crooked cutting

[colverpa]

why does my saw cut on an angle even if i am very sure that i am cutting straight down thru the log?

 

[rupedoggy]

Because your bar is worn or your chain is not sharpened the same on both sides. Mike

 

[Lakeside53]

Or your worn bar is bent (sight down it and straighten if curved), has worn the underside of the tie straps asymmetrically on the chain... Grind your bar, close any excess gap with a bar closer, grind/sharpen your chain accurately, and if it still doesn't cut straight, fit a new chain.

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Bent bar seems like the most likely culprit. Did you get it pinched recently and inadverently bend it during removal? That's what happened to me. Good thing I'm an amateur or I would have felt even more stupid.:bang:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I never heard of a bent bar making a saw cut crooked. Learn something new every day.
It would be easy to see if thats the problem. Take the bar off, flip it upside down, and see if it cut crooked the other direction. If it does, that was your problem.
If it cuts straight, that side was just worn out and needs to be dressed. If it cuts the same crooked way, it's the chain.

 

[colverpa]

flipped still cuts on angle

 

[Urbicide]

If the saw is cutting to the right it must be a republican saw. Likewise, if it is cutting to the left it is a democratic saw. After all, this is an election year.

 

[Lakeside53]

I never heard of a bent bar making a saw cut crooked. Learn something new every day.
It would be easy to see if thats the problem. Take the bar off, flip it upside down, and see if it cut crooked the other direction. If it does, that was your problem.
If it cuts straight, that side was just worn out and needs to be dressed. If it cuts the same crooked way, it's the chain.

A "twist" in the bar will makes it cut crooked...

Bent is probably a generic term for a bunch of bar problems, but you're right, a bend (curve) in the long plane of the bar won't by itself make it cut crooked.

 

[Elmore]

Sharpen or replace chain

I was convinced that it was my bar rails being uneven. I dressed my bar with a file and it did the same, cut to the left-liberal chain, so I put a new chain on and it now cuts true. When I have some time I plan on working on the old chain to see if I can get it to cut true but since the new works so well I just may not. How valuable is our time? If in doubt try a new chain.

 

[Elmore]

when cuts pull

Here is a good link on this subject : http://www.madsens1.com/badbar.htm

 

[romeo]

You probably need to get you rails closed. I'm with everyone about the bad bar.

 

[Christman]

I think his cutting teeth are different lenghts. Right cutters vs left cutters. Try to sharpen them to the same lenght.

 

[colverpa]

 

[THALL10326]

why does my saw cut on an angle even if i am very sure that i am cutting straight down thru the log?

Most cases its because one side of the chain is cutting better than the other side. Bar trouble should be easy to see with the naked eye..

 

[Gark]

The time that happened (cuts crooked) to me, it was caused by chain chisel top plates sharpened at a (slightly) different angle on the left chisels than the right ones. Once that was corrected, it cut straight again.

 

[spike60]

More often the bar than the chain. This is usually due to running the chain too loose.

But since you said that you flipped your bar and got the same result, it may be your chain. What may have happened is that you nipped a rock or piece of metal and took out the cutters on one side of the chain. If they are really banged up, it's hard to ever equalize them again.

 

[sloth9669]

hand file

I consider my self pretty good with a hand file, but the second i see my cuts go wrong its off with the chain to get done at the pro shop. this sets my chain back to equal on both sides get my 7-10 hand files in there and back to the shop again and it always works for me...always flip the bar and check for burrs...burrs found just do a very slight straight edge hand file and cut away....enjoy