Chain analysis

[wahoowad]

Just wondering if any of you more experienced folks can tell me what problems you see with this chain. Is the gumming up from not enough oil? I don't recall hitting any debris but that cutter looks like it found more than green hickory.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The hunk of steel hanging on the cutter in the first picture might be a clue!

 

[wahoowad]

Mike,

I just checked. That is a sliver of plastic from where the cutter must have touched the bar protector inmy carrying case! At least it cut something!

 

[livewire]

Do you find yourself forcing the saw through the cut?

You can hit debris and not know it, is it smoking?

Is it cutting straight?

I'd check your bar too! looks pretty well worn in the first pic.

 

[B_Turner]

I would say that chain has not cut right (at alll) for a very long time. So bad you can't even tell if the oiler was working cause it would have cooked anyway.

I think it must be a troll, as noone would really let a chain get that bad and post a pic, would they?

 

[zemmo]

Just wondering if any of you more experienced folks can tell me what problems you see with this chain. Is the gumming up from not enough oil? I don't recall hitting any debris but that cutter looks like it found more than green hickory.

I sharpened one like this the other day. It was on a 2 yr old 460, had never been sharpened. Guy brought it over 'cause it was "just smoking, wouldn't cut."
Have you ever sharpened this one?

 

[Cut4fun]

Somebody was comparing cutters last week by stating butter knife and steak knife sharp. Well that chain above is SPOON sharp, not even fork rated.

 

[zemmo]

Somebody was comparing cutters last week by stating butter knife and steak knife sharp. Well that chain above is SPOON sharp, not even fork rated.

Maybe brickbat sharp?

 

[precaud]

Boy, you guys sure are hard on newbies...

 

[Xtra]

That's pretty dull and worn down.
I tell my guys as a general rule, if you can see a white/silver line on the cutter face then it's dull. A sharp cutter will show no line.

 

[wahoowad]

That chain has dropped no more than 3 trees! It does look like ????, doesn't it?!?!?! I have hand sharpened it about 5 times. This last tree was a struggle to buck, hence my greater scrutiny of the chain and hope to learn to read it better. I'm starting to suspect my oiling system.

The chain wasn't as gummed up before I started yesterday - I took good notice when I sharpened it. It was pretty cold yesterday and I'm wondering if I should have thinned my bar oil. I disassembled it today and also noticed some oily sawdust partially blocking my bar oil port.

livewire - at first it pulled itself into the cut and threw good chips. Then performance declined about 1/3 through bucking it up. I sharpened it again, it started really sharp and pulling itself into the cut again. Then seemed to "go dull" after another 1/3 of the tree.

 

[scottr]

Boy, you guys sure are hard on newbies...

Precaud , it was worse a few years ago .

 

[sawinredneck]

I think the gumming up is from being run dull. It looks like a really dull chain. The tooth also has serrated looking marks on it's leading edge from hitting things other than wood......my guess is dirt.

Somebody was comparing cutters last week by stating butter knife and steak knife sharp. Well that chain above is SPOON sharp, not even fork rated.

And yet another rarity!!!! I agree with both! It is dull as a popcron fart!!!opcorn:

 

[zemmo]

That chain has dropped no more than 3 trees! It does look like ????, doesn't it?!?!?! I have hand sharpened it about 5 times. This last tree was a struggle to buck, hence my greater scrutiny of the chain and hope to learn to read it better. I'm starting to suspect my oiling system.

The chain wasn't as gummed up before I started yesterday - I took good notice when I sharpened it. It was pretty cold yesterday and I'm wondering if I should have thinned my bar oil. I disassembled it today and also noticed some oily sawdust partially blocking my bar oil port.

livewire - at first it pulled itself into the cut and threw good chips. Then performance declined about 1/3 through bucking it up. I sharpened it again, it started really sharp and pulling itself into the cut again. Then seemed to "go dull" after another 1/3 of the tree.

You may have an oiler problem, but it's hard to see how that could dull and damage the cutters as shown. Sharpen it again and post a jpg of that. My guess is that you have some sharpening issue, maybe combined with some other problem. From the photos, looks like you may be filing backslope in to the cutter. Is the tree filthy?

 

[wahoowad]

No, the tree was clean. I must be hitting stuff on the ground when I cut through the bottom. I try to lighten up towards the bottom of the cut to keep from plowing into the dirt...probably not good enough. Now, I did cut up a tree last week with some dried dirt on it - that might have caused the damage to the outside of the cutter. But I can't clean up that side, only the inside and top of the cutter, right?

 

[Urbicide]

That chain looks like it was in a battle and lost. What brand of chain are you using? Kind of looks like 3/8ths low-pro. Hickory is pretty tough wood to start with. That chain has so much crap on it now that would need to be cleaned off just to sharpen it. I would probably pitch it and buy a new non-safety chain. Does your bar have burned spots on it?

 

[zemmo]

No, the tree was clean. I must be hitting stuff on the ground when I cut through the bottom. I try to lighten up towards the bottom of the cut to keep from plowing into the dirt...probably not good enough. Now, I did cut up a tree last week with some dried dirt on it - that might have caused the damage to the outside of the cutter. But I can't clean up that side, only the inside and top of the cutter, right?

If the cutters are really trashed, you may have to file back quite a ways. Yours looks like it needs a good grind, anyone around to clean it up for you?

 

[Justsaws]

Was it below 30* F for a while were you are at? I see a lot of chain beat hard when the world is frozen over. Dulls fast and smokes quick.

 

[Urbicide]

No, the tree was clean. I must be hitting stuff on the ground when I cut through the bottom. I try to lighten up towards the bottom of the cut to keep from plowing into the dirt...probably not good enough. Now, I did cut up a tree last week with some dried dirt on it - that might have caused the damage to the outside of the cutter. But I can't clean up that side, only the inside and top of the cutter, right?

You have to file enough of the cutter back until you remove all off the damaged areas. Then you will need to check your depth guages, The depth guages have to be lowered periodically to compensate for cutter wear anyhow.

 

[Urbicide]

Oregon Maintenance and Safety Manual

http://www.oregonchain.com/tech/manual_maint.htm