MORE OIL, BABY, MORE OIL

[fencerowphil (Phil L.)]

I noticed something about my new 41" Stihl Rollomatic that troubles me.

The sprocket tip has no greasing orifice.  I will be using the bar on my 090 Stihl for milling up to 34" soft and hardwood.  I know that I will also use an auxilliary oiler at the nose end. No problem maybe, but here is my question:

Has anyone ever drilled a small feed hole near the sprocket end on the cutting side of the bar near the edge of the bar?  This hole would have a specific purpose, namely to feed oil into the sprocket teeth to be splashed into the chain from inside the bar.  When drilling, the teeth of the sprocket would need to be held carefully, so that the bit would not hit the sprocket teeth.  This hole would create a channel for the oil to actually get into the path of the  sprocket as it spins.  Of course, some oil would lube the sprocket bearing and some the chain links, etc.
Phil L.

[Kevin]

I can`t see the need for it Phil.
The chain drivers will drag an ample amount of oil around to the nose sprocket.
Give your bar a good cleaning at the end of the day.
I hit the nose with compressed air, blow any sawdust out of it then spray it with WD40 and hit it with compressed air again.
After that`s done I give the nose sprocket  a good shot of foamy chain lube.
It should last the life of the bar and if it doesn`t just replace the tip.
Plunge cutting is hard on a tip but milling isn`t that hard on them as long as you keep the oil output cranked up.
Don`t forget to grease the needle cage on the crankshaft often.

[fencerowphil (Phil L.)]

Thanks Kevin,
It was good to hear the details of your own bar and clutch needle bearing maintenance.
Phil L.
  Learning a lot.

[Kevin]

Nose sprockets don`t appear to be causing many of us much grief otherwise I think more people would be complaining about it and I`ve yet to hear anyone that has a problem with bar nose sprockets.
Get a bar dressing tool and that will increase the life of your bar and chains.
A little preventive maintenance can go a long way in making the job a little easier on the saw and the operator.