Chain Saw Bar Wear

[Jonathan Goodish]

I am a relatively new chain saw owner who has Googled extensively and read the owner's manual several times. I have a good degree of common sense, and try to take care, but I am destined to make stupid mistakes anyway.

After about 2 hours of use on the new saw going through cherry and ash, I started into some oak about 12" in diameter with a 20" bar on a Husky

346XP (fast saw). I worked through this for about an hour and noticed that the the oak seemed to be getting progressively harder to cut, requiring more pressure on the saw as I moved toward the base of the tree (tree had been felled already). Eventually, the bar and chain began to smoke, and I probably made 7 or 8 cuts until the bar and chain were smoking so badly it became obvious that something was seriously wrong... the bar oil on the bar was bubbling from the heat. I removed the bar from the log and ran the saw for about 30 seconds to oil the bar and allow the smoke to dissipate from the bar and chain.

I inspected the bar and noticed that the paint had disappeared along the edges of the bar, the Husky lettering in the center of the bar was completely gone, and there were a couple of spots in the center of the bar where the paint had disappeared. I suspect that the paint had simply burned off at these locations.

Obviously, the chain was dull. Why that wasn't obvious when I had to force the saw to cut is beyond me. That's the bad news.

The good news is that I inspected the bar and didn't see any obvious signs of damage. I didn't notice any "bluing" of the bar metal where the paint is gone, and I didn't notice any burring or flaring of the bar rails. I did flip the bar over and put a new Oregon chain on it, and the saw now cuts like a champ. I am not sure why the original Husky chain became so dull after only 3 hours on the saw, as I took care to keep it out of the dirt and certainly didn't hit anything other than wood during operation.

My question: What signs of damage to the saw, bar, or chain should I be looking for at this point? I suspect that the paint burning off of the bar is premature wear at this point, but I'm not sure if that is a indicator of damage. Does it sound like I got lucky this time, or could something have been damaged that is not yet obvious?

Thanks, JKG

[Greg O]

There probably is very little or no damage to the bar. How long a saw chain will stay sharp depends on the quality of the chain and what you are cutting. You may have hit a small stone or nail imbeded in the wood you are cutting. Dirt, stones, nails, wire, and more can be found in trees and you could cut into one with out even knowing. As your experiance grows you will realize when to sharpen, or change saw chains. Change them often! Do not force the saw to cut, just guide it throught the cut. If you plan on cutting a fair amount of wood you should have 5-6 spare chains. Greg

[Wilson Lamb]

Well, letting the smoke out is never a good thing to do. You should touch up the chain every time you fill the tank. More if you suddenly feel it start to cut poorly, like you have hit something.

A touchup like that only takes a couple of minutes and gives you a chance to rest and think about safety. There's no reason to overload the engine or ruin the parts prematurely, or to waste time cutting slowly.

If you damaged the bar by softening it, you'll soon see the saw veering off line when you cut. As soon as that happens, you have to dress the bottom of the bar to make the two sides exactly parallel. If the blade has softened, it will soon wear unevenly and veer again. Good shops can dress the bar pretty well, but if it is bad it will pay to get a new one.

My troll alarm is tinkling on this, but maybe the advice will be useful to some beginners.

ALL CHAINSAW USERS SHOULD BE CAREFUL! Keep the bar away from the legs and keep the tip out of the cut. Be sure you aren't cutting something that can spring up or fall. Take the time to look at each cut and think what will happen when you cut through. Hearing protectors work!

[Jonathan Goodish]

You know, I'm always amazed at how some folks can't help but beat their chest and display their ego every time someone asks a legitimate question.

First of all, I never said anything that indicated that I wasn't being safe with the saw. This was my first cut into oak with this saw, and the high degree of smoke did tip me off that something wasn't right, even though I now realize (with a new chain) that I shouldn't have had to work nearly that hard to cut through even seasoned oak. However, I suspect that I did little more than burn some bar oil off the bar and chain, along with some bar paint.

Secondly, I'm not sure what caused your "troll alarm" to start "tinkling," but I don't appreciate the suggestion that this question is somehow a troll. If you don't feel that a question is worthy of your great body of knowledge, you are always free to not reply.

I will state that I do appreciate thoughtful replies from those who don't have anything to gain by making snide remarks.

JKG

[dwright]

Chain saws with their steel teeth and often abusive cutting conditions (especially if the teeth contact dirt) have to be sharpened way more frequently than table saw blades. Notice how chain sharpening equipment can be easily used sitting on a log in the woods? That's where you are likely to use the equipment. I often take a break to sharpen during extended cutting sessions.

I suspect that the bar paint is gone on account of contact with the wood instead of heat. Your heat question does make me think though. The 346XP takes a 3/8" pitch narrow kerf chain, right? Maybe the narrow kerf chains aren't as tolerant of hard use. Otherwise why wouldn't all saws come with them?

Your saw is probably fine. In the future change or sharpen the chain sooner. Were you bucking thick logs non-stop or felling and limbing? I think of the 346XP as a felling and limbing saw.

[Juergen Hannappel]

[...]

... speaking of Chainsaws: A (local fool) buys a new chainsaw, impressed by the dealers promise that he can fell 100 trees per day with the saw. Next day he returns furiously to the shop and complains: "A hundred trees? I did not even manage one, and i was all woked out! The saw cuts very poorly." The dealer is astonished, takes the saw to see if anything is wrong, pulls the starter cord, the saw starts up all right. Astonished buyer: "What's that for a strange sound?"

[Jonathan Goodish]

I will admit to being amazed at how much trouble some folks have starting chain saws. The saw that I purchased doesn't have a compression release, and it's almost easier to start than my car. I really don't understand where the problem is for folks, particularly with a new saw.

JKG

[Jonathan Goodish]

Thanks for your reply.

The 346XP uses as .325 pitch chain, and spins it at close to 15k RPM. I think my confusion was caused when I switched from softer wood into seasoned oak, things became much more difficult and the saw required much more force to cut. After a new chain, I now understand that the saw shouldn't require much force to cut even the oak.

Yes, my use so far as been mainly felling and limbing... so far, nothing greater than about 17" in diameter. You may be correct about the bar paint, as the saw probably has a good 4-5 hours on it now. I know that the paint doesn't last forever.

Thanks again for your input.

JKG

[Wilson Lamb]

My troll alarm went off because it's pretty far fetched that someone would smoke the bar on a brand new Husky and not stop to see what was wrong! You obviously have never used a CS seriously, or it wouldn't have happened. I thought my reply was pretty reasonable and the advice good. In my 50 years of being close to chainsaws, I've never seen a smoking bar, so maybe you can cut me a little slack. I HAVE seen a chain or two on backwards, which really takes the cake!

I'm way too old to get an ego rush from chatting on a newsgroup, so maybe you could lighten up a little? If this had happened in the field, you'd have received a good ribbing in person!

Wilson

[TaskMule]

The bar is fine. Just make sure the oiler is working properly, keep chain oil topped up. Sharpen the chain regularly, if it's making square chips it's sharp, if it's making dust it's dull.

[Andy Dingley]

I'm amazed that someone can use a chainsaw and have smoke pouring off the bar before they realise something is wrong.

[Jonathan Goodish]

Please re-read my original post. I didn't ask if the smoke was normal, I said that I realized that something was wrong and stopped. My question was "What may have been damaged and how would I identify it?"

I have used saws quite a bit in the distant past, but not professionally, so I suspect that doesn't meet your definition of using a saw "seriously." Some folks have been very helpful without the need to make snide remarks. If I was a pro or semi-pro I agree, I would probably have received a well-deserved ribbing.

JKG

[George E. Cawthon]

Smoking? And you didn't stop? yep, that is dumb, but you know that.

The chain is unlikely damaged, you just sharpen it, and if it dulls very rapidly you may have ruined the temper, but I can't believe that would happen.

Lack of oil will screw up the bar. From your description, it doesn't sound like it got hurt. You can tell by running a finger very VERY carefully on top of the bar groove (bottom of bar where the pressure is during cutting) and along each side next to the groove. If you feel roughness or metal slivers, you need to draw file it.

Draw filing is fairly simple, put the blade in a vice with the edge you want to file up. Take a small fairly fine flat,file; hold it crosswise to the blade edge and exactly at right angles to the side (wide part), set it down on the edge with a bit of pressure and pull it toward you. Actually you can also push it even if it is called draw filing. The main point is keep the file flat so the blade is filed flat. You won't need to do much filing. Finish by lightly filing the edge with the file surface essentially parallel with the wide part of the blade to remove any fine metal slivers. DO NOT round the edge. If you are really a stickler, you could polish the edge by wrapping 400 grit wet/dry sand paper around the file and running it back and fort on the the blade in the same way you draw filed.

BTW, you should periodically flip the blade as you have done and it is a good thing to lightly draw file the used edge which will up after the blade is flipped.

So what have you learned? don't continue to try to cut with a dull blade, sharpen it.

Good luck.

[George E. Cawthon]

Spins at 15K? You gotta be kidding?

[rj]

Chain just stretched, a new one will get a little longer after hard use, that's why there's an adjustment on the bar. I use a Dremel chain saw sharpener, doesn't take any time to touch up a saw, but I use a good guide and file for serious sharpening. RJ

[Jonathan Goodish]

Actually, I did stop after it was apparent that the bar and chain were smoking. It wasn't apparent what was happening at first.

I have noticed that a chain that is wearing will go through softer woods without a problem but will not go through harder woods, such as oak. Given the fact that day 2 began with the oak, the distinction between the two wasn't as apparent as it would have been had I moved immediately from softer to harder woods. But, you're right, I now know how to instantly recognize when a chain isn't performing as it should.

JKG

[Jonathan Goodish]

Well, I haven't measured it, but it's somewhere around 14.5k according to Husky. Anyway, I can verify that it's fast. But, as I've learned, it is not tolerant of even a slightly worn chain. I think I'm going to have to buy at least one more chain in order to make it through a day without having to stop and sharpen.

JKG

[Tim Douglass]

I've smoked a bar or two over the years, so don't feel too bad about it. If there was still oil on the bar and it doesn't appear blue you probably didn't hurt the bar. Your problem seems (as you guessed) to come from a dull chain, so you are more likely to have damaged the chain. At worst, however, it will only mean that the chain won't stay sharp very long. Most of my chain saw work is done in softwood - dry pine or fir for firewood - and I probably sharpen the chain every hour or slightly more often, cutting cherry, ash and oak you aren't going to keep a chain sharp for an hour of steady cutting, let alone two or three. At this point my test would be to sharpen the chain and see if it cuts straight. If the saw wants to cut curves you may be able to sharpen it out, but I'd just toss the chain and try a new one. It is actually pretty amazing how messed up a bar and chain can be and still cut great as long as the chain is sharp.

Tim Douglass

[Mike Marlow]

When you stop to fuel up, is a good time to hit the chain a least a couple of swipes on each cutter. Another good time is right after you hit a sap spout, a rock, a nail, etc... which is guan to be immediately after you finish sharpening it during your fuel stop.

[Bruce Sinclair]

Keeping a cahinsaw sharp is IMO the most important part of maintenance. As soon as you notice it's not cutting so well, sharpen it. Before you start, sharpen it. You get the idea :)

Bruce

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