The Forestry Forum

Hi all.  I have been running my Alaskan set up for several years and it has started to dive into the log, causing a binding thing and I cant figure out what the problem is.  Ive, changed bars, changed chains, tried a few different filing techniques.  Tried filing the sides of the rakers so the chain teeth will be able to cut a bit more on the sides.   Still diving.  Anyone else had this issue??

Your bar may be worn out, meaning worn wider at the bottom of the groove than at the top of the groove.

Any bar that has been run awhile during diving or climbing is going to get worn like this.

Ways to measure this are 1) to put a piece of new chain in the bar and see if it rocks side to side.  Or 2) put together feeler gauges same as your groove (0.050, 0.058 or 0.063 as the case may be) and see how much those tilt when in the groove.  But you won't know how much extra  "slop" in these measurements there is unless you have a new bar and a piece of new chain to compare.

But the best to understand whether bar wear is the problem is 3) to take a new bar and new chain run tight and see how it cuts by comparison.  Or to use a side of a bar that has never been used before, but then would you be sure that side wasn't used before.  

Once one does any amount of milling where the saw is run in a diving mode IMO the bar has been compromised.  Don't run in the milling mode when you feel that the chain has to cock sideways a bit to keep cutting