Thread: Any tips leveling bar rails?

Originally Posted by Mathuranatha

G,day fellers , anyone got any tips on getting the rails on chainsaw bars level ?Sometimes the rails get uneven and the saw starts cutting in a curve docking thicker logs .

Most of the saws I have seen with this problem it has not been the rails. It's been wrong gauge chain for the bar. if the bar can stand up without any support on the rails its not the rails.

Anyone has got a better option than angle grinding or filing the bar free hand . Thinking about putting a metal friction blade in a table saw [if the revs and shaft size are compatible] and running it past that to get the rails at exactly 90 degrees ?

That's what I do. I don't do it at 90º I do it at about 89º and make sure the bar is moving at all times.

bob why 89*?

i think you will find that the problem is the bar grove is worn wide allowing the chain to lay sideways.

even a very worn bar will cut straight if the chain is good.

i dress my bar by hand with the angle grinder with a flap sander disk on it.

a bench mounted disk sander works well also.

Originally Posted by weisyboy

bob why 89*?

Sorry- I misunderstood what Mathuranatha was saying.
I do let the bar sit flat on the table of the table saw so it is at 90º
What I meant to say was I don't hold the bar parallel to the cutting disc but angle the bar slightly away from the disc on the trailing side of the bar. This is because I slightly rotate the bar as I pass it by the disc and it is possible for the leading edge of the disc to nip into the bar - so keeping the leading edge of the disc just slightly away from the bar.

i think you will find that the problem is the bar grove is worn wide allowing the chain to lay sideways.

That will also do it

i dress my bar by hand with the angle grinder with a flap sander disk on it.
a bench mounted disk sander works well also.

Disk sander works great but I can't hold the angle grinder at right angles enough. The flap sander also slightly rounds the edges of the rail which has some pluses and minuses.

Its a common problem caused by using a dull chain too long or the oil feed is too low, makes the chain stretch also. Once it starts it can wear the bar groove more on one side than the other if forcing the cut. A table saw mounted disc is not really recommended unless its a grinding & not a cutting disc (side grinding on a cutting disc will make it shatter if the reinforcing fibres are damaged too much)
To dress the bar I just use a disc sander with a rest at 90' to the face & then I have a bar rail closer to close the rails to a nice fit to the chain. If the bar rails are worn excessivly more on one side than the other you might have to ditch the bar & chain & start again with new.
regards inter

Slight deviation but I'll ask the question anyways... what angle is anyone using for their skip tooth chains for slabbing on their lucas or other mill?Pine and hardwoods, same angle or different?
Cheers all.

15* is good for me.

Originally Posted by InterTD6

A table saw mounted disc is not really recommended unless its a grinding & not a cutting disc (side grinding on a cutting disc will make it shatter if the reinforcing fibres are damaged too much)

I agree with this if it is a thick large diameter blade ised in an angle grinder .

However, the danger is relatively minor when using 5" or less diameter and 1.6 mm or less thickness discs in a table saw. I've used hundreds of these thin kerf cutting discs for many years on my old table saw and use them to cut bar and sheet metal and yes, I even use their sides for very light grinding . It's amazing how much they can flex before they break. I've chipped and broken dozens of these discs but it's no drama when this happens. It's not like an angle grinder since it's not running at 11,000 rpm but just 3000 rpm. Based on these RPM differences the latter will only 7% of the centrifugal force of the former. I still wouldn't want to get a piece in my eye but when a chip breaks off the disc or even the disc shatters the pieces are so light the air slows them down real quick and they create a mosquito like sting on bare skin and they don't even raise blood if they make contact after traveling about 1/2 a metre. A full face mask (which I wear for all grinding) is all one needs for using these discs in this situation.

It's because these thin cutting discs can flex so much without breaking and are not very aggressive at grinding that makes them suitable for CS bar rail grinding I find regular grinding discs are a bit aggressive for this task and also leave a rough finish. For my bigger bars I use an 8" x 2.4 mm thick cut off wheel and only apply a very light side pressure, I've had the same disc for 3 years and it looks like it's never been used.

I don't recommend using cut off wheels for regular grinding but in the case of CS bars I think the smaller ones work very well at table saw rpms.

I just use a disc sander but one local dealer used a combination disc sander belt sander and used the belt ! wasnt relly keen on this , its ok if you have plenty of depth in the groove . if you keep chains tight and sharp you dont have to do it very often though . cheers

Originally Posted by comgreserv

Slight deviation but I'll ask the question anyways... what angle is anyone using for their skip tooth chains for slabbing on their lucas or other mill?Pine and hardwoods, same angle or different?
Cheers all.

SWD & HWD, 10 degrees, sparp chains & correctly set depth gauges are the key to good cutting, simply done with a carlton file o plate.
regards inter

Just put a metal blade on the table saw and it works really well .Nice level rails in no time .should have done it years ago

Originally Posted by Mathuranatha

Just put a metal blade on the table saw and it works really well .Nice level rails in no time .should have done it years ago

- you just need to watch out for sparks on the sawdust.

It's probably OK grinding bar rails but a mate of mine managed to get some smoking action happening with is table saw when he decided to cut some steel with it and some red hot gobs of metal fell onto a pile of sawdust. Luckily he saw it start smoking and was able to do something about it.

i cut off a bolt in teh woodwork shop lest week the sparks from the grinder went into some fine steel wool.

i came back 15 mins latter to a nice little fire going.