Is this bar still good?

[marc2000gt]

My son got the bar hot on one of my saws. The chain runs on it ok, but I have never had one with all the rivets showing like that. Also you can see it is blue where it got hot. Is the bar usable or does it need replaced?

 

[MacAttack]

First thing I'd do is check and make sure the chain isn't too tight. You should be able to pull the chain away from the bar and see the drivers. It should turn freely / easily with the saw off.

I've never personally had a bar get that hot, even when it wasn't getting enough oil.

 

[ballisticdoughnut]

That bar is fine. Discoloration is due to induction hardening of the rails as part of the manufacturing process.

 

[marc2000gt]

Thank you. I figured it was ok, the sprocket still turns smoothly. I just wanted a second opinion.

 

[lone wolf]

It would help to see pics of it with the chain off and looking at the groove.

 

[Mad Professor]

^^^ This

When you smoke a bar like that it usually needs to be dressed.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Did you ask your son what he did to get the bar that hot? If so, what did he say? Mad Professor is correct. That bar needs to be redressed.

 

[SteveSr]

Thank you. I figured it was ok, the sprocket still turns smoothly. I just wanted a second opinion.

The bar needs to be dressed with the proper right angle file jig. You also need to check the width of the bar groove with feeler gauges to see how much it has been widened.

 

[heimannm]

The blueing is typical of Stihl bars from their manufacturing process. It is possible that the rails need to be ground or closed, but the blue is quite normal; you will find that on a new bar if you look under the paint.

Mark

 

[FXJenkins]

broke in....

 

[moxiemaul]

When I've smoked a bar to the point of burning the paint its usually down at the sprocket...

 

[Sidecarflip]

Lots of miles on that bar and not a helluva lot of rock left on it either. Rock is what presents the cutters to the wood at the angle to allow them to cut efficiently. A flat bar (little to no rock) causes even a sharp loop to cut poorly. Easily fixable on a flat plate abrasive grinder however, so long as the drive tangs don't hit the bottom of the channel.

 

[stihltech]

Read the posts. Normal foe a Stihl laminated bar. Dress the rails and keep going.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Agreed, not overheated but run too long on one side. The bottom needs dressed for sure. Turn the bar over now and then. The cutters look pretty good.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Any bar with little to no rock will always cut poorly no matter how sharp the cutters are.

 

[dwaugh]

Any bar with little to no rock will always cut poorly no matter how sharp the cutters are.

What is "rock" in terms of a bar? Not a term I have heard before.

 

[Sidecarflip]

What is "rock" in terms of a bar? Not a term I have heard before.

If a bar is FLAT on the top or bottom, the flat surface won't present the cutter properly and as a bar wears, it looses it's rock and rock is the term that describes the radius of the bar from one end to the other. The older any bar gets, the flatter it becomes and why it's prudent to flip the bar over every time you put on a new loop. Hold up a new bar and look at it and you'll see the rock in it.

 

[dwaugh]

If a bar is FLAT on the top or bottom, the flat surface won't present the cutter properly and as a bar wears, it looses it's rock and rock is the term that describes the radius of the bar from one end to the other. The older any bar gets, the flatter it becomes and why it's prudent to flip the bar over every time you put on a new loop. Hold up a new bar and look at it and you'll see the rock in it.

Thanks, that makes sense. I suppose dressing the bar to remove burrs in the center would also flatten things over time.

 

[Sidecarflip]

yes, it will. I only use my saws infrequently so it's not an issue with me, though I have 'dressed' the bar on my ancient 028 as it gets used a lot. I do it on the 12" PSA disc grinder in the shop, by eyeball of course. I find myself using the 028 more than my other saws. It's only old enough to vote and then some. Bought it new when I was in my early 20's and I'm 73 now. Bought the 075 and the 090 at the same time and neither of those get used today. Just shelf queens now.

Bought all 3 when I owned and operated a tree removal and trimming business in Ohio, many years ago. Owned a couple bucket trucks and a couple chippers and a stump grinder as well. A messy divorce took care of that business. Even owned a terrible Poulan with a wide bar just for bucking big trunks. That saw was a POS.

I live and farm in Michigan now.

Why Michigan? My attorney told me to move here because Ohio and Michigan has no reciprocity with each other when it comes to messy divorces and alimony. So I left. Glad I did too.

Now, I'm a 'pillar' in the community and I never discuss the past.