# Chain saw binding in wood



## JD420

I have cut firewood for many years--and I always sharpen my own chains. But recently it seems the chain and bar will bind in the wood almost to the point it won't cut. I have a new bar on and it doesn't have ridges under chain. In the past when this problem happened it was a bar issue and I filed the bar to eliminate ridges. My questions are for the pros are 
1. I have seen loggers just take a file and sharpen chain saw. I am using a guide and try to keep teeth fairly close in length. How important is that? One of my chain saws has two teeth with same cutting angle in a row.
2 Should sharpening angle for dead vs green wood be changed and could that be reason for binding?? 
Thanks for any input


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## reberly

I am never claiming to be a pro, but I use chainsaws almost daily. Without seeing the kind of bind it is difficult to answer. I have had chains bind for two reasons. They were a bent bar or a chain with too agressive an angle. Is the chain digging in to too much material? If the chain is digging in, it might be too agressive (flat) an edge like a ripping chain. The rackers might be too low as well. If I had one of my chains digging in with too much bite, I would try to put more of a point on the teeth without lowering the rackers to see if it helps.
When my bar was bent from felling a log across it  it wouldn't track straight in the logs anymore either. That bar is now a designated stump digger. Good luck and I would love to hear the solution you find. By the way, I would quick check my sprocket and my clutch. I burnt out a clutch bearings on my 880 once and it felt like the chain was binding for the whole cut. 
Rich


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## JD420

Thanks reberly
I am not pro either but I do cut a lot of wood. The chain I was using is fairly new (sharpened maybe twice) The bar is fairly new---but I was suprised at the bur on it already. I filed that off and it seemed to correct problem---but as I continued sawing the problem started to creep back. The tree I was cutting was out in the open and I am wondering if the wood didnt have dirt in it from being out in the open and that was messing with me. Chain is new enough that I have filed rakers at all yet. I was doing alot of ripping chunks into manageable size- I am wondering if bar got hot from that and was flexing some to cause binding??


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## Tennessee Tim

If you filed the bar and it came back quickly,it may be the oiler stopped up or chain too much tension. If it's like the weather we're having here in TN, you're log could be frozen.
Have a Blessed and safe day,
Tim


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## USA#1

A picture speaks a thousand words. Could you please take a pic of your current chain up close? I think from what you have said the chain may be dull or not sharpened evenly. And, Or
You may want to take the chain and bar off the saw, then clean out the ridge of the bar with a small instrument something as small as a credit card but, not and actual credit card. Sometimes bar oil and saw dust collect in the rails and prohibit proper oilling of the bar and chain which may cause the chain to pull one way or the other and cause binding.


I used to work for my dad's logging company. 

Leo


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## Tennessee Tim

Sthil makes a tool just for this. Has a J shape on one end and narrow screwdriver look on other.:thumbsup:

Have a Blessed evening,
Tim


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## reberly

I wonder about the ripping as well. I usually sharpen my ripping chains at 10-15 degrees but my regular chains at 35 degrees. If you were ripping with a standard chain I would wonder if it overheated. I have had trouble ripping with standard chains as well.
Rich


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## JD420

Thanks all. Some really good information. I could take a picture but I know chain is dull now--I was cutting stump close to ground and definitely got close to ground level and even below in one spot. I am ussually quite careful about not getting it in the dirt--but this stump was in an area where I may be running a big mower over top of it. I dont rip a lot of wood but age and back are big reason for it on some trees. I sharpen chain at 35 degrees also--is there any great benefit to changing angle for frozen wood??


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## rarewood08

I run a chainsaw for a living don't think frozen wood is problem. It's been about 14 around here lately. I would agree with oiling problem it could be the bar groove is dirty or there is a hole in side of bar to let oil in the groove. One test is with bar off start saw and see if oil come out if no oil, its a saw problem take to saw shop. Next test with bar and chain on start saw hold bar tip about 2" from piece of wood, snow work good rev up saw see if oil spays out if not clean bar and hole.


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## reberly

I don't change my chain angle for winter, but if I am digging a stump out with my chainsaw, I actually change to my oldest bar and my oldest ripping chain. Those stumps can yield some beautiful turning stock.  
Rich


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