chainsaw cuts left and right..

[primal1]

Hello everybody, been a while since i was active here but schools done and work is under control
I recently acquired a Stihl 038 Magnum chainsaw, 25" bar and a compression switch installed(fortunately!).. saw starts like a dream and is a powerhouse compared to my trusty old Homelite d3300(it has been good to me regardless LOL).

Whats happening with the Stihl is it's cutting beautifully and throwing big chips but the tip cuts to the right while the base(nearest me) cuts to the left until finally it bogs down enough to stop cutting.
After sharpening(4 passes per tooth left and right side), tip cuts dead straight but base still cuts left and bogs.. both times roughly 5" into 16" dead elm log.

1. the bar looks dead straight and chain sits in track firmly(no wear on bar)
2. bar does not heat up
3. chain is not loose nor too tight

Just wanted to get some thoughts before i over sharpen as i have never really used a saw this size. Also straight cuts are what i need as i am turning some of the wood into table tops and other decorative works.. i know i will probably need and be better off with a mill chain but no money for that yet... but so can't wait to cut a real slab:P
Thanks!

[DaleK]

Is the oiler working right? I had one not long ago that was doing something similar, chain looked ok but I noticed the teeth on one side were getting a lot hotter than the other. Turned out one side of the chain wasn't getting enough oil and the other was getting too much. Replaced the oil line and it works good now. Did you try flipping the bar?

[idahodave]

I seem to remember a similar problem that was caused by wear on the drive gear for the chain. Look for a groove.

[Travis in Louisiana]

This has been talked about before. You can go to the right top side of this forum page and put in the forum search "chainsaw sharpening" read the 5th one down. I did put the link to the site below so it may work.


I have a chain saw question..

[primal1]

Thought about flipping the bar but figured since there was no visible wear i'd leave it alone. Is manually rotating and feeling the chain enough to tell if the oil is flowing ok?
I will open it up tonight and check for wear.
thanks so much!

[primal1]

Thanks Travis, i didn't search sharpening because i had already convinced myself it was something else(after many google searches).. i will flip the bar for sure.
I am also right handed so i may need to do the double filing on the left side that was suggested by Sugarbush... update tomorrow i hope.. thanks

[Travis in Louisiana]

Also, if the grove in the bar, where the chain runs, gets opened up, the chain will tend to lay down. This grove needs to be real close to the chain, but not pinching it.

[davel745]

My chain isn't sharpened to evenly as far as tooth length but it cuts true. The angle at the top of the tooth and the hook are important if these are constant then it should cut straight. And of course all are super sharp.

[primal1]

Ok, flipped the bar and did a good cleaning.. the track where the chain sits has no wear at all and isn't pinching the chain, in fact it looks new and shiny and knowing the guy I got the saw from it probably is.
Oil seems to be flowing ok but really hard to tell if it is hitting both sets of teeth, except for the fact that gas and oil are both half full and we always fill both at the same time.

@DAVEL745
I think my teeth are chisel(easies to sharpen??) and i do have the right file and i was extremely careful and attentive.. anyhow it's too dark to test it tonight so i'll see in the morning if it's not too cold! HAHA

[foxtrapper]

Doesn't take much wear to let a chain start twisting in the bar. Mighty hard to detect by just eyeballing and admiring shinnyness. From a widened track to a thinned chain to uneven rails.

Sharpening by hand pretty much ensured unevenness, even in the most skilled of users. You will sharpen one way doing one side, and a different way doing the other side. Nothing wrong with hand sharpening, but there is a reason to use a grinder occassionally to ensure evenness.

Don't flip a bar frequently and regularly, and you'll pretty much guarantee wear problems. In no small measure due to the gunk that builds up in the track screwing up oiling.

Oil is cheap, bars and chains aren't. Yet many people run too little oil trying to save money. If you can't see the oil spray off the holding the saw up against a piece of wood, it's not enough oil flow.

Longer bars need more oil.

[primal1]

Oh i'm pretty good about taking care of my tools properly and for sure if i'm not able to correct the problem soon I will take it in.. thats how my little homelite has lasted since i bought it new about 15 years ago.
Great tip about oil foxtrapper thanks!

[haypoint]

I cut a lot of big hardwoods and I must have a sharp chain. After lots f failed attempts to sharpen the chain wwith the correct sized file, I discovered that after the chain was sharpened in town at the dealer, it would cut good. So, I bought a nice Oregon sharpener, bolted to the work bench. Haven't had trouble since.
When filing, if you press a bit harder on one side than the other, or you have a different angle, you'll start " carving bowls" with your saw.
Good to have a spare chain. See if a new chain solves the problem.
Harbor Freight sells a work bench chainsaw sharpener for around $30.

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by haypoint

When filing, if you press a bit harder on one side than the other, or you have a different angle, you'll start " carving bowls" with your saw.

It's not an angle problem. If you file one side more than the other, one side is cutting bigger chips than the other side. The reason why one side is cutting bigger chips is because the vertical distance between the top of the cutting tooth and the raker is bigger on the side that is sharpened more. Thus, the saw will "pull" to the side that is cutting bigger chips.

[primal1]

I'm glad i sharpened anyway because at least if i bring it in they can tell me how bad I did:P
I tried to buy a file with guides but nobody had any in stock around here so a hand held is the best i could do. I do have a lot of experience with detailed work, touch and a pretty good eye so i hope i can get it right with practice.

[foxtrapper]

Uneven depth is certainly a cause of uneven pull, but it is only one cause. Change the angle of the teeth, the quality of the edge, and several other factors, and you can and will cause the chain to cut unevenly.

People will work a file differently when doing the left side of the bar, as compared to the right side. It's just going to happen. As well just the general wobbling of the file and overall inconsistency.

My semi-fix for that was to remember I had one of these squirreled away.


With this I am much more consistent in my hand sharpening. Might be a little bit faster too.

That and touching up the chain every tank or two of gas, and flipping the bar every day, and cleaning the saw thoroughly every day.

Chainsaws are maintenance intensive. Doesn't take long to do the maintenance, but forego it at your detriment.

[primal1]

Thats the tool i was looking for foxtrapper, i will get one soon and it's small enough to go in with my lunch and coffee when i head to the bush.
I did make progress though, I have a feeling that because of the saws weight difference from my little Homelite i am just not giving it enough support.. Supporting it more i was able to get these two cuts and now know that the right side needs more sharpening... unless i am reading it wrong lol...

[Cabin Fever]

If your saw is pulling to the left, it could be that side is cutting bigger chips due to a difference in height between the raker and top of the cutting tooth. In other words, both sides may be very sharp, a difference in raker height will cause the saw to pull to the side that is cutting bigger chips.

This is the tool I use to sharper my chains, it has two files: a round and a flat file. While it sharpens the cutting tooth with the round file it is also filing the raker with the flat file. By using this tool, the chips cut by both sides of the saw are identical and thus the saw cuts straight.

[primal1]

That is sounding like the problem, when you take it in for sharpening do they automatically do the rakers? I will try to go next week to get it done and buy the proper tool.. maybe even a milling chain if i can
Thanks for all the guidance!

[haypoint]

I'm a skilled machinist and carpenter, and I've operated a chainsaw a lot more than most. But, I must admit I never got good at sharpening a chain on the bar. I've tried just a file. I've tried the bracket to hold the file. I've tried the device that bolts to the bar. Never came close to the feel of a new chain, until I bought a bench mounted sharpener with a thin grinding wheel.
Most shops won't touch the raker teeth unless you request it. The heighth of the rakers depends on what you are cutting and the power of your saw and your skill.
If I were cutting small pine with a big saw, I can stand for the teeth to grab big chunks of wood. If I were cutting big trees with a smaller saw, I'd get tired of the chain grabbing and stopping all the time.
As the teeth wear, the raker teeth need to be ground down keeping the chip thickness uniform. File off too much raker tooth and the saw will bite into the wood and stop. If the raker teeth are not uniform, the chain will grab and bounce, throwing both big and little teeth. A sharp chain with long raker teeth will only produce dust.
My MS 361 Stihl will handle a chain that has rakers filed to throw big chips, but in unskilled hands, it'll get away from them.
I don't know what that gizmo that bolts to the bar costs, but a bottom of the line bench mount Harbor Freight chainsaw sharpener works best for me at $29.95.

[primal1]

Thanks haypoint, thats interesting because i did feel it grabbing somewhat but figured it is elm.. i gave the shop a call and i will go in next week, i will take the spare chains with me for inspection. I'd like to be able to sharpen by hand and since i have a few chains i don't mind the practice.

I also asked them if the had a milling/ripping chain(for pricing) but they said no they modify regular chains.. is this possible?? The tech insisted it works but didn't elaborate on what they did. anybody know if this is worth a shot?