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Cant cut past 1-2"

Started by metalman1, November 12, 2020, 06:20:46 PM

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metalman1

People,

Poulan saw, 16" bar, 22 years old. original bar. Chain is kept sharp by hand/file, but geez, when the saw cuts into about 2" of oak, it stops cutting. It just stops, Engine is strong, and revs fine, but saw wont proceed to cut through the rest of the log. Is this a symptom of a bad /worn bar? other?

Thanks, people. 

doc henderson

maybe the chain is too tight, or the motor revs, but has no power?  and you are sure the chain is sharp?  may be time for a carb rebuild.  hard to say with this info.  may need to take it to a shop.  does the motor bog, does it just sound like the chain wont turn like if the chain brake is on.  do you use it a lot or a little over 22 years?  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Tacotodd

Have you tried any other species of wood? Try a new chain. Pictures of the chain and clutch might help. Does the saw slow down in RPM at all? To many questions, we need more details.
Trying harder everyday.

Don P

Feel the bottom edge of the bar, have you rolled out a burr along the lower face? If so remove the bar and file the burr off so the face is smooth. If you've been flipping the bar it would prolly have a burr on the other edge as well. I got a saw cheap off ebay that "runs good but won't cut". 5 minutes of burr removal and I was good to go  :D.

btulloh

Do you file the depth gauges when you sharpen?  Filing the cutters and not the depth gauges will make the chain cut less and less every time you sharpen. 
HM126

fossil

It can also happen if the inside of the bar rails are excessively worn allowing the chain to rock sideway.

Try holding a straight edge against the bar and the outside of a cutter. if the straight edge can be pushed against the bar and the cutter so it's flat against the bar, there's too much play.

From the Madsen's site.



Tim

John Mc

My bet: your bar rails are worn unevenly and/or your chain is improperly sharpened. Either one will tend to make your saw cut in a curve. Once you get deep enough into the cut, you are trying to jm a straight bar into a curved cut. It's a similar thing to trying to cut too sharp a curve with a jig saw.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

metalman1

Wow, so many good tips! Yes, it may be cutting on a curve, I noticed. I will try the ruler test. And I have always cut oak. Use the saw 2 x a year. Engine still revs. Has a bit of power loss, but normally not a problem as I cut slowly. I will let yous know what happens!!

metalman1

OK, put a straight edge against the bar like in the drawing, and it is straight as in the 2nd example, meaning, the bar must have severe wear. Right? The rakers are a tad lower than the top of the tooth, about 1 mm, which when compared to another saw a buddy has (new chain/bar), is about the same. Teeth could use a touch up for sharpness, but I think the worst situation is the worn bar. I think I might buy a new bar. 

Thanks, people. 

mike_belben

My bet, its exactly what fossil posted.  The bar kerf has probably worn or opened up.  
Praise The Lord

esteadle

I think it's the rakers that need to be filed. 

metalman1

Wow, turned out that I has a spare chain sitting around, almost new, and slung it on and geez, saw cuts like new!!! Cant believe it! All the ideas were very helpful, just the same, guess the bar is still good and I threw out the bad chain! Thanks, people. 22 year old junky Poulan, still working!

doc henderson

great differential diagnosis guys.  glad you are back up and running.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

metalman1

Quote from: doc henderson on November 17, 2020, 07:32:14 PM
great differential diagnosis guys.  glad you are back up and running.
Thanks, Doc! You guys are great!

John Mc

Quote from: metalman1 on November 17, 2020, 07:08:54 PM
Wow, turned out that I has a spare chain sitting around, almost new, and slung it on and geez, saw cuts like new!!! Cant believe it! All the ideas were very helpful, just the same, guess the bar is still good and I threw out the bad chain! Thanks, people. 22 year old junky Poulan, still working!
That indicates that the original chain was not sharpened properly. When sharpened correctly, a chain should keep cutting well even when it has been resharpened all the way back to the witness marks on the cutters (i.e. when the cutter looks like not much more than a little triangle, when viewed from above).
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

mike_belben

Yup.  It wasnt the chain.  It was the owner. 

;)  


Youll figure it out in time.  I havent put the chain on backwards in a while, so theres hope for you too. 
Praise The Lord

John Mc

Quote from: mike_belben on November 19, 2020, 07:25:15 PM
Yup.  It wasnt the chain.  It was the owner.

Was that really necessary?
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

mredden

OP just needs to learn to file his rakers. Probably threw away a good chain that needed PROPER sharpening.

LeeB

Had to go digging to find this thread. Yesterday I started experiencing the same issue, and yes, I know how to sharpen a chain and the rakers. When the chain stops cutting it stops cold almost like something is holding the chain out of the cut. I can lift the bar up and restart and it will start to cut again. Haven't checked the bar yet but it is plenty old and I suspect possibly very worn. Could well be the chain too. It started after I cut off a stump at ground level. The chain did get pretty loose. I resharpened it and tightened it back up. Went to cut some firewood and thats when it stated not cutting all the way through. Will post the outcome of my troubleshooting.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Tacotodd

Quote from: LeeB on March 21, 2021, 08:57:06 AM
Had to go digging to find this thread. Yesterday I started experiencing the same issue, and yes, I know how to sharpen a chain and the rakers. When the chain stops cutting it stops cold almost like something is holding the chain out of the cut. I can lift the bar up and restart and it will start to cut again. Haven't checked the bar yet but it is plenty old and I suspect possibly very worn. Could well be the chain too. It started after I cut off a stump at ground level. The chain did get pretty loose. I resharpened it and tightened it back up. Went to cut some firewood and thats when it stated not cutting all the way through. Will post the outcome of my troubleshooting.
I wouldn't doubt it that when you pull the b/c off and start your check that it's a little gritty. Dirt is a good grinding agent in it's own right. Lee, I know I'm not saying something that you don't already know.
BUT, besides the undue wear to only one rail of the bar, the chain might have some wear on the one side as well. Both cutter AND rail side. Rare, but it's happened to me. And it REALLY exacerbates the issue. The reason why I know, well let's just say that I was there in my "younger" days with a saw. Not "just" younger, but less intelligent.
It was a hard row to hoe! BUT, I'm still "Trying Harder Everyday!"
Trying harder everyday.

LeeB

It was most definitely the bar. I compared upside a new bar and the visual immediately told the story. Being the cheapskate that I am, I hammered the bar kerf back in and will try to get a little more life out of it. I mean heck, it's only 15 years old.  :D :D :D :D
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

DHansen

Get every penny out of the bar!

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