after a while the saw wont cut straight as it cuts it bends at an angle?

MY EXPERIANCE WITH THIS PROBLEM IS THAT YOUR CHAIN IS SHARPENED WRONG. CUTTERS ON ONE SIDE ARE SHARPENED DIFFERENT THAN ON THE OTHER SIDE, I.E. AT A DIFFERENT ANGLE, EVEN A LITTLE MAKES THE CHAIN CUT DIFFERENT ON EACH SIDE AND HENCE THE BAR GOES OFF ON AN ANGLE. COULD BE THE CHAIN IS DULL OR DULLER ON ONE SIDE THAN THE OTHER FROM HITTING A ROCK OR SOME OTHER OBJECT AND THUS CUTS DIFFERENT ON EACH SIDE AND GOES OFF AT AN ANGLE. ALSO THE DEPTH GAUGE THAT RUNS JUST IN FRONT OF THE CUTTER MAY BE HIGHER OR LOWER FROM ONE SIDE OF THE CHAIN TO THE OTHER WHICH MAKES THE CHAIN CUT DIFFERENT ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER, HENCE THE BAR CUTS OFF AT AN ANGLE. INCIDENTLY HAVING THSE DEPTH GAUGES FILED DOWN LOWER THAN THE LEADING EDGE OF EACH CUTTER IS SOOO VERY INPORTANT. IF THEY ARE THE SAME HEIGHT OR HIGHER THAN THE CUTTER THE CHAIN WILL NOT CUT AND WILL GO JUST ANY OLE WHICH WAY. AS CHAINS ARE SHARPNED THE CUTTERS BECOME LOWER AND LOWER AND AFTER A SHARPENING OR TWO THE DEPTH GAUGES MUST BE FILED DOWN TO KEEP THEM LOWER THAN THE CUTTERS. GAUGES FOR MEASURING THE DEPTH GAUGES ARE AVAILABLE. A STRAIGHT EDGE LAID FROM ONE CUTTER TO THE NEXT OVER THE TOP OF THE DEPTH GAUGE IN BETWEEN THE TWO CUTTERS SHOULD SHOW THE DEPTH GAUGE A FRACTION LOWER THAT THE TWO CUTTERS. THIS MUST BE DONE CLEAR AROUND THE CHAIN TO MAKE THE DEPTH GAUGES THE SAME FOR EVEN CUTTING. DEPTH GAUGES SHOULD BE ABOUT .020 LOWER. IN SOFT WOOD I MAKE THEM EVEN LOWER AROUND .030 FOR FASTER CUTTING IF YOU HAVE A GOOD SAW. THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS AND OTHERS IS TO RESHARPEN THE CHAIN CORRECTLY. INCORRECT SHARPENING PROBLEMS USUALLY COME FROM SHARPENING WITH A FILE WHERE YOU HAVE TO HOLD THE FILE AT THE SAME ANGLE BY THE "GUESS OR BY GOLLY I GOT IT RIGHT" METHOD, OR A 12VOLT SHARPENER THAT ONLY HAS A GUIDE MARK TO USE. YOU MUST MAKE SURE THE ANGLE ON EACH SIDE IS EXACTLY THE SAME, AND MAKE SURE THE DEPTH GAUGES IN FRONT OF EACH CUTTER ARE EXACTLY THE SAME HEIGHT. I PERSONALLY LIKE TO SHARPEN MY OWN CHAINS. A BENCH MOUNT CHAIN SHARPENER IS BEST BECAUSE IT MAINTAINS THE SAME ANGLE ON EACH CUTTER NO MATTER WHICH SIDE. HARBOR FREIGHT SELLS ONE FOR AROUND $40.00 THAT WORKS GOOD, OR YOU CAN SPEND $200 OR MORE. GRANBURG MAKES A CHAIN SHARPENER THAT CLAMPS TO THE BAR AND MAINTAINS THE ANGLE OF SHARPENING THE SAME AND RUNS OF OFF 12VOLTS WHICH ALSO DOES A GOOD JOB AND CAN THUS BE USED IN THE FIELD AND WITHOUT TAKING OFF THE CHAIN. REMEMBER PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. GOOD LUCK.

HANDYANDY
January 2008