Facing a chainsaw bar

[Buzz 880]

I usually use a Sharpie and first draw the eyes on either side of the bar by the bar's nose. I then finish with a angry looking mouth. I guess you could face it other ways, but that always works for me.

Honestly I just use a big bastard file, put the bar in a vise, and try my best to keep the file level. After I finish the surfaces perpendicular to the bar, I file the edges off at a steep angle and usually finish by running all the edges across my stiff wire wheel on my bench grinder. I then use a jigsaw blade to clean out all the grooves thoroughly, and a toothpick to clean out the oil holes.

Welcome to the site. As you can see, some feedback is more useful than others.

Try using a old bottle cap opener on a jacknife to clean the grooves and the oil holes i find that it fits just right and works real good to.

 

[SawTroll]

If you use the raker file when appropriate, and turn them over often enough, there probably never will be any real need to use mashinery to keep the bars up to snuff........

When using the file, start allmost parallell to the sides, and gradually go closer to across the rail, but never 100% across, until the wire edges are gone. A slightly rounded off edge does not interfere with function in any way.......:biggrinbounce2:

 

[rbtree]

If you use the raker file when appropriate, and turn them over often enough, there probably never will be any real need to use mashinery to keep the bars up to snuff........

:

Add to that doing proper chain sharpening....

But don't forget bar groove wear. That where regrooving comes into play. My rebuilt bars are now about as good as new.

 

[BIGBORE577]

For simple repairs, the Pferd tool works well to keep the rails square. I also have a Silvey bar rail closer, which is hard to use, and does a poor job. But recently, I had these guys rejuvenate 13 bars. http://www.chainbar.com/ They make sure the bars are straight, then squeeze the rails together and regroove them. This results in a bar groove that is as good as new, unlike the job the cheapo tool does. I paid $130 for the 13 bars, from a low of $7 to a high of 13, in lengths from 20-36 inches. They also burnish them to a nice looking polished finish. I delivered them to their Portland, Oregon shop and picked them up, so that saved a bunch on shipping.....

I've used them also. Seem's to be a bargain to me with the amount of work they do vs. cost. They charge their actual shipping charges also which makes it nice for those that don't live close by.

 

[SawTroll]

Add to that doing proper chain sharpening....

But don't forget bar groove wear. That where regrooving comes into play. My rebuilt bars are now about as good as new.

Do you mean regrooving a .050 bar to .058, or a .058 to .063, or what.....

I have used .063 chain in "worn out" .058 bars - it works (sort of) for steight down cutting on a sawbuck, but not for much else - they tend to be more V than U shaped, at that stage.....:chainsawguy:

 

[beelsr]

Do you mean regrooving a .050 bar to .058, or a .058 to .063, or what.....

I have used .063 chain in "worn out" .058 bars - it works (sort of) for steight down cutting on a sawbuck, but not for much else - they tend to be more V than U shaped, at that stage.....:chainsawguy:

my read on what roger means is that they deepened the grooves back to the "new" depth. So, you'd end up with a bar that haszero-wear on the bar rails but is a little less "belly" on it...

 

[Gypo Logger]

What grit pad do you use?

Hi Dan, any grit is good, because it soon gets clogged with paint, oil etc, but that's ok cause the pad still retains enough abrasive action to do what it needs to do. You just need to press a bit harder as the disc gets clogged.
Then just change it out. It's not a matter of moving metal, but rather just dressing off any real or imagined wire edge. This method will keep the bar up to snuff. I've never had any bar rail squaring issues. Beating up too severely on the bar rails just means the drive links will prematurely bottom out in the bar groove. When all moving parts are doing there job everything marries together.
Aren't you glad you asked? lol
John

 

[Tree Sling'r]

I use a Silvey rail squeezer and a Silvey bar rail grinder. Do mine and everyone elses. If they are at all bent I use dead blow or steel hammer on a 6ft piece of I beam, excellent for tip rivets too.

 

[Mad Professor]

Try using a old bottle cap opener on a jacknife to clean the grooves and the oil holes i find that it fits just right and works real good to.

I take a piece of coat hanger wire and rap it with a hammer on an anvil until about a 1/2 inch is "groove width". Cut the wire to a handy length and you are good to go. If you are in the field, barb wire or other fencing and a couple of rocks will substitute as materials/tools.

For bar edge I dress with a large flat file for touch up. For nasty wavy stuff, I have a flat circular grinder that has a aluminum oxide wheel and runs in a water bath ($20 tag sale find....). Using a 90 degree fence I can get things near to new, flat and square.

 

[DGG]

I run a two-sided sharpening stone around the edges using the fine grit side of the sharpening stone. This quickly removes any small burrs. I also use it to level the edges where the chain rides if they look out of line. It's easy and keeps the proper flat shape of the side of the bar! You can get a double-sided stone at just about any hardware store for $10 or less. It's also good for all type of knives, axes, etc. The 2" x 8" or 6" is a good size to get.

http://www.eclyons.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=113

I carry a small screwdriver to run down the inside of the groove to get out the caked crud.

 

[SawTroll]

Add to that doing proper chain sharpening....

But don't forget bar groove wear. That where regrooving comes into play. My rebuilt bars are now about as good as new.

That sounds really cool! :rockn:

Sorry, I missed the point at first, but understand it now.....

 

[DGG]

Originally Posted by rbtree
Add to that doing proper chain sharpening....
But don't forget bar groove wear. That where regrooving comes into play. My rebuilt bars are now about as good as new.



I usually replace the bar and rim sprocket/needle bearing after the second or third chain replacement so groove wear hasn't been an issue so far. Anyone else do this?

 

[sILlogger]

Originally Posted by rbtree
Add to that doing proper chain sharpening....
But don't forget bar groove wear. That where regrooving comes into play. My rebuilt bars are now about as good as new.



I usually replace the bar and rim sprocket/needle bearing after the second or third chain replacement so groove wear hasn't been an issue so far. Anyone else do this?

sounds like overkill to me

 

[Tree Sling'r]

sounds like overkill to me

+1

 

[DGG]

sounds like overkill to me

Sil and Tree-

I'm not using a "pro" quality bar. Mine are "Farm Tough" (whatever that means). After wearing out a couple/three of the chains, with who knows how many sharpenings, I figure a few dollars for a new bar, bearings, and rim clutch is cheap and easy maintenance (and better than possibly slinging a chain while working). I rotate/flip the bar between sharpenings and face it if it starts to build a burr.

How do you handle bar replacements? When do you replace the bar? And why do you replace it?

Like I said before I'm not a pro and don't use that quality of equipment (drool-).

 

[rbtree]

Originally Posted by rbtree
Add to that doing proper chain sharpening....
But don't forget bar groove wear. That where regrooving comes into play. My rebuilt bars are now about as good as new.



I usually replace the bar and rim sprocket/needle bearing after the second or third chain replacement so groove wear hasn't been an issue so far. Anyone else do this?

Why? Bars are expensive. It cost me about 20% as much as new bars to get mine repaired. Also, I get a lot more than 3 chains worth of use out of a bar before its time for work.

 

[bump_r]

I usually use a Sharpie and first draw the eyes on either side of the bar by the bar's nose. I then finish with a angry looking mouth. I guess you could face it other ways, but that always works for me.

Honestly I just use a big bastard file, put the bar in a vise, and try my best to keep the file level. After I finish the surfaces perpendicular to the bar, I file the edges off at a steep angle and usually finish by running all the edges across my stiff wire wheel on my bench grinder. I then use a jigsaw blade to clean out all the grooves thoroughly, and a toothpick to clean out the oil holes.

Welcome to the site. As you can see, some feedback is more useful than others.

Huh, I didn't know we could say "big bastard" on here... This could get fun.

Either way, that first paragraph was killer!

As for maintaining my bars, I just hit the burs with a big (just plain big...) flat file when there is a perceptable burr. I've not yet run into rail height issues, I'd have to go with the bench mounted disc sander method, I'm sure.

 

[shawn.m]

I also blow out the rails, oil hole with a air gun nozzle from my air compressor and grease the nose every time I swap out a chain.
I used to not blow out the rail and had to get two bars resurfaced and squeezed. My local Ace Hardware did the work for $8 or $10 which is pretty cheap.

However, I will say a lot of my cutting is stacked wood log piles after clearing. So I end up with a lot of dirt hitting my chain.

 

[RiverRat2]

Rb??????

For simple repairs, the Pferd tool works well to keep the rails square. I also have a Silvey bar rail closer, which is hard to use, and does a poor job. But recently, I had these guys rejuvenate 13 bars. http://www.chainbar.com/ They make sure the bars are straight, then squeeze the rails together and regroove them. This results in a bar groove that is as good as new, unlike the job the cheapo tool does. I paid $130 for the 13 bars, from a low of $7 to a high of 13, in lengths from 20-36 inches. They also burnish them to a nice looking polished finish. I delivered them to their Portland, Oregon shop and picked them up, so that saved a bunch on shipping.....

How did you save any money driving all the way to Portland vs. shipping????

Inquiring minds want to know?????????????

 

[rbtree]

How did you save any money driving all the way to Portland vs. shipping????

Inquiring minds want to know?????????????

Strips bars on every corner?

Ummmm, I've family there.....