why the chainsaw bar gets bend

[alsayyed]

I am not chainsaw expert but I am going to be because I am using the chainsaw almost 3 times a week for cutting wood. Yesterday I have noticed when I cut wood I have noticed that the cut I make is not straight then I tried to change the chain I found out that I have the same problem. So some one was helping me in carrying the wood with me told me that you bar looks bent little I told him no it is straight he said no it is not straight, so luckily that I got a new bar I have replaced the bar then my cut became very straight. The question.
What makes bar to bend little?. Is it because continuous operation?.

[Ianab]

If you look closely you will see that the rails on either side of the groove have worn unevenly. If you try and stand the bar up on edge it will tend to fall over. This is normal wear.
You can turn the bar over on the saw and use the other edge untill that is worn down too. The bar can then be re-dressed using a simple jig and an angle grinder. I'm guessing you dont have a local sawshop that can do this for you  Eventually the rails will wear down too much and the groove wont be deep enough for the chain to run through. Then you need a new bar.

Cheers

Ian

[Kevin]

If you are using a chain that was damaged on the previous bar it will put excessive wear on the new bar.
Your chains might be shot as well, check the bottom of the links for wear.
If you keep the bar dressed the chain wear will be greatly reduced.
You can buy a bar dressing file for a few bucks.

[twistedtree]

How old is this saw/bar/chain?  Didn't you just get it recently?  I'm trying to understand if this is normal wear, or premature wear.

[Dan_Shade]

could be an extra right or left handed cutter on the chain if it's an odd length bar and somebody made up the chain wrong.

could be a cutter broke off

could be how the chain is sharpened.

[pedajas]

Hi,
loose, not with correctly mantained cutters, chain on worn bar can do this as well

[Minnesota_boy]

Lay the flat side of the bar on a flat surface.  It should contact the surface for its entire length.  If it rocks from end to end, yo have bent it by pulling too hard sideways on the saw.  If it rocks side to side, it's been damaged by something striking it.  Either means you should replace the bar and be more careful with the new one.

[alsayyed]

Yes I have replaced the bar and a new chain worked fine, but I run the chainsaw and forget to add oil, so the result that I got chain damaged and found out that I cannot use the chain tensioner anymore because is is already broke I do not know why it is broke. Know I am trying to find this piece so I can do some small welding but could not find the other parts. Even I do not have the part number it is small piece of metal like the L shape which fits on threaded screw, the purpose of piece of metal that pulls the chain. So I am trying to find a dealer in US that sells these kinds of accessories. I have very bad luck with this machine which is new. We do not have Stihl agent in Qatar.

[Rocky_J]

I suggest you find an owner's manual in your native language. Every problem you have is from improper use. The saw is not bad, the saw is good. Every problem you have can be fixed by following the directions in the owner's manual.

Good luck with your new saw. I hope you do not break it any more. 

[twostroke_blood]

Buy an AXE 

[Bill]

Alsayyed

There's two ways to learn things -
one by having someone teach you  or
two by doing it yourself and working through the mistakes.

Method one is quicker ( and usually cheaper ) - method two will determine if you have character and if you do succeed you'll be wiser for it.

Happy New Year

Note : method two goes easier the more you read about it.

[Corley5]

What kind of trees do you have in Qatar

[Tom]

You guys amaze me that you gave up so quickly.  It's obvious that the guy hasn't a lot of experience and seems to have trouble with English.  I'll bet it isn't his native tongue, but, he makes himself understood anyway.  I've know these kinds of hand-holding threads to go on forever until the guy understands.  I wouldn't want an injury on my mind because I told somebody to "buzz off".   While getting written instructions is a good suggestion, it isn't the best way to leave a fellow hanging.

I don't think I would feel very welcome if i were chastised for not knowing enough, how about you?

[Jeff]

I know one thing. Alsayyed, I am very happy you have found the forestry forum and we will do our best to try to help you with any problems you have.

On another note,
I have got to think that having a chainsaw in Qatar is about as rare as having a camel in the average U.S.A. back yard.
Someday someone here may inherit a constipated camel. If they do, I hope they can find directions in their native language before things go terribly wrong.

[alsayyed]

Thank you to everybody. Let me tell you chainsaw is not popular machine in Qatar or in the other Gulf region the reason that there is not much trees to harvest or to cut. So people use the tree mostly for winter when they go camping. Off course I have experience with chainsaw but do not have experience with milling using the chainsaw this is my problem. I hope everybody understand where is the problem know.

[Ianab]

Alsayed

Running out of oil will have caused the very fast bar wear. You can probably repair the bar by dressing it with a file or grinder. The chain will be junk.

What I usually do is ALLWAYS fill the oil first. That way if you get distracted ( like someone asks what you are doing) all you will have forgotten is the petrol. Then the saw stops.. but no damage is done   

Cheers

Ian

[Tom_Averwater]

Alsayed, It sounds like the the chain adjuster stud was not in the hole in the bar when the bar was put back on the saw.Ya got to make sure it is in there or the adjusting screw will get bent when the nuts are tightened on the bar. Also, the nuts holding the bar on only have to be tightened snugly,  not to the point you can't get them off. If the nuts are repeatly tightened too tight the studs can be pulled out of the case.  Then you will have a big mess. I hope this helps some.      Tom_

[Kevin]

Jeff, you didn't consult your camel operators manual.
It clearly states that a 40:1 mixture of hay and oats will prevent constipation in your camel.
It's important to read and understand your camel manual to prevent damage to the camel and personal injury to the camel operator. 

[beenthere]

I'll admit to not knowing anything about camels, other than some stories how to get them to drink a lot of water to get all the way across the desert.  

To help alsayyed, it seems to be a number of things piling up to lead to a very frustrating first experience with a chain saw.

Re-reading posts, starting was a problem, sharpening another problem, running the chain while very dull another, short on bar oil another, and now some indication the bar is bent. Maybe the idea the bar is bent is actually the chain teeth not evenly sharpened to the same angle and sharpness, so the cut isn't straight.

alsayyed can help with some pictures of his set-up and more information about what is happening. I think he will get the help he needs.  We'll see to that, so hang in there alsayyed. 

[aom]

alsayyed,
Maintenance to the bar and chain is probably as essential as maintaining the engine, so lets seperate both issues. I was fortunate to be taught to use a chainsaw by my father, and the first thing was to learn how to maintain/sharpen/and clean the saw before actually using it, it was my regular duty to do this at a young age. Stihl produce good basic owners manuals, so try and get one.
Firstly with guide bars in a place such as Qatar, you probably will be using the saw under abrasive conditions, especially if there is wind blown sand/ dust in the bark of the wood, the net result of this is that the grit will enter everything and grind away etc, so its important that after each days use, you strip the chain and soak in petrol to clean it thoroughly, and once dry soak in a bath of chain oil, this is messy but it ensures, that the chain is well lubricated, and hence can do quite some work before needing to be stripped down. The guide bar likewise needs thorough cleaning, this involves taking a flattenned piece of wire and running along the groove and cleaning out all muck etc and cleaning the oil hole on the side of bar, Once again perhaps due to high grit content the bar should be washed with petrol or whatever you have in Qatar, to ensure that the bar is clean, I am guessing that you have a sproket nosed guidebar, it is essential to try and clean all grit out of the nose, hence here when we cut in high grit/sand conditions in coastal plantations we use solid nosed bars to avoid sproket damage. With regard to bent cuts, assuming that the chain is in good condition, as mentioned it could be caused by uneven wear on the guide rails on the bar, if the bar has enough depth in the groove it is relatively straight foreward to rectify, get 2 square pieces of wood 1-2 inches long and place on either side of the guide bar groove, then get a mill file and put at 90 degrees over the guide bar rails/groove, in effect the two blocks will support the file, and draw along the length of the bar, in effect it will shave a small amount from the top of the guide rails until they are both of equal height,  then either with the file or bench grinder remove the sharp burr on both sides of both edges of the guide rails. Then clean again to remove any metal and if the bar has a grease hole on the sproket nose, pump full of grease, turn around and pump again, then re-assemble with the well oil soaked chain, of course if this needed sharpening it should have been sharpened first before cleaning and soaking in oil. In this way if you use quality chain you should be able to get a good and productive life out of it[ of course so long as you follow  through with proper sharpening and engine maintenance].
Finally only let 1 use the saw, let that be the person that maintains it. Generally those that dont maintain the machine tend not to take as much care in using it
regards AOM

[Tom]

Very good AOM.

AS I don't use my saw constantly for a living, I am lax in maintenance.   But, a new chain should not be cutting at an angle and a new bar should not need dressing unless the chain has been running in dirt.   It only takes a nick of the soil to damage every tooth on the chain.  The chain is moving at a high rate of speed and sticking it in the soil is the best way to ruin it.

Never cut dirt.  Never let the bar go into the soil.  Clean logs and/or keep the dirt on the exit side of the log so that the chain isn't dragging it through the wood.   A chain that has been damaged by soil or rocks will stretch quickly and cut crooked too.  Continued use will ruin the bar.

It is not in your saw's best interest to hit the log with the running chain or "crowd" the engine by sticking the bucking teeth in the log and pulling the handle until the engine bogs down.  A chainsaw that has a sharp chain will saw wood with little physical effort on your part.  It's your job to keep the chain in contact with the wood, keep a steady flow of chips flying and hold on with both hands to keep it from injuring you.  If you are using your saw as an attack weapon and slamming it around on the logs and forcing it to cut, then you will destroy your saw.

I loaned my saw to a laborer to buck some logs one time.  We were sawing logs on my sawmill and he was going to prepare some more logs.  My saw has a 20" bar and he was cutting 12" logs.  I happened to notice that he would put the saw on the log, hook the bucking teeth and lift the handle, as the saw cut, until the engine was on top of the log and the bar was stuck 8 inches into the dirt beneath the log.  Needless to say, he ruined the chain and I had to have a talk with him about using a saw.

A saw that has had one side of the chain nicked on a rock or dulled in the dirt will cut in a circle.  A chain that has been sharpened differently on one side of the chain than the other will cut in a circle.  A bent bar might cut crooked or straight, but, it will get hung up in the kerf.  Unless you are using your bar as a pry bar or unless a log pinched it and a heavy weight bent it, then my bet is that the bar is straight.  Bending a bar can happen but it happens to those who are not being careful.  Showing care may still get you a bent bar, accidents happen.  But, the frequency that a caring person bends a bar is almost nil.

Care of the chain is an on-going proposition. Carry a file with you and learn how to use it properly.  Don't wait until the chain is dull to sharpen it.  If you will "touch it up" every time you fill with gas, it will remain sharp and your chainsaw engine will like you.  Use that gas filling up time to go over the whole saw and visually check for anything that needs to be maintained. 

That little bar tightening mechanism is always giving operators problems.  I lose them from my Husky all the time and have never figured out a way to make sure that they don't vibrate out.  You can tighten the bar without them, but, don't do it for an extended period.  Go to the shop and get a new one.   They aren't expensive and are easy to install.

You will also find that a blast of water from a garden hose is a good way to begin cleaning the saw after use.  Remove the side covers and get rid of the dirt and dirty oil around the clutch and the the inside of the side plates.  It will also loosen the dirt in the grooves of the bar so that you can remove impacted grit.   

Always take your time when using a chainsaw and think safety.

It is to be thought of more like a sewing machine and used with finesse', not as a bulldozer. 

[Kevin]

Tom;
Water isn't a good idea.
The clutch bearing  will rust on the shaft if water gets in there.

[twostroke_blood]

Are Camels good eatin? 

[Tom]

Well, that's good to know that I might be endangering the clutch bearing.  It hasn't happened to me yet, but, I don't want it to, either.   Perhaps I'll have to curtail that method.

[timberjack240]

i dont clean my saw cause it leaks oil when there nothin in there so i let the oil and sawdust pack in there so it dont leak oil otherwise oil flies out and looks like big balls of snot flyin off the end of the bar 

[Tom]

That was quite descriptive. 

I remember when my children were your age and how much fun they had at trying to 'gross' everybody out.  A little age soon fixes that for most.

According to Kevin, you are performing your maintenance properly by not shooting it with a stream of water.  Perhaps removing some of the compaction may get you better functionality and life from your saw though.  Maybe some of the Experts can shed some light on that.

[Kevin]

Tom, you can still hose down your camel. 
The bearing picks up some bar lube so as long as the saw is being used daily the water may not affect it but if it's allowed to sit then you may have problems.
The bearing should be greased at least with every sprocket change.

[Tom]

Well I lhave that covered then.

I got these instructions from my dealer in 1993 who set my mind at ease that I didn't have to be a mechanic to run a Husky.  He also told me to run the saw some after cleaning it.  I guess the bearing was the reason. 

Still, knowing what could happen is good information.

[Rocky_J]

Hey Tom, an air nozzle on the end of your air compressor hose is just the ticket for cleaning saws. The slight oily residue left behind is a perfect coating to prevent rust or corrosion. It also does not harm chains or sprockets. I go over each of my saws completely with an air nozzle a couple times per week. It keeps the crud from building up between the fins and around the carb as well. Don't forget to pull the starter recoil off every couple months and blow off the crud on the inside.

[Tom]

That's a good idea Rocky J.

Are you following this along with me, alsayyed?

Sounds like some good ideas to me.   

[Bill]

Gentlemen -  ( esp Tom and Alsayyed )

I think you may have misunderstood what some of us intended.

Alsayyed has told us there are no Stihl dealers around to go to and he's pretty much the lone chainsaw user in his area of Qatar. So he pretty much is relying on the owners manual - which he's read several times - what he finds on the internet, and even better what many of us here have written in FF.

We've mostly been supportive ( I hope Alsayyed agrees with this ) and if you look back at his posts you'll see that most of his questions have been "learning experience" type questions that we've tried our best to answer. Since he has no one local ( dealer or otherwise ) that we know of, he can only read answers to his posts or what he's finding on the net.

He has proven to be persistent and successful with his ability to find answers to get running again.

I personally could have said "hang in there and you'll get it" but instead chose to say that it is harder to learn by yourself - doing your own research - and that if ( when ) you succeed you'll be wiser for it. My apologies as it was meant as encouragement but I can see that it was taken wrong. I only meant it in the most postive way and will try to be more clear in the future.

Alsayyed - if you still have questions about a bent bar ( there's much good info in this thread ) or anything else - please ask .

Good Luck

[Tom]

Good Show, Bill. 

[alsayyed]

I thank everybody tried to help and all the topics are helpful and I know a bout chainsaw work and maintenance by know, but still no body gave me explanation about this problem. Why this small piece I mean the chain tensioner got broken, I am sure Stihl should carry this piece.

[twistedtree]

I don't know Stihl's, but not knowing any better I'd say that looks like a chain link fragment.

[Dan_Shade]

what size saw do you have?  if it's an 066, I can get you the stihl part number for that component.  I had one of those stripped out on my saw.

[Rocky_J]

I see several problems evident from the pictures. First of all, your broken piece will be available from any Still dealer.

Now, let's look at WHY it broke. Look at the bar mount studs. See the collar at the base of the stud? That collar is to line up the bar with the sprocket. Can you see the shiny spot on the bottom of the collar? That tells me that you did not have the bar positioned correctly, and you broke the pieces when you forced (tightened)  the nuts down.

Now, let's look at somethnig else. Do you see the brown and black discoloration around the clutch drum? This is where you have burned the saw with too much heat. You are hurting your saw by forcing it to cut when it is too dull. Please try to learn how to sharpen the chain. If you continue burning the saw, it will be completely broken very soon.

[alsayyed]

thank you Dan-shade I appreciate your offer the machine is 065 which is almost the same is 066. I will pay for it. I always carefull when titghting the two bolts, but mistake happeaned.

[boboak]

   alsayyed...may your tribe increase.   Try using the search feature on the forum...lots of great information.    The  members of this forum have been great about sharing their expertise with me whenever I've had a direct question but the search feature can give you a lot of information in a hurry.  In the meantime,keep asking questions.  You're not easily discouraged and you'll ask for help when you need it...theres a lesson there for all of us. 

[SawTroll]

..... I always carefull when titghting the two bolts, but mistake happeaned.

It is very important that the bar is correctly positioned with the collars Rocky referred to inside the slot in the bar, when tightening the bar nuts - not just the bolts.

If the collars are not in the slot when tightening the nuts, a number of bad things can happen - not just crooked cutting.
This may or may not be the reason for your crooked cutting though.

In my opinion it is a bad design, so you have to watch it carefully.
I find it easiest to get it right by laying the saw on its left side holding the bar in place with one hand, until the nuts are "finger tight", then raise the saw up and complete the prosess holding the bar tip up with one hand when adjusting tension and doing the final tightening of the nuts.

[Dale Hatfield]

Before you turn the adjustment screw>>>>>>>>

First release the chain brake so chain will move on the bar.
loosen the bar nuts a turn or so.
Then tension the chain  with adjustment screw.
Tighten  bar nuts. remember that chain will tighten some as you tighten these nuts .

Failure to do so in this order will break/strip the chain adjustment parts..
Dale

[SawTroll]

Dale, I agree with you that it is as simple as you describe it when you start the process with an assambled saw (except that you should hold the tip of the bar up when adjusting tension, and retightening the nuts), but that was not really what was discussed here.

The downside of Stihls "bolt and collar" or "stepped bar bolt" system show up when the cutting attachment has been removed from the saw for maintenence (or whatever reason), or if the bar nuts has been loosened past a certain point.....

[maple flats]

Also make sure you wear leather or other cut resistant gloves while holding the chained bar up to tighten. A properly sharpened chain will make a real nasty cut that is hard to heal because it is very ragged. Caution please.