Problems Noodling

[Whitespider]

OK, I started bucking and noodling some of my big oak and I'm having a bit of an issue.

The sprocket on the tip of my bar keeps binding. I'm assuming a noodle is somehow finding its way down in the nose and binding up the sprocket. Sometimes I can free it by jamming the chain cutters into wood and pulling hard, but I've also had to remove the bar and use a small punch and hammer to free the sprocket.

So... is it something I'm doing? Wrong type chain? What?
I've never noodled before... never gave it a thought until I joined this board. Sure does make it easier to man-handle the pieces, but having the chain bind up is becoming a bit of a pain.

 

[mizzou]

Can't help with your noodling issue, but that is a nice tree you have down. What type of oak is it?

 

[mdotis]

Noodling

One in a while I will have somthing like this happen. Usually it is because the chain is to loose and or I was to lazy to keep the noodles from building up behind the saw and they start to ride over the top of the chain.

I have started to only noodle about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through the round and then hit them just once with the maul. But then I split all my wood with a maul and only noodle the ones that will not split.

 

[Circle B MN]

Ooops. Double posted.

 

[Circle B MN]

I would say the chain is loose. It shouldn't get as loose as shown in your picture.

 

[wackydeejay]

I would say the chain is loose. It shouldn't get as loose as shown in your picture.

I agree also. If you've got too much slack in the chain, those noodles tend to get underneath.

 

[Whitespider]

No, I'm not running the chain loose.
I was in the process of swapping the chain when I decided to snap the picture. I always run the chain tight... tight enough to keep the chain from running-on after releasing the throttle.

That's Bur Oak.

 

[cedarfarms]

i would guess sprocket bearing is toast. take the chain off and see if you can can move the sprocket up and down with your fingers, if so thats the problem.

 

[mizzou]

No, I'm not running the chain loose.
I was in the process of swapping the chain when I decided to snap the picture. I always run the chain tight... tight enough to keep the chain from running-on after releasing the throttle.

That's Bur Oak.

Thanks for the tree info. Was not sure if it burr or white oak, burr oak is fairly commen down here. By the way, your chain should not run on loose or tight. May need to do some tuning.

 

[danrclem]

i would guess sprocket bearing is toast. take the chain off and see if you can can move the sprocket up and down with your fingers, if so that's the problem.

Probably correct. I'd try to pour some oil down in the sprocket. It might not work but it couldn't hurt.

 

[iowa]

Chains way too loose bro. Gonna come off the bar and take your hand off if you don't do something fast!

 

[avalancher]

Another thing that can cause chips from binding in the sprocket is too low of an rpm when noodling. With the chips being long and stringy, they want to follow the chain back to the drive sprocket, and sometimes wedge under the chain and run on back to the nose.Folks sometimes have a tendency to bog their saw when noodling, cutting the rpms.

If you keep your rpms up, more chips will get "thrown" off the chain as it makes its turn up into the clutch housing.I see folks often bind their chain up something fierce with noodles at the bottom as their saw starts to rest on the ground.Me, I stop short of the ground so that I have a good five inches or so before the saw is on the ground, pull the saw out, and whack it once with a maul.

 

[brisawyer]

I like to noodle horizontally with the top of the bar when possible It does take more care because of kickback potential. The old jred likes to clog in the clutch hosing.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

i agree it sounds like a sprocket.. need to grease it more often... i had some poulans that wouldn't oil enough kept smoking the bar and the tip would seize up..

 

[cuttingintime]

Another thing that can cause chips from binding in the sprocket is too low of an rpm when noodling. With the chips being long and stringy, they want to follow the chain back to the drive sprocket, and sometimes wedge under the chain and run on back to the nose.Folks sometimes have a tendency to bog their saw when noodling, cutting the rpms.

If you keep your rpms up, more chips will get "thrown" off the chain as it makes its turn up into the clutch housing.I see folks often bind their chain up something fierce with noodles at the bottom as their saw starts to rest on the ground.Me, I stop short of the ground so that I have a good five inches or so before the saw is on the ground, pull the saw out, and whack it once with a maul.

This post makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[mhyme71]

check the drive links on the chain

My chain popped off a couple weeks ago and i didnt think anything of it and put it back on. it would turn free until a certain section got to the nose. I took the chain off and inspected it and i had a hell of a bur on a couple drive links. Took the file to them and hasnt happened since

 

[Whitespider]

I don't think it's the nose sprocket bearing; seems free enough normally, like when I clean the bar groove. I suppose anything is possible though, it could be headed south. Not sure how you'd "grease" the bearing on a Stihl bar, there ain't any little "grease" hole like on a Poulan, but the chain is getting tons of oil (already checked that).

I'll look the chain(s) over real close for any possible problem but they roll free all the way 'round when I sharpen.

I'm still leaning toward something about the noodling. I can run the bar for an hour or more bucking big rounds without any problems; but the chain only binds up when I start noodling them. I'll pay a bit more attention to keeping the RPM up and the drive sprocket clear... leaving plenty of room for noodles to fall under it.

 

[cedarfarms]

does it give you any warning before it binds? like the saw is bogging. normally a bearing piling up will stop all of a sudden, but the sprocket getting packed with noodles slow things up just before it binds.
if it is the bearing its to late for grease anyway.

 

[fields_mj]

How long are you cutting your rounds, and how long is your bar? When noodling, I like to keep the nose out of the wood. If I get the nose in it, it slows me down a lot, and I suppose it would increase the odds of getting something stuck under there. I cut my rounds 24" long, and use a 28" bar on my 064 to noodle. Only bad thing is that you really need to pay attention to keep from getting in the dirt. Paying attention when running a saw has never been a problem for me though