Well....... that was fun (not)....

[Shari]

Flipped the chain off my chainsaw yesterday while doing a horizontal cut on a large branch stump on a fairly good sized round. It took me awhile to figure out why I couldn't get the chain back on the bar until I realized I bummed up a couple of the drive links.... frump, there's no fix that I know of for bummed up drive links! I inspected the bar - it looks okay. Luckily I had a brand new chain to put on so finished the job.

I must be getting old... I noodled a couple 30" green locust rounds so I didn't have to handle their weight while splitting. This was the first time I noodled a round.... still have all my appendages.

 

[bogydave]

Ouch!

Did you check your drive sprocket ?
Has the drive sprocket ever been replaced ?
Don't want to "frump up" the new chain

 

[Shari]

BD,

Good thought - no I didn't think to do that. I'll check it out tomorrow. I did the noodling and a couple of other cuts after putting on the new chain. The saw seemed to be running/cutting correctly.

I think the chain flipping off was all my fault. 1. I didn't think to check the tension before starting. 2. I was cutting horizontally - something I've never done before and was a little iffy at how to do the cut. I was cutting a fairly thick limb off a big round I had laying bark side down on the ground. I probably torqued the bar while the chain was in motion. (When you're my age, you can sustain a bend in the back for just so long..... and then....... you go down further. Not good when running a saw.) Dumb, dumb, dumb. Live and learn.

 

[Jags]

It happens. Just part of the wood chopping game. Sometimes a chain can be brought back around with a flat file, but if the drives are bent - just toss it. Not worth wearing out a bar.

 

[TimJ]

Did you just throw a few burrs on the links as it skipped off the bar and now it won't fit back on the bar ? Check for burrs and file them off if you cannot visibley see damaged links

 

[BobUrban]

Those ones are good for making knives because they typically still have nice teeth but are to boogered up to repair. I know from experience - Arggg!!

 

[lukem]

I had a couple drive links get some chunks taken out of them when my rim sprocket blew on me. I'm going to take it to my local saw shop and see if they can replace the busted links. If not I'll have them shorten it to a 18" loop and give it to my dad.

 

[Woody Stover]

I think the chain flipping off was all my fault. 1. I didn't think to check the tension before starting.

That chain can also get loose as the saw runs, even though you have adjusted it before starting. Checking chain tensioning often is a good habit to develop.

 

[DanCorcoran]

Those ones are good for making knives because they typically still have nice teeth but are to boogered up to repair. I know from experience - Arggg!!

How do you make a knife from a chainsaw chain?

 

[BobUrban]

With a hot fire and big hammer. Lots of pics and info on another forum here. Just a hobbie, turned obsession that I like to do. These are a form of san mai where I have forge welded chain into the 1080 blade steel.

 

[Jags]

How do you make a knife from a chainsaw chain?

Dan - do yourself a favor and search for some of Bob's posts. Mad skilz at making knifes. One example:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/finally-finished-the-sushi-knife.87718/

 

[DanCorcoran]

I was sort of picturing about a 6" length of chain glued along the bottom of one end of a 10-inch long piece of wood...not quite the same skill level. Mine would be a mess to clean, too.

 

[Jags]

 

[MasterMech]

I was sort of picturing about a 6" length of chain glued along the bottom of one end of a 10-inch long piece of wood...not quite the same skill level. Mine would be a mess to clean, too.

View attachment 100481

More of this please.

 

[Shari]

It happens. Just part of the wood chopping game. Sometimes a chain can be brought back around with a flat file, but if the drives are bent - just toss it. Not worth wearing out a bar.

Heh heh....... there's about 3 links in a row that are bent and have grooves in the arch of the drive links. Not worth playing around with. If I could find my camera I'd post a pic.

If anything is good about this whole experience there are actually two things: 1. I knew I had a new chain. 2. I found where I put the new chain. It was actually in the chainsaw bag where it should be.

BD: I checked out the drive sprocket this morning. I assume it's okay. There's some wear showing but nothing jagged or what I would call trashed. No 'shiney' new grooves on it at least.

 

[Shari]

Bob,

If you need/want 3 or 4 used chains I've got some unknown size/length orphans here...... and then there's the 16" I just trashed.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

BD,

Good thought - no I didn't think to do that. I'll check it out tomorrow. I did the noodling and a couple of other cuts after putting on the new chain. The saw seemed to be running/cutting correctly.

I think the chain flipping off was all my fault. 1. I didn't think to check the tension before starting. 2. I was cutting horizontally - something I've never done before and was a little iffy at how to do the cut. I was cutting a fairly thick limb off a big round I had laying bark side down on the ground. I probably torqued the bar while the chain was in motion. (When you're my age, you can sustain a bend in the back for just so long..... and then....... you go down further. Not good when running a saw.) Dumb, dumb, dumb. Live and learn.

Oh Shari, no wiser words have ever been printed....