history of the chain.
If you think that embedded object are going to be a continuing risk, I would opt for something like the less expensive Archer chains.
They don't hold an edge like a Stihl chain, but a rock or nail will beat up any chain when they meet.

 

[sean donato]

Nice to see another how a chain cuys thread lol. If you can envision a chain cutting not every cutter is actually cutting at the same time, they have a tendency to twist down into the cut. Hence why every cutter has a depth gauge. If I can find it, there was a guy that had bought a full comp chain and ground every other cutter off the one side of the chain to articulate this point. Timed cuts in the same log with that same chain before and after cut dead straight and marginally slower with half the cutter missing from the one side. This in reality is no different then chains with an odd cutter count on them, just a larger scale. Think semi skip chain. Depth gauge setting for each cutter is just as important as a sharp cutter I have several chins for my 24 amd 36" bars that I've mangled a few cutters on and are noticeably shorter/one even has 2 missing cutters in a row. They cut straight and I couldn't tell the difference in the before and after.
I'm also a very ardent believer if your good enough to pick a saw up you need to learn to properly sharpen a chain free hand. This was a hard lesson learned (for me) many years ago. Being miles away from home and killing all your chains and sucking at filing just doesn't work. So I worked on that skill and have gotten much better at it. I do have a grinder, and if a chain gets rocked reall bad I normally even it up after I get back to the house. This does take considerable time as I've ruined many chains on the grinder till I figured out how to use it properly. I'm not any better then anyone else at sharpening chains, but they are pretty decent when I'm finished with them. After a while you get decent and know right away when it's time to take a few strokes on the chain and get back cutting. I don't bother to check depth gauges in the field unless I absolutely have to. Thays a chore left for the shop bench.
I'd say either keep that chain to practice on and compare to a new chain, or let the saw shop have a go at it. Then start free handing it.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Yes. Everyone should have at least one spare chain. The old chain needs to be sharpened equally, and doing that with a machine is the best way, providing the "mower shop" actually sharpens correctly. Giving them a damaged chain is a good way to find out, too.

Or, a few

 

[lone wolf]

Or, a few View attachment 990813

Buy as many as you can because the prices are going up.

 

[ValleyForge]

Buy as many as you can because the prices are going up.

And supply is going down….

 

[Philbert]

Buy as many as you can because the prices are going up.

And supply is going down….

As a ‘frugal’ guy, I view the OP’s situation as an opportunity. Lots of chains get tossed, with lots of life left in the cutters, because people don’t want to mess with them, or don’t understand the basics of sharpening chains.

This was the premise of my ‘Chain Challenge’ thread, which grew out of frustration from seeing so many chains go into the trash.

https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/philberts-chain-salvage-challenge.245369/
Each one is an opportunity to learn. With patience, and a little effort, you can collect unlimited numbers of chains for free, or very low cost, if so inclined.

Philbert

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Buy as many as you can because the prices are going up.

Last time I bought a100' roll it was $300. Now $4-500 depending on brand...if you can find it.
Lots of the cheap Chinese stuff out there but...

 

[lone wolf]

Last time I bought a100' roll it was $300. Now $4-500 depending on brand...if you can find it.
Lots of the cheap Chinese stuff out there but...

I hate China Junk.

 

[lone wolf]

As a ‘frugal’ guy, I view the OP’s situation as an opportunity. Lots of chains get tossed, with lots of life left in the cutters, because people don’t want to mess with them, or don’t understand the basics of sharpening chains.

This was the premise of my ‘Chain Challenge’ thread, which grew out of frustration from seeing so many chains go into the trash.

https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/philberts-chain-salvage-challenge.245369/
Each one is an opportunity to learn. With patience, and a little effort, you can collect unlimited numbers of chains for free, or very low cost, if so inclined.

Philbert

I might be a huge offender of throwing them out. Maybe start a new thread on the challenge.

 

[JRenna]

Buckin' has some great videos on hand filing. I watched, studied, practiced, and started hand filing from my first saw. I purchased a progressive depth gauge after watching him grind off all the teeth on one side of a chain and then hitting the rakers with the depth gauge. It cut straight as an arrow. Hand filing comes in handy when sawing Shagbark Hickory and need to sharpen every few cuts. The progressive depth gauge is key to maintaining proper depth of raker to its respective tooth.

 

[trains]

Just to add again.

when I said that uneven teeth on a chain will still cut, and if set up correctly, as has been mentioned serveral times again regarding the correctly set rakers, the chain will cut straight.

Now, for the home owner, firewood hack like me etc, that will work, but you do loose some efficiency of the chain with the uneven teeth length.
its not much, but if your processing large amounts, or spending days cleaning up on the saws, you will notice the difference over time.

is it ideal, well yes and no, if you want to get your moneys worth out of a chain, and have the time, then yes, if your putting things away by the hr, then not so much, but it will still cut straight.

 

[Jed1124]

Unless I’m mistaken, 3 pages and nobody has asked about the condition of the man’s bar.
If the edges of the bar are worn and rolled over the chain will lean to one side or the other and cut crooked.
A good dressing of the bar may solve the problem.

 

[ValleyForge]

Unless I’m mistaken, 3 pages and nobody has asked about the condition of the man’s bar.
If the edges of the bar are worn and rolled over the chain will lean to one side or the other and cut crooked.
A good dressing of the bar may solve the problem.

pdqdl did in post #42…..I’ve got a nail in my barn full of worn bars….

 

[JRenna]

I believe the initial problem was the chain hitting metal and damaged the teeth. I suppose we are all assuming it was cutting straight before the metal contact?

 

[singinwoodwackr]

I hate China Junk.

But, I helps your sharpening skills since you get to practice twice as much

 

[singinwoodwackr]

pdqdl did in post #42…..I’ve got a nail in my barn full of worn bars….

How badly worn? Most bars can be refurbished. I might take them for the shipping cost

 

[ValleyForge]

How badly worn? Most bars can be refurbished. I might take them for the shipping cost

No, no…lol. It is a one day I’ll get to it nail…lol

 

[singinwoodwackr]

No, no…lol. It is a one day I’ll get to it nail…lol

Bummer
Treeservce guy here gave me a pile of worn bars...free.
Some were just ugly but all but 3 cleaned up fine and are ready to go back into service. I discovered the smaller laminated Stihl bars really can't be bent back to true once bent past a certain point...the bar just splits.