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Thread: Chainsaw bar oiling

  1. #1

    Chainsaw bar oiling

    Just looking for some input to hopefully gain some piece of mind. I’m operating a Granberg Alaskan mill with my Stihl 046. I recently installed a 32” bar and ripping chain. I understand this bar length is kind of pushing it with this saw, but after doing research and speaking directly to the folks at Granberg, I decided I’d do it. Anyway, I’m worried about the bar not getting enough oil. There’s really nothing to indicate it’s not getting enough, but I’m not confident enough with chainsaws to be sure. I’ve turned the oil adjustment knob all the way on the saw, and I’ve added a shop made auxiliary oiler which drips oil onto the tip every 2-3 seconds or so. I’m consuming oil at about the same rate as fuel, which I’ve heard is normal. Although I’ve never seen oil spray from the tip and there’s no appearance of oil when I pull the chain away from the bar to look. Although this is the same on my little 16” saw as well. Saws revs fine and does not seem to struggle unless milling through a crotch or harder grain, in which case I just go a little slower. Am I looking too deep into this?

  2. #2
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    Sounds good, as long as oil is not dripping in one spot and your using that much it’s working fine.

  3. #3
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    Agreed. You'll see wear on the bar if you don't have enough oil going to it, and the paint will burn off it's really too little. I use an auxiliary oiler on the end of my 42" bar, but it adds oil into the slot between the bar and chain. Look at Granberg's bar end oiler. It's easy to copy.

    And there's no such thing as too much oil.

    John+

  4. #4
    I also stopped using cheap bar oil and use the pricier stuff from Husqvarna. I am not sure if there is any real difference or if it's a placebo effect, but it appears to flow better at lower temperatures.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by John TenEyck View Post
    Agreed. You'll see wear on the bar if you don't have enough oil going to it, and the paint will burn off it's really too little. I use an auxiliary oiler on the end of my 42" bar, but it adds oil into the slot between the bar and chain. Look at Granberg's bar end oiler. It's easy to copy.

    And there's no such thing as too much oil.

    John+
    So you copied Granbergs design in which a hole is drilled into the bar for oil injection? Mine is just allowed to drip onto the end of the bar - which is what I’ve seen most people doing.

  6. #6
    I’ve only used the Stihl brand I get from the local dealer. I haven’t wanted to risk using anything less.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan McGonigle View Post
    So you copied Granbergs design in which a hole is drilled into the bar for oil injection? Mine is just allowed to drip onto the end of the bar - which is what I’ve seen most people doing.
    Yes, that's right. You drill a hole in the bar such that the edge of the hole just breaks into the bar slot. You can use a Dremel tool or tiny file to open up the hole in the slot if needed. Now take a 5/16" machine screw and drill vertically until you reach the top of the head, then drill two holes at 90 deg through the side of it at half the bar thickness above the top of the head. That puts the oil in the slot just like the sawhead oiler.

    I use Tractor Supply bar oil in the Summer and Stihl Winter oil in the Winter or dilute the TS oil with a little mineral spirits. Don't use it much anymore, however, since I bought a bandsaw mill; only on logs too large for the mill.

    John

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by John TenEyck View Post
    Yes, that's right. You drill a hole in the bar such that the edge of the hole just breaks into the bar slot. You can use a Dremel tool or tiny file to open up the hole in the slot if needed. Now take a 5/16" machine screw and drill vertically until you reach the top of the head, then drill two holes at 90 deg through the side of it at half the bar thickness above the top of the head. That puts the oil in the slot just like the sawhead oiler.

    I use Tractor Supply bar oil in the Summer and Stihl Winter oil in the Winter or dilute the TS oil with a little mineral spirits. Don't use it much anymore, however, since I bought a bandsaw mill; only on logs too large for the mill.

    John
    So you’re essentially making a banjo bolt, correct? I’ve seen these bolts sold by Granberg as replacement bolts, if I decide to upgrade to this design in the future, maybe I’ll just buy one.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan McGonigle View Post
    So you’re essentially making a banjo bolt, correct? I’ve seen these bolts sold by Granberg as replacement bolts, if I decide to upgrade to this design in the future, maybe I’ll just buy one.
    Yes, I guess I was. I didn't know that was the name or that they were available commercially. Ignorance is bliss. The Granberg one I originally bought with the bar end oiler is pretty small and eventually broke. That motivated me to make my own, slightly larger one. 4 or 5K board feet later it's still working fine.

  10. #10
    your auxiliary setup sounds very similar to mine. My setup is just slightly larger than yours - I have a 661 with a 56" forrester bar and 56" granberg mill. I built my auxiliary oiler with a ball valve for on/off and a needle valve to regulate the flow, and then a length of tubing that drips at the tip of the bar. I find the setup works quite well for me. I now use a cheaper oil (power care? it was from home depot for around $10 a gallon) for the auxiliary oil, and reserve the stihl oil for the saw itself.

    Here is a picture I took a while ago before I used it:


  11. #11
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    That's a serious setup you have there, Melvin. Cleaner than mine, too.

    John

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by John TenEyck View Post
    That's a serious setup you have there, Melvin. Cleaner than mine, too.

    John
    Haha, that was right after I finished assembling the auxiliary oiler and before its first use. It definitely has more character now! It has worked quite well in my mind, though I haven't milled a considerable amount at the maximum width of cut, the biggest I've done at once was only 3 ft wide in red oak about a dozen slabs 8 ft long - I was glad to have three ripping chains that day!

    I also designed my auxiliary oiler to sit on the bracket and it is affixed with screws into the threaded holes that are on that side of the bracket. It is a box that holds the plastic container, and when I am milling I use a lid that has multiple 1/16" holes drilled in it. It is a heavy setup, but that only matters when not actually milling. I've been thinking about adding the winch and the roller wheels in the future.

  13. #13
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    Yes, those large Alaskan Mills get heavy in a hurry. I have 72" rails on mine now, but only a 42" bar. Someday maybe I'll pony up the several hundred $'s for a 60" bar when a big walnut tree comes my way. My max. so far is 35"; a nice black walnut that I got 7 or 8 nice 2" slabs from. 3 chains and 10 nails later it was done! For anything less than 30" however, I much prefer the bandsaw mill.

    John

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by John TenEyck View Post
    Yes, those large Alaskan Mills get heavy in a hurry. I have 72" rails on mine now, but only a 42" bar. Someday maybe I'll pony up the several hundred $'s for a 60" bar when a big walnut tree comes my way. My max. so far is 35"; a nice black walnut that I got 7 or 8 nice 2" slabs from. 3 chains and 10 nails later it was done! For anything less than 30" however, I much prefer the bandsaw mill.

    John
    I wish I had the support equipment to be able to have a bandsaw mill! Right now I only have a truck, and I move everything by hand, so I have to be careful. I also can only make so many tables, benches, and stools for the house! If I were to start selling slabs, then I could build up the equipment, but it is still just a personal hobby for me right now. The maximum capacity of my setup is right at 4 ft in width. I might be able to get a bit more if I take off the felling dogs and extend the tip clamp as far as possible, but I'm pretty happy with a 4 ft capacity, and really anything that large or larger would be difficult for me to move around safely at home.

  15. #15
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    Oh my bandsaw mill can't cut wider than 22", but that's plenty for most things. And the advantage is you can process wood a lot more efficiently and with less physical effort. I don't have any equipment; not even a truck. OK, I use my neighbor's ATV to pull my mill and log arch around but that's it. I pull the mill behind my car for mobile use and it works just fine. I bring logs home behind my car using a 3000 lb trailer with a log arch. It's all doable as a one getting old man operation.

    I can't possibly use all the lumber I produce - over 8K bf this Summer. So I keep the really good stuff and sell the rest. The mill is getting cheaper by the month. In full disclosure, though, if you expect to sell much lumber you need a drying kiln. I built a solar kiln a year ago and dry everything in it, including slabs. It's my competitive advantage over all the other guys around me hawking slabs "that have been air drying for weeks", or "are partially air dry".

    John

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