Have I stuffed it?

[leweee]

Gentlemen, there is nothing wrong with the bar. If you were to remove all the paint from the bar you would find that the rails are blue all around the bar. This is because the bar rails are induction hardened (an electric heat treating process) in the manufacturing process.

I always wondered why Stihl painted those cheap laminated bars 

[bitternut]

If it were my saw I would take the bar off, clean the groove, and file any burrs off the edge of the bar. Then I would put the bar and chain back on with the bar flipped over. Next I would tighten the chain up good and tight, get out my file and sharpen chain. Readjust the chain for proper tension, fill the saw with gas and bar oil. Then I would start the saw and check that the oiler was working properly by running the saw at medium high speed close to a piece of cardboard or some other surface that would show up whether oil was being flung from the spinning chain. If no oil or not enough I would stop and address the oiler issue. If plenty of oil getting to the chain and bar I would use saw as is. You may need to adjust the chain tension a couple of times sooner than normal but it will settle down to normal shortly. If you did soften the bar rail I doubt that you affected it very deeply.

Well...........thats what I would do.

[sigidi]

Well then Doc, keep business as usual??

Bitternut, I do try to make sure I am getting oil on the bar each time I start up, by holding it near the log 'til the oil flicks off going at about half speed or the fast idle setting.

Well I am off to get a new chain anyways as I was sharpening and got down to the metal around the rivets so I guess I have gone far enough on this chain.

Even though the pics don't show too much used up on the teeth, I am only a newb and haven't finished perfecting my sharpening yet so I have obviously been a bit wayward in something to have gotten to the rivets with so much cutter left, is that about right?

[StihlDoc]

Just file off any burrs that may have formed on the sides of the bar rails and you are good to go. Also, check that the rails are even. You can dress up the rails on any disc or belt sander that has a table that allows you to place the bar perpindicular to the sanding surface. Your pictures show plenty of material around the rivets. Unless you have filed deeply into the tie straps, you can probably get the chain brought back into acceptable condition. If the pictures are not accurate, suggest you get a new chain if you have filed into the rivet area. Get yourself a file guide. This will keep you from forcing the file too deep into the gullet. Make sure you are using the correct diameter of file. Your photos look like you are using 3/8" pitch chain. If so, you should be using a 13/64" file (or the metric equivalent).

[rahtreelimbs]

If you have that much worry about the bar, get a new one. For what they cost and this experience you learned from you are better off.


I always have a new backup bar for every chain/bar combo that I have.

[Gypo Logger]

 I find it hard to believe that by simply using a thinner bar lube and making a single cut would do the damage that has been spoken of. The only way to generate that much heat is to ride the saw with a dull chain. There would have to be other contributing factors other than simply the choice of bar lube, but then again, I wasn't there and anything can happen given the correct circumstances.
 John
(Click  link above for picture, Large file)