Drilling a Chainsaw Bar

[nas]

I think I woud BBQ it....  still tryin to figure out how long it'll take and what flavour of wood to use...  ;D  :D

Brad.

Ironwood?

[woodsrunner]

I've done this very thing for my CSM. I had some folks on another forum tell me all these tricks to drill the bar. :D Everyone kept telling me you had to drill the hole thru the center of the bar sprocket. DON"T DO IT THAT WAY. I have yet to understand why everyone thinks that is the way to do it. This forces you to try to drill a hole thru the center of the sprocket bearing. Bearings are very hard. Why fight with it? Drill the hole behind the sprocket thru the bar only. Much easier.
You may lose a couple of inches of bar length for your csm, but, so what? Work smarter, not harder. ;)
Scott

[btmsx]

I wonder if you could punch one through there with a 30/06?  ;D

I know a toungstun core AP .50 BMG round will do it. Shot 3 in an old 24" husky bar at 50yrds.

[jpgreen]

These will drill through the bar like butter:

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=48&PMCTLG=00

Very slow RPM with cutting oil.

[woodsrunner]

Thanks for the link!

Scott

[shinnlinger]

I drilled my bar a few years ago and didn't have the benefit of all this insight.  I turned the drill press to 4700 and burnt thru 5 bits or so making a oblong hole.  At the time, I thought that was just how it is as everyone says it is tough, but feel like an idiot now.

[jpgreen]

Nothing that we all have had to learn at some point.

Drilling steel- always slowest RPM possible, with the most pressure possible until near the bottom of the hole, then lighten up as you break through so your bit doesn't get stuck.

Use cutting oil and a sharp bit. The goal is to get a nice continous chip feed on both sides of the bit.

Your bits will last for years this way.

[jpgreen]

Really you should not have to use a carbide bit on a bar. A sharp HSS bit will work fine.

Another tip on drilling steel for a deep hole, or blind hole is to not let chips build up. Clear the chips by bringing up the bit as soon as the flutes load up, or start to load up.

Chips- will make your bit "walk", and throw your hole off even a few thousands. Criticle for precision machining, but not for general stuff.

Center punch your spot first.