Chainsaw Repair

Quote from: sharkey on October 26, 2013, 12:23:47 am

chain parts: http://www.psep.biz/store/oregon_3_8_pitch_chain_parts.htm

$7.95 Flat rate shipping from this vendor

Thats is one of the many places I check before ordering new stuff.

Used to be $6.95 so they didnt spike it like others.  I ordered 32" bar and $7 to shp.  Saws was $7 also and free if over a certain amount at one time. 

When I was a kid in the South during the 50's, the next door neighbor was a regional representative for Lombard. He also worked on saws on the weekend. Sometimes it was warranty investigations and sometimes it was just working on some local guy's chainsaw. The engines in these Lombard's were West Bends and Tecumseh (or Power Products). Most of what I saw him do were the minor light maintenance things like spark plugs, air filters, and chains. I don't remember him spending much time filing chains?

When he was making up a chain loop or replacing a cutter in a chain, he had a hand chain breaker like the Oregon pocket job today which consisted of the typical slotted anvil/punch and his trusty ball peen hammer. He would work on the saws and chains on the back steps of the house. He had a one car garage with a work bench down one side but he always worked on the back steps. There was a couple acres of trees in the back yard to try them out.

Speaking of Breakers, Spinners, presets, and tie straps

When you start to buy Stihl presets, they make no mention of the gauge (.050,.058,&.063) I was visiting Cut4fun this afternoon and I brought this up. So we got some Stihl RS33 off the nail and measured the thickness of the drivers. They were .050" where they run though the bar rails BUT were .063" between the tie straps.

In the Internet link supplied in the post earlier about Oregon presets, I noticed the preset numbers were the same for .050" & .058" with a different preset number for the "75" chain. Cut4fun measured some Oregon LGX72 chain and it was .050" where the driver runs through the bar rails but .058" between the tie straps.

With the presets, there is a shoulder where the driver link rides on the rivet. It is a larger diameter than where the rivet goes through the tie strap. The length of this shoulder has to be the same as the thickness of the driver link within the body of the chain itself.

With Oregon chain if you use a .050" preset on .063" gauge chain, it will bind up and be stiff because the shoulder is not long enough. With Oregon, .050" gauge presets will work fine on .058" chain. But .063" presets on .050" chain will be sloppy.

Cut4fun had mentioned years ago that Oregon presets would not work on Stihl chain because the joint would bind. That is because his Oregon presets were for Oregon .050" chain and they had a .058" shoulder on the rivet. Where as Stihl 3/8 chain has drivers that are all .063 thick between the tie straps.

The moral to this story is that Oregon presets for .050" gauge 3/8 chain will mostly work with Oregon .058" gauge chain.

With Stihl 3/8 presets, one size fits all three RS gauges (.050", .058", & .063")

What counts is the thickness of the driver links up inside the chain.

What 660magnum said. Mostly.

There can also be different rivet diameters for the center (drive links) and / or ends (tie straps) on different brands chains.  And some 'older 1/2" pitch' Oregon chain is different than 'later 1/2" pitch' Oregon chain, etc.. 

That's why you can end up with so many types!

It is a lot easier if you are only matching new chain. More challenging when you are trying to salvage all types, and any brand.

Philbert

I received a loop of Sabre chain in good condition.  3/8 Low Profile, with the dual depth gauges.

One link was tight and would not free up right. On inspection, the tie straps were a slightly different shape, so I assumed that it had been over spun. Drove out that link. An Oregon type 91 seemed to fit. Halfway spun it seized up again.

Duh!

It has .058 drive links thinned down to .050. Oregon 3/8 Low Pro drive links are straight .050. Nothing else I have fits.

Any chance someone has a few of these?  Anybody know if Carlton or anything else will fit?

Thanks!

Philbert