evening saw maintenance

[hammerlogging]

I am curious what some of you do for saw maintenance, daily and weekly. I suspect some answers may be "throw in the bed of the truck and see you in the morning"

I myself will at least, on a daily basis, clean the bar groove, throw on a good chain, and go ahead and clean out the gunk inside the side cover and give a quick wipedown of the saw, just to make me happy and keep it pretty. I'll throw on a fresh chain. Maybe check handlebar bolts for tightness. All in all about 10 minutes, max 15.

In addition to the saw, I'll get my fule jugs filled, my water for the next day (3 to 3 1/2 gallons in the summer, yuck) and the rest of the household things like lunch, get the coffee maker ready for the early rise.

Back when I ran Stihl filters, I hot soap and water washed the filter daily. Now, with Maxflow, I change the filter weekly or if I'm feeling like its awfully dirty, twice a week. The clutch bearing, greased weekly.

On the weekend I'll take off all the air filter stuff and wash. Clutch bearing greased, and of course whatever odds and ends need replaced/adjusted or the like. And grind (used to be "file") a bunch of chains.

 

[paccity]

sounds like you got a good plan. takes me a little longer due to more saws. i also give them a quick run in some wood just to make sure. i don't work all the saw's that i take care of. so some times i find a few suprizes. in all daly maintance dos'nt take long.

 

[nw axe man]

Well, Hammer, sounds to me like you've pretty well got it figured out. When I was cutting steady I know the air filter was always a bit thing to keep on top of. The softwoods we have out here have a tendancy to put up more fine dust even while cutting good. I've not tried the max flow filters but it sure sounds like I need to invest in some according to all that I've heard from other guys on here. I just don't get to cut steady any more so it isn't too big of a deal. You're right on keeping an eye on the clutch bearing. That's one of the most forgotten items on a saw and one of the most important. I've seen guys who didn't even care about them. Big mistake when it gets wore out. Pretty hard on the end of the crankshaft.
One of the biggest things when running a bit longer bar (36" or more) is keeping the rails good and true. I use a machine put out by BarShop in the 1960s that my father used. It has a rail grinder, 2 1/2" emery wheel (80 grit), and rail depth grinder as well as a rail pounder. It's made especially for bar maintainance and is the cats meow. I see you can buy a rail grinder from Baileys still, but Madsens doesn't carry them anymore. Not sure why.
Anyway, I would take about once a month and just run the rails over the grinder lightly to see it I had wear on one side or the other. That brings me to buying a bar.
I always take the bar out of the cardboard pkg and inspect the rails. The reason for chains running to one side or the other is that one side of the rails is thinner than the other and wears out faster on that side. This causes the chain to want to cut to one side or the other. Talk about pissing off the good humor man! Anyway, I check the rails on every bar before I buy one. I put on a training session some years ago and was instructing the classs on how to buck bigger logs.
Four feet in diameter or bigger. I had just bought a bar and taken it out of the package and put in on in front of the class. I started bucking the log and it started running on me. I couldn't believe it! I told the class what the problem was. They looked at me as if to say "Yeah! Right!"
I told them that after the class we would stop by the shop and I'd show them. When we ran the rails the brand new bar had rails that were uneven and thinner on one side than the other. From that point on I started checking the bars I bought.
Proper maintainance is just another part of being professional in your work. If your tools aren't in good shape, generally neither is your work.
Good thread.

 

[mitch95100]

I blow them out with the air commpressor grease and a lotta TlC

 

[2dogs]

Hammer I pretty muchly do the same thing you do. In addition I use a Pferd bar tool to square up the rails and then file or sand off the burr. The Max Flo really cuts down on the time spent at the end of the day since I don't need to clean the filter every day. My MS260 gets alot of use on small wood jobs snd that means I have to take the filter off every night and wash it in Purple Power.

I drove 5 hours home last night after a job and didn't feel like doing anything and as the saws were chained down I just put my boots on the dryer and hit the shower. (I was tending a large burn pile but I got to drop a 50" dbh pine.) This morning I went out to find my piggyback jug had a hole punched in the oil side and it had leaked bar oil on the truck bed and my driveway. If I wasn't so tired (lazy) I would have found the problem last night.

 

[paccity]

seems like the time you putt them away wet you will find something that s wrong the next time ya pullem out.

 

[bitzer]

Hammer, sounds like you got it pretty well down. I blow a lot of air on my saw. Blow out the air filter everyday (never washed mine but maybe I should?), blow out the flywheel cover (while attached), peek at the cooling fins, clutch cover, etc . General inspection. Clean out the bar goove and then blow it out. I like to blow on the bar sprocket until I get that really high pitched whine! The fresh chain thing too. Also the coffee, and the lunch, and the water, and the fuel. Boots on the dryer. I try to grease them weekly. How are you liking the grinder?


2dogs, that poke in the bar oil jug sounds very familiar. It always seems when I'm just too beat to do somthing I know I should have it kicks me in the ass later!

 

[nw axe man]

Hammer I pretty muchly do the same thing you do. In addition I use a Pferd bar tool to square up the rails and then file or sand off the burr. The Max Flo really cuts down on the time spent at the end of the day since I don't need to clean the filter every day. My MS260 gets alot of use on small wood jobs snd that means I have to take the filter off every night and wash it in Purple Power.

I drove 5 hours home last night after a job and didn't feel like doing anything and as the saws were chained down I just put my boots on the dryer and hit the shower. (I was tending a large burn pile but I got to drop a 50" dbh pine.) This morning I went out to find my piggyback jug had a hole punched in the oil side and it had leaked bar oil on the truck bed and my driveway. If I wasn't so tired (lazy) I would have found the problem last night.

And all this time I thought that the oil in the bottom of the bed was intentional to keep it from rusting. It's also nice when you step in it, climb over the tailgate to get out and slip on the bumper and give yourself a cleft lip. That's where oil really makes for blue smoke.

 

[paccity]

ya, you can always spott a fallers truck by the dusty oil slicks all over the back.

 

[nw axe man]

ya, you can always spott a fallers truck by the dusty oil slicks all over the back.

Got that right! Fallers don't need oil rigs to produce a slick. All we need is sharp dogs or a chain on a saw in the back of the pickup.

 

[coastalfaller]

Good thread! Yep I pretty much agree, do all the same things. Usually grind every night when I'm on the saw though. I usually put my filters in the washing machine with my work clothes. This only works in camp or with a very understanding wife though! lol.

NW Axeman: I've used those Barshops! They are the ticket! I've also made gas/oil racks in my crummies to keep the jugs away from saws and other gear. Works pretty good!.

 

[2dogs]

2dogs, that poke in the bar oil jug sounds very familiar. It always seems when I'm just too beat to do somthing I know I should have it kicks me in the ass later!

The road I have to take down the hill to the trees has been under 15' of snow for six months and now is like driving in a river bed. I mentioned in a previous post that it cost $4K to plow the road. I hit a hole so deep the truck came to a complete stop and slammed my dog into the dash board. The air bag warning light came on as a warning to watch where I was going and the headlight switch broke. After all that I didn't look in the bed of the truck before I went in the house. Dumbass!

 

[hammerlogging]

It always seems when I'm just too beat to do somthing I know I should have it kicks me in the ass later!

Ain't that the truth.

I'll handfile the burrs off as needed on the bar. Not that it was mentioned, but I have always found a bar rail closer to be crap- if the bar is wore out, any time I've closed the rails it only lasts for a few trees before the chain is running too sloppy to cut. That includes pounding on a stump mid day, surprisingly.

To be fair, the saw runs cleaner, or, more true to tuning, if you keep a clean max flow on every other day. But once a week is still ok if you ignore that its not topping out just quite the same

 

[hammerlogging]

Usually grind every night when I'm on the saw though.

a very understanding wife!

How many chains do you run in a day?

I'd say thats what they have to be to put up with any faller husband!
"Do you really have to do this?" "Why do you like this?" "sigh" nuf said

 

[coastalfaller]

How many chains do you run in a day?

I'd say thats what they have to be to put up with any faller husband!
"Do you really have to do this?" "Why do you like this?" "sigh" nuf said

Haha! Isnt that the truth, Joe?!!

I usually bring 3 chains with me, not including the one already on the saw. The odd time 4 if I'm in blowdown or dirty wood. That being said, that all goes out the window if I'm on the low side of the road that had an over zealous blaster! lol. Then I usually resort to hand filing old chains. Not fun!

Only ever gone through all 3. One was a REALLY bad day! lol. The other was a "learning experience"! lol. I was running 394's at the time. Pretty close to first thing in the morning, I knocked the edges of my chain, all one side, really bad. No big deal, swapped chains, fired er up and away I went. First cut started binding! WTF! Looked at my chain, same thing, all one side, really bad again! Now I'm getting a bit fired up, but OK, swapped chains. Checked the cut, nothing in it, thought it may have grown around a rock or something. Nothing. Fired it up, same result! Now by this time, I'm fit to be tied!!! An hour into my day, no more chains left. I'm peaking!! lol After I calmed down a bit, I pulled my chain off, happened to look at my side cover and notice my brake band was broken, upon further inspection, a little piece of the broken brake band was sticking out and knocking the edges of each chain off on the first revolution!!!!!!!! Dumb ass!!! lol. Moral of the story, always check your brake band when you think you've rocked out!! lol.

 

[coastalfaller]

Well, Hammer, sounds to me like you've pretty well got it figured out. When I was cutting steady I know the air filter was always a bit thing to keep on top of. The softwoods we have out here have a tendancy to put up more fine dust even while cutting good. I've not tried the max flow filters but it sure sounds like I need to invest in some according to all that I've heard from other guys on here. I just don't get to cut steady any more so it isn't too big of a deal. You're right on keeping an eye on the clutch bearing. That's one of the most forgotten items on a saw and one of the most important. I've seen guys who didn't even care about them. Big mistake when it gets wore out. Pretty hard on the end of the crankshaft.
One of the biggest things when running a bit longer bar (36" or more) is keeping the rails good and true. I use a machine put out by BarShop in the 1960s that my father used. It has a rail grinder, 2 1/2" emery wheel (80 grit), and rail depth grinder as well as a rail pounder. It's made especially for bar maintainance and is the cats meow. I see you can buy a rail grinder from Baileys still, but Madsens doesn't carry them anymore. Not sure why.
Anyway, I would take about once a month and just run the rails over the grinder lightly to see it I had wear on one side or the other. That brings me to buying a bar.
I always take the bar out of the cardboard pkg and inspect the rails. The reason for chains running to one side or the other is that one side of the rails is thinner than the other and wears out faster on that side. This causes the chain to want to cut to one side or the other. Talk about pissing off the good humor man! Anyway, I check the rails on every bar before I buy one. I put on a training session some years ago and was instructing the classs on how to buck bigger logs.
Four feet in diameter or bigger. I had just bought a bar and taken it out of the package and put in on in front of the class. I started bucking the log and it started running on me. I couldn't believe it! I told the class what the problem was. They looked at me as if to say "Yeah! Right!"
I told them that after the class we would stop by the shop and I'd show them. When we ran the rails the brand new bar had rails that were uneven and thinner on one side than the other. From that point on I started checking the bars I bought.
Proper maintainance is just another part of being professional in your work. If your tools aren't in good shape, generally neither is your work.
Good thread.

By the way....if you ever want to sell that BarShop, I'd be a willing buyer!

 

[madhatte]

i don't work all the saw's that i take care of. so some times i find a few suprizes.

That's probably 3/4 of my maintenance right there. Why will they never listen?

 

[nw axe man]

By the way....if you ever want to sell that BarShop, I'd be a willing buyer!

You know, I haven't cut commercially since 94, but I use that thing almost every week. I still cut a lot of hazard trees when I can plus trees for myself, but my shop is kind of the local go to for my community as there's no saw shop for 70 miles in the nearest direction. Last week I was at the mill helping a guy with his round grinder get set up so they wouldn't have to file those "ironed" out chains in the mill. When I saw one of the bars on the saws I told him that I should probably take a look at the rest of them. They had 4 that the flaring on the edges of the bars were so bad that if they'd been bucking logs instead of boards they'd have gotten hung up the first little bind they encountered. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything so bad in my life. I took him and the bars to my shop and took care of them in about 20 minutes. It just reaffirms in my mind that most people never even consider maintaining their bars. They just take it to a shop and "Oh my, you need a new bar".
If ever I decide to sell, you'll be first in line. But for now, there's no way I could do without it. I've thought about starting a saw shop here in the valley. My dad and uncle had a Stihl shop here in the last sixties/early seventies but was run into the ground by the guy they had working it. Pocketing the cash that came into the shop is a good way to go broke.
I think the most used part of that bar shop is the emery wheel. That 80 grit paper really takes down steel, even wood on axe handles really fast. Great for putting a quick edge on an axe or even my baler knives. No, there's just no way I could do without that thing.

 

[coastalfaller]

You know, I haven't cut commercially since 94, but I use that thing almost every week. I still cut a lot of hazard trees when I can plus trees for myself, but my shop is kind of the local go to for my community as there's no saw shop for 70 miles in the nearest direction. Last week I was at the mill helping a guy with his round grinder get set up so they wouldn't have to file those "ironed" out chains in the mill. When I saw one of the bars on the saws I told him that I should probably take a look at the rest of them. They had 4 that the flaring on the edges of the bars were so bad that if they'd been bucking logs instead of boards they'd have gotten hung up the first little bind they encountered. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything so bad in my life. I took him and the bars to my shop and took care of them in about 20 minutes. It just reaffirms in my mind that most people never even consider maintaining their bars. They just take it to a shop and "Oh my, you need a new bar".
If ever I decide to sell, you'll be first in line. But for now, there's no way I could do without it. I've thought about starting a saw shop here in the valley. My dad and uncle had a Stihl shop here in the last sixties/early seventies but was run into the ground by the guy they had working it. Pocketing the cash that came into the shop is a good way to go broke.
I think the most used part of that bar shop is the emery wheel. That 80 grit paper really takes down steel, even wood on axe handles really fast. Great for putting a quick edge on an axe or even my baler knives. No, there's just no way I could do without that thing.

Absolutely, I totally agree. Bar maintenance is key, especially with longer bars. I appreciate the first in line! Thank you. Those really are the cats meow! It does seem like good shops are harder and harder to come by these days too. Good luck if you decide to go that route, with your experience and attitude I'm sure you will make it a success!

 

[Samlock]

Usually I do some filing and untighten the chain. Few drops of oil in the roller, maybe turn the bar up side down. Especially in the winter I take the air filter inside over night. The last tank of the day I run, not all dry but almost, and pour the last drop of the gas to the ground (and try not to throw a burning match or a ciggie on the very same spot). Water is heavier than gas and it tends to condense to the bottom of the gas tank during the day.