Can this chainsaw bar be saved?

Hey folks,

Had a big elm go a bit sour on me a couple of weeks ago. One of those 'mystery breezes' came along, snapped the hinge and spun the tree almost 180 degrees and bent the saw bar.

My question is has anyone had any luck bending a saw bar back? Was thinking of cold bending it and seeing if I could maintain the .050 gap on the bar.

Thoughts?

Brad
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Had a less-serious bend in the bar on my 019T arborist saw after I let a friend use it. I was able to straighten it in a vise and continue to use it.
 
Yes, I think so. I have done it, but it's been so many years, I can't remember exactly how I did it! Whether you clamp it and pull on it, use a press, or hammer, just avoid pinching the edges, and you should be alright. Even if the edges are tweaked a little, they can be fixed too. But if they are bent too far, they will crack coming back.
 
Loaned by Craftsman chain saw to my wife's Boss some years back and it came back looking like that. I took it to work and put in the small shop press and bent it back straight cold. It worked fine for another few years. Never did loan him anything else
 
They'll do funny things sometimes, these trees LOL!

Its hard to figure the best way to straighten it, be nice if it could be rolled somehow and not have memory of that bend after its done. The gap for the drive part of the chain link is easily repaired with the flat head part of the spark plug/bar nut socket tool. That part will be fine once straight, but that bar does need to be straight. Its hard to tell if its racked and not just bent evenly. If it can be made true, it would be fine, but its hard to tell if there is any other damage to be concerned with. Once straight and the chain moves freely in it, you'd have to test it in larger wood to see if it cuts straight.

On the other side of this, the chain runs at 50 mph, and that's a yellow label bar, larger tip radius, a little more prone to kick back, at that speed you don't want any anomalies, and if the bar is not true, it won't cut straight, you'll notice it in larger diameter wood.

You may want to go over the chain that was on it too, especially if it stayed on the bar, it could be stretched or damaged. A tossed chain is one thing, snapped chain is another.

I'd err on the side of being safe and get rid of both the bar and chain, its not worth the injury or aggravation. The first bar on my '02 MS390 was worn, needed surfacing, but it also was a tad bit wavy towards the end, did not cut straight and liked to bind, the new one made all the difference.

Late last summer, I went to fell either side of a beautiful old black cherry tree, a triple, the center being 100'-120' both the outside trunks died. I made face cut just so, but with leaving just a little wood on the inside next to the center trunk so as not to damage it. The darned thing pinched in the back cut, just how it goes sometimes, it had a good lean, and even with 2 steel wedges, I could not get it free. It turns out I should have cut a little more depth on the vertical cut between the trunks, you just can't see sometimes. So I walked away from it and got out of its path while rigging it as best I could, then pulled it right over, having taken the power head off my saw already, just the bar and wedges in there. It came right over and exactly where I wanted it, as it fell it pinched that .50 gap in the new bar. I was able to repair that and you'd never know it now, you could feel the tight spot in the chain and I saw the rivet indents in the trunk, just pinched the outer edge of the bar was all.
 
I have straightened several, but they weren't that bad. I have best results by simply placing on a couple of 2x4s, Space boards where bend starts on each end.
I use a small block of wood and hit it with a hammer and check with straight edge.
A press would work better.
If it has a twisted bend, it may not be salvageable.
 
May be you could sandwich it between two 2x4's in a heavy vice.I would have the 2x4's shorter than the bar is, so the ends cant dig in. I would sqeeze the bar a little at a time then loosen the vice. Re align it and tighten some more. Then use a straight edge as JILES said. As for bent chain... The way I check one is hold one end of the loop between thumb and 2nd digit of fore finger. There should be a bout a inch between each side of the chain. Let the other end just bow with the gravity of it.If it is bent you will have a high side and a lower side. Check the chain in several spots. There is a good chance that the chain is bent also...Glad you able to tell about it. Be safe...MTP
 
I have a press in my shop. However, with a bend like that I would prefer to use a couple blocks and a C-clamp. I would put pieces of 2x4 under each end and place the C-clamp in the middle. Gently draw the center down, then back off to check your progress. Work slow so as not to over bend or kink. place something under the c-clamp pad to spread out the stress if you think necessary.

I used to use this method several times a week for many years working in a plating plant straightening parts racks when a line would crash. It's amazing what you can do with a good Wilton C-clamp and a 6' long 1/4" thick 2"x2" piece of angle iron. Most of our plating racks were 6' tall and 3' wide, way to big to fit in a press.
 
I put them in the big vice and do that tug tug tug tug progressively harder deal. Stop now and then and sight down the bar. Worked fine after the brother inlaw did just that.
 
You could probably frig with it for 2 hours and get half straight... then wonder why the bar is stuck in the cut all the time.. or just buy a bar. Doesn't look like it's even a pro bar? Shouldn't be that expensive... I really have no patience for bad bars or poor chain.

Rod
 
Sure you can straighten it out but you will never get it perfectly straight. Having a little bend in it will do excessive wear to the chain. In the long run I think it would be less costly to replace the bar.
 
Oregon brand makes them and are on the www. They sell chains too. Prices are competitive. One thing they do that you might like is they have a .046 chain to fit the .050 bar. Chopping .004 off the chain guides reduces friction allowing the chain to run cooler and requiring less power so the chain will run easier and faster on the same saw as a .050. I use them and like them
 
Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

I am going to try and straighten this bar and will report back.

I was going to go to a 20" bar anyway and will have a backup if needed. Oddly enough the chain didn't seem to be damaged but time will tell.

Brad
 
Sure, you can save it. But I think I'd go out and spend $20 for a new one and throw that one on the scrap pile. I oughta bring, say maybe, 10 cents......
 

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