Drilling a hole in a bar?

My Mak. 6401 has a 24" Oregon Power-match bar. I want to put a cut-to-length gauge on the side of the bar, like Bogydave has on his saw. This bar doesn't have a predrilled hole, so any problems drilling one out? More than one hole?
Thanks, JB

 

Friend welded a rod onto a washer that went under the side chain cover nut.. He said that worked well... Never saw what it looked like..I'm thinking it had a 90 degree bend then welded to the washer so you can get a wrench on the nut... That bar steel has to be pretty hard stuff to drill..

 

Just clear the tip roller
Keep oiling the bit

 

Personally I do not want any "accessories" hanging from my bar or the side of my saw. They are dangerous enough without adding another piece that can hang on something. If precise measurements are that important then get a Mingo Marker or make a measuring stick and mark your cuts before cutting.

 

Had to drill this 20" bar when I made this chop saw set-up. Secret is to drill - S L O W L Y- Oregon bars have tough steel in them.

 

I've drilled a few holes in them lately and had some cheap bits from walmart go right through in a couple seconds. I need to try to find a few more sets of them. Just make sure to use oil on the bits or some form of coolant. I used premix and it stuck to the bit great.

 

Just an alternative idea ,but why not just mark the bar at whatever length rounds you want ? A few years ago ,I made a marking tool out of one of those inverted marking paint wands . Just added some all thread in the length I wanted to the side of it . Worked really well when I remembered to use it .

 

How do you buck a log with a bar screwed to your bar??? Most wood I cut uses most of my 20" bar. I'd get one of those things that told and has a can and outs a dab of spray paint every preset measurement that u secure. They have them in baileys and or northern tool.

 

http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-i-measure-rounds-to-length.908/

Works well for me.
Not much here is 20", but
I use it to mark the log, sometimes cut the rounds
Watch the short video.
Just one of many ways.

 

I'll watch it in a few but an 18" tree pretty much eats up a 20"er.

 

I did that one year
Had a lot of short sticks. LOL.

 

Short of a Mingo Marker this is the way to go. Just get a 1" x 2" furring strip and mark off the lengths. Had an old guy cutting timber once that used the crossbar off a high jump pit to mark his log lengths. Anything that limits the full use of the bar is a no go for me.

 

I cut by eye, always within an inch of what I want.. The Esse takes a 19 inch piece and the PH takes a 22 , so 16-17-18 works for me...

 

I was thinking the rod was mid bar and could not figure it out. Makes sense now. Still I could not really do it on less than a 24" bar I cut a good bit of 18" stuff

 

Gotta be anal like me & want 17" splits +\- 1/2".
17 " work perfect for the stove

With out a good way to mark the I'd get a mix of
15 to 20" rounds.

Only on the bar when needed. Quick on & off.
Sometimes on the small saw & I walk down the log & mark it.
Then cut the log to lengths I can skid out to the truck.
No shorties

 

This works for me, and I can keep two hands on the saw, don't need to hold anything else for marking . I see that "GB" already pre-drilled me a nice hole too if I wanted to use it!!