Can You Straighten a Chainsaw Bar?
I think it’s safe to say that for many of those who cut their own firewood, the bars on their chainsaw’s is most certainly the most “use and throw out” parts of their chainsaws.
Though let me tell you, it does not have to be this way. If you got a quality one, many times even the biggest bends and kinks can be worked out, only saving you precious money and storage space for many years to come.
Probably
More often than not, chainsaw bars can indeed be straightened. But don’t take my word for it – do it only if the manufacturer states that this can actually be done.
Trying to work on a bent saw’s bar which is not made for this sort of thing literally puts your life at risk. Be careful.
But this is not the only thing you should keep in mind before beginning – inspect the bar by yourself as well. Do you see any cracks, or visible damage done to the outer layer?
Or is it bent and contoured into a difficult shape? If that is true, sometimes it is best to get rid of the bar and go get a new one.
Use force
In order to get the bar back to its original shape, well, you have to apply some sort of force to it.
The easiest and most available method is to place it between two objects, like bricks, and step on!
The only issue about this technique is that it only works so much; you may need to generate some more precise stress on the bar in order to get more straightness to it.
For example, maybe the bow on it is just too persistent. Bending the bar back and forth won’t be able to straighten the kink as it is.
Get the hammer
To get better, more fine-tuned results, you’ll probably end up needing to use a hammer.
But be cautious when doing so – you should stay away from the rails, as otherwise you might end up smashing them in.
How do you do it? Well, just hit the bar where you see fit in hopes it gets the thing straight again! Though before doing that, you have to find a place to rest the bar on to begin with…
If you have an anvil, sure, use it. A firewood round works great too – all we need is a flat surface on which we can work the bend out and see the progress, that’s all.
Actually, that wood round idea works great if you’re somewhere deep in the woods.
But what if the bar’s rails are closed too?
In this instance, instead of hammering the bar, you’ll need to pry those rails open, with one thing or the other.
What i like to use is a plain flat screwdriver. Sometimes i am able to muscle the rail back to its original position by wedging it inside, others i need to get a small hammer and tap the sides, using the same screwdriver, to get it all going.
That being said, you have to not go overboard with it. Prying them open too much will cause all sorts of problems with the chain during cutting; the goal here is to open one as much as is necessary.