Chain jamming

[PhillT]

I haven't cut much green wood until recently, and have come up against a real pain issue.
The chips produced by the chain are wet and sticky, so rather than falling away, they gradually build up in the bar groove and nose sprocket, ultimately causing the chain to lock up solid in the bar, requiring dismantling and cleaning to free up the chain and sprocket.
This is happening on more than one species of tree, so I started thinking that arborists must be cutting green trees quite often, so probably have a solution to this issue, which I would love to know.
Cheers.

 

[Alan]

Did a little digging and yeah wet sticky wood chips happen with green wood. To keep things cleaner try cleaning the bar often and make sure the chain is lubed up. Sometimes switching to a low-kickback or maybe a ripping chain does the trick too.

 

[rhougey]

Did a little digging and yeah wet sticky wood chips happen with green wood. To keep things cleaner try cleaning the bar often and make sure the chain is lubed up. Sometimes switching to a low-kickback or maybe a ripping chain does the trick too.

Not knowing what kinds of wet green wood the OP is cutting, it’s hard to say what to do. I’ve not had this problem, but I do run a full skip chain, and it does clear chips for me pretty well. Skip chains are not considered low kickback however.

 

[Alan]

Good call on the skip chain, it's definitely worth considering, even if it doesn't have low kickback. Might be a trade-off that the OP is okay with. Appreciate the insight.

 

[Paul]

Rev the saw in short bursts between cuts.
This will keep the bar groove and sprocket tip cleared

 

[Jeff_W]

I haven't cut much green wood until recently, and have come up against a real pain issue.
The chips produced by the chain are wet and sticky, so rather than falling away, they gradually build up in the bar groove and nose sprocket, ultimately causing the chain to lock up solid in the bar, requiring dismantling and cleaning to free up the chain and sprocket.
This is happening on more than one species of tree, so I started thinking that arborists must be cutting green trees quite often, so probably have a solution to this issue, which I would love to know.
Cheers.

besides cleaning it regularly, cutting techniques also matter.
one of the things I like to do is use wedges. when bucking logs, the cut can close due to the wood's internal stress, pinching the bar. driving a felling wedge into the cut as soon as possible can keep it open and prevent the bar from getting pinched, reducing friction and the buildup of sticky material

 

[Alan]

Yeah, wedges really do help. They stop the wood from closing up on the saw and pinching the bar.