Carlton N4C-BL User guide

CARLTON®| Blount, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters
P.O. Box 22127
Portland, Oregon 97269-2127 USA
carltonproducts.com
800-223-5168
©Copyright 2013 | Blount, Inc. | F/N 556740 Rev AA 3/13
Maintenance and
Safety Manual
An in-depth manual on saw chain theory,
safety, maintenance instructions and
troubleshooting for Carlton®saw chain,
guide bars and drive sprockets

If you do not have experience and specialized training for dealing with
chain saw kickback, then Carlton®urges you to use only low-kickback
saw chains which have this green label:
ATTENTION – READ THIS: The saw chain in this package
is low kickback saw chain. It met the reduced kickback
requirements of ANSI B175.1 and CSA Z62.3 when tested on a
representative sample of chain saws. Its safety features significantly
reduce the hazard of kickback while maintaining high cutting
performance. ALL CUTTING SAW CHAINS CAN KICK BACK,
which may result in severe personal injury to the chain saw operator
or bystanders. Operate your chain saw safety. Read all warnings in
your chain saw operator's manual.
Chain
pitch
Part numbers
.043"/1.1 mm
gauge
.050"/1.3 mm
gauge
.058"/1.5 mm
gauge
.063"/1.6 mm
gauge
3/8" LP N4C-BL N1C-BL — —
.325" —K1NK-BL,
K1C-BL K2C-BL K3C-BL
3/8" — A1EP-GL A2EP-GL A3EP-GL
Saw chains marked with a yellow label like the one below, are not
low-kickback and are intended for use only by professional chain saw
operators.
ATTENTION – READ THIS: Warning: this saw chain
may be capable of kickback that could result in serious injury
to the chain saw operator or bystanders. DO NOT USE THIS
SAW CHAIN UNLESS YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE AND
SPECIALIZED TRAINING FOR DEALING WITH KICKBACK.
Saw chains with reduced kickback potential are available.
Chain
pitch
Part numbers
.043"/1.1 mm
gauge
.050"/1.3 mm
gauge
.058"/1.5 mm
gauge
.063"/1.6 mm
gauge
1/4" — E1MC-BL
3/8" LP N4C N1C — —
.325" — K1C, K1L K2C, K2L K3C, K3L
3/8" — A1EP, A1LM A2EP, A2LM A3EP, A3LM
.404" — — B2EP*,
B2LM*
B3EP, B3S,
B3LM,
B3RM10,
B3H, B3H-RP
Chain Saw Safety
*Chain types to be discontinued in 2014.
Contact your authorized Carlton®distributor for availability.

Chain Saw Safety
What is kickback?
Kickback is the violent, rapid
upward and/or backward motion
of the chain saw that can occur
when the moving saw chain, near
the upper portion of the tip of
the guide bar, contacts an object
such as a log or branch, or when the wood closes in and pinches
the saw chain in the cut along the top of the guide bar.
Avoiding kickback injury
Be alert at all times to guard against a possible kickback
reaction. Always be aware of the position of your guide bar’s
nose.
Dierent models of saw chain are available for most cuing
tasks. Use the saw chain suitable for your pe of cuing with
the lowest kickback potential.
e ANSI standard* contains test methods to evaluate the
kickback potential for both chain saws and replacement saw
chain. e saw chain classication chart on the facing page is
designed to help you select appropriate replacement saw chains
in order to maintain compliance with the ANSI standard.
Carlton®packaging and labeling:
Saw chains that comply with ANSI
B175.1-2000 are identied as low-
kickback saw chain and carry the
UL Classication marking.
Chains saws and the ANSI standard
e ANSI standard divides all
gasoline powered chain saws into
o groups:
Chain saws smaller than 3.8
cubic inches (62 cc) must mt low-kickback performance
requirements in the standard (paragraph 5.11.2.1). e
manufacturer is required to mark these chain saws identiing
at least one replacement bar and chain combination that will
provide performance conrming to low-kickback requirements.
Chain saws at 3.8 cubic inches (62 cc) and above may, but
are not required to, comply with ANSI low-kickback provisions.
Chain saws that do not mt the low-kickback performance
requirements are required to be marked with a warning such as:
WARNING: is chain saw may be capable of severe
kickback that could result in serious injury to the operator
and bystanders. Do not use this chain saw unless you have
experience and specialized training for dealing with kickback. Saw
chain with reduced-kickback potential may be available.
*e ANSI standard applies to North America only.
LOW KICKBACK SAW CHAIN
IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANSI
B175.1-2000, PARAGRAPH
5.11.2.4 AND WITH
CSA Z62.3
The saw chain in this package is low
kickback saw chain. It met the reduced
kickback requirements of ANSI B175.1
when tested on a representative sample
of chain saws.Type C low-kickback saw
chain meets the kickback performance
requirements of CSA Standard Z62.3.

Chain Saw Safety
Replacement saw chain and the ANSI standard
When replacing the chain on chains saws below 3.8 cubic inch
displacement (62 cc), any low-kickback chain of the proper
pitch, gauge, and drive link count can be used. Carlton provides
replacement saw chain that is labeled in accordance with the
ANSI standard. e grn-highlighted chain pes are low
kickback. e yellow-highlighted chain pes are not low-
kickback and should only be used by those with experience and
specialized training for dealing with kickback.
Replacement guide bars and the ANSI standard
e ANSI standard states: Because of dierences in
replacement guide bars, the following guidelines shall be
considered when determining kickback energy:
A. Sprocket nose guide bars with the same eective length,
the same number of sprocket nose tth, the same nose radius,
and the same pitch may be considered to have the equivalent
kickback energy.
B. A hard-nose guide bar having the same eective bar length,
and the same or smaller nose radius as a sprocket-nose bar,
may be considered to have equivalent or less kickback energy
than the sprocket nose bar.
C. Kickback energy of all guide bars may be considered to be
less for smaller nose radius sizes.
When replacing guide bars, to maintain approximately the
same kickback energy of a chain saw, the nose size (radius)
of the replacement bar should be equal to or smaller than the
original-equipment nose – with the same bar length.

Chain Saw Safety
Recommended personal protective equipment
Dress properly–do not wear clothing that is too tight or too loose.
*These Carlton®safety clothing items are available in Europe only.
*
*
Wear a hard hat to protect
your head.
Wear ear protection to protect
your ears.
Wear safety goggles, glasses
or a face shield to protect
your eyes.
Wear gloves to prevent
slippage and to protect
your hands.
Wear chain saw protective
boots or safety boots and
gaiters to protect your feet.
Wear protective pants or
chaps to protect your legs.
*

Proper work practices
• Use a right-hand grip only to hold your chain saw; right
hand on the trigger, le hand on the ont handle. NEVER
operate with one hand!
• Kpyourlearmstraightforbeercontrol.
• Hold the chain saw rmly with both hands. Kp your
thumb rmly wrapped around the ont handle.
• Standtothesideofthechainsaw,neverbehindit.
• Runtheengineatfullthrole.
• Use a low-kickback saw chain and a reduced-kickback
guide bar whenever possible.
• Kp the chain saw, saw chain, guide bar and drive
sprocketproperlymaintained.
• Standwithyourftwellbracedandyourbodybalanced.
• Cutonlywoodwithyourchainsaw.Donotcutanyother
materials.
• Planforaclearretreatomafallingtrorbranches.
CAUTION
• Kp yourself clear of the work. Before cuing check
for hazards like tr limbs, power lines, dead trs, etc.
Calculate how the object being cut will fall. Determine
if the chain saw may be thrown unexpectedly by the
movement of the cut material. If possible, position yourself
to avoid injury, away om the natural lean of the tr.
• Nevercutaboveshoulderlevel.
• Nevercutwhileinatrorwhileonaladder.
• Kpothersaminimumofotrlengthsawayomthe
cuing area.
• Donotallowotherstoholdwoodduringcuing.
• Do not operate a chain saw when fatigued or otherwise
impaired.
• When transporting your chain saw, use the appropriate
guide bar cover.
Chain Saw Safety

Saw Chain
Introduction ................................................................................... 2
Carlton®Saw Chain Components.............................................. 3
HowSawChainCutsWood ....................................................... 6
Carlton®Saw Chain Line............................................................. 7
Carlton®Filing Specications ................................................... 10
Carlton®Maintenance Tools......................................................11
Saw Chain Maintenance............................................................ 12
Saw Chain Troubleshooting.......................................................20
Guide Bars
Carlton®Guide Bar Types.........................................................26
Guide Bar Components and Maintenance..............................29
Guide Bar Troubleshooting........................................................ 31
Drive Sprockets
Drive Sprocket Terms.................................................................32
Drive Sprocket Maintenance ....................................................33
Cuing in Cold Weather............................................................36
Contents

2Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Introduction
is manual is designed to help you obtain the full performance
and cuing eciency that was built into your Carlton®saw
chain.
e Carlton brand is dedicated to education. In our experience,
the most misunderstood part of a chain saw is the cuing
chain. We stress the importance of maintenance as a means to
promoterepeatsales;whenweteachyou,ourvaluedcustomer,
how to get the most out of our quali products, we know you’ll
buy more!
Some people believe that you nd expensive grinding
equipment and specialized training to properly maintain your
Carlton saw chain and guide bar. In fact, a few basic tools are
all you nd to maintain your saw chain and guide bar.
By reading through this handbook you will learn:
• Howthesawchainactuallycutswood.
• edierencesbenthevariouscuertoothsles.
• eproperwaytomaintainCarltonsawchaincuertth
and depth gauges.
• HowtomaintainCarltonguidebars.
• How to identi the wear paerns caused by improper
maintenance that can lead to the failure of your saw chain,
guide bar and/or drive sprocket.
If you prefer not to perform your own maintenance, all our
Authorized Carlton Dealers are trained to service all Carlton
products. A properly maintained saw chain and guide bar
makes any chain saw cut more safely and eciently.
An inventory of the component parts of saw chain is essential
to understanding how it functions. Please use page 3 to
reference the terms used in this book.

3
Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Saw Chain Components
EXPLODED VIEW OF SAW CHAIN
Guard link saw chain Bumper link saw chain
Preset
LH cutter
Preset
LH cutter Drive link
RH cutter
RH cutter
Guard
link Drive link
Plain tie strap Plain tie strap
Bumper
link
Preset LH
tie strap
Preset LH
tie strap
Cutter tooth Drive link
Tie strap Rivet
Tie strap
Rivet hubs
Flange bearing
Preset
tie strap
Carlton®Technical Tip
Saw chain parts may look alike but they are not interchangeable.
Never install used parts or mix different manufacturer’s parts
when repairing or making up saw chain loops. Always use only the
manufacturer’s replacement parts.
Clearance
angle
Top
plate
Leading
edge
Depth gauge
setting
Depth
gauge
Tang
Rivet
hole
Gullet
Toe
Heel
Side
plate
cutting
edge

4Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Saw Chain Components
Saw chain pitch
e word pitch actually means size. e larger the pitch
(measured in thousandths of an inch) the larger the saw chain.
Pitch is determined by measuring the distance ben the
centerlines of thr consecutive rivets and dividing this distance
in half. In other words, 3/8" pitch saw chain (.375") measures
3/4" (.750") ben the centerlines.
Saw chain gauge
Gauge refers to the thickness of
the drive link tangs that t into
the guide bar groove and is also
measured in thousandths of an
inch. ere are four standard
gauges for hand held chain saw
cuing chain: .043", .050", .058"
and .063". It’s essential for the
saw chain’s gauge to match the
guide bar gauge.
Carlton®Technical Tip
1. Saw chain pitch must match the pitch of the drive sprocket
and the guide bar sprocket tip.
2. Saw chain gauge must match the gauge of the guide bar.
Any mismatch of the chain saw parts will lead to premature
failure of the saw chain, guide bar, or drive sprocket.
This distance divided by 2
1.1 mm
.043"
Tang .050" 1.3 mm
.058" 1.5 mm
.063" 1.6 mm

5
Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Kerf
Kerf is the overall width
of the cut that the saw
chain makes in the wood.
Kerf is measured om the
outsides of the le hand
and right hand cuers.
Cutter styles
Tooth size, shape and leading edge determine the eciency and
durabili of saw chain and provide a history lesson in saw chain
design. Most of the saw’s power is consumed by cuing the
cross grains of the wood.
e rst modern cuer design is called
Chipperchain. It has a thick top plate
and side plate as well as a large radius to
the leading edge. is saw chain is very
durable but requires a lot of power.
Semi-Chisel chain is essentially a
streamlined chipper design. It features
a tapered top plate, a relieved side plate
and a smaller radius to the leading edge.
is greatly increases cuing eciency
without sacricing much durabili.
Chisel chain is designed for all-out
cuing performance by making the
leading edge a pointed square corner.
Chisel chain’s squared cuer also cuts
faster by severing all of the wood bers
in the kerf in one pass. e actual leading
edge of the point does most of the
cuing and is easily damaged in abrasive
conditions. As a result, chisel chain is
best suited for clean, standing timber.
Carlton®Technical Tip
For optimal cutting, match the saw chain to the cutting conditions.
Chipper chain is the most durable for abrasive conditions.
Chisel chain is popular, but the leading edge point is more
easily damaged, making it a poor choice for abrasive conditions.
Semi-Chisel chain is the best compromise of speed and durability.
Kerf
Left hand cutter
Overhead view of saw chain
Right hand cutter
Chipper
Semi-Chisel
Chisel
Leading
edge
Leading
edge
Leading
edge
Saw Chain Components

6Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
How Saw Chain Cuts Wood
To help you properly maintain your Carlton®saw chain, avoid
the problems of poor maintenance and recognize the wear
paerns that can cause saw chain and guide bar failure, it is
essential to rst learn how saw chain cuts wood. You might be
surprised to learn that a cuer tooth must actually leave the
guide bar to cut wood eciently.
All saw chain cuts with a rocking motion. When cuing
properly, saw chain resembles a dolphin swimming in the
ocean. As the cuer enters the wood, the leading edge starts to
bite (1) causing the cuer to rock back as far as the depth gauge
will allow (2). e cuer is now in the aack position. e
cuer jumps o the guide bar and into the wood (3). Saw chain
tension and power om the saw pull the cuer back out of the
wood and the severed chip exits om the underside of the cuer
(4). e cuer then returns to its original position (5). Any
condition that upsets this smooth and ecient rocking motion
will have a negative eect on the durabili, performance and
cuing eciency of any saw chain.
Depth gauges
Depth gauges are
occasionally called
rakers because some
believe they “rake”
out the severed
chips. While it is
normal for the depth
gauge to sink into
the wood under certain conditions as illustrated in positions (2)
and (3), the actual function of the depth gauge is determining
how large a bite the cuer will take om the wood.
e clearance angle of the cuer is the reason saw chain is
able to cut with an ecient rocking motion. e rear of the
top plate is lower in height than the ont. is allows the cuer
to tip forward (4) and exit the wood cleanly. Maintaining the
clearance angle and the depth gauges are covered in detail on
pages 12 – 14.
Guide bar
1 5
2 4
3
Wood chips
Saw chain cutting motion sequence
Clearance
angle
Top
plate
Depth gauge
setting
Depth
gauge
Side
plate
cutting
edge

7
Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Carlton®Saw Chain Line
Carlton®saw chain key
Chisel Semi-
Chisel Micro chisel Chipper Bumper link Guard link Narrow kerf
● Yes
▲ No
Ripping
chain Consumer chain Semi-pro chain Pro use chain File diameter ANSI
P/N ANSI
E1MC-BL 1/4" .050" (1.3 mm) 5/32"
(4.0 mm) ▲
N4C 3/8" LP .043" (1.1 mm) 5/32"
(4.0 mm) ▲
N4C-BL 3/8" LP .043" (1.1 mm) 5/32"
(4.0 mm) ●
N1C 3/8" LP .050" (1.3 mm) 5/32"
(4.0 mm) ▲
N1C-BL 3/8" LP .050" (1.3 mm) 5/32"
(4.0 mm) ●

8Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
P/N ANSI
K1L
K1LSK*
K2L
K3L
K3LSK*
.325"
.050" (1.3 mm)
.050" (1.3 mm)
.058" (1.5 mm)
.063" (1.6 mm)
.063" (1.6 mm)
11/64"
(4.5 mm) ▲
K1NK-BL .325" .050" (1.3 mm) 3/16"
(4.8 mm) ●
K1C
K2C
K3C
.325"
.050" (1.3 mm)
.058" (1.5 mm)
.063" (1.6 mm)
3/16"
(4.8 mm) ▲
K1C-BL
K2C-BL
K3C-BL
.325”
.050" (1.3 mm)
.058" (1.5 mm)
.063" (1.6 mm)
3/16"
(4.8 mm) ●
A1LM
A1LMSK*
A2LM
A3LM
A3LMSK*
3/8"
.050" (1.3 mm)
.050" (1.3 mm)
.058" (1.5 mm)
.063" (1.6 mm)
.063" (1.6 mm)
7/32"
(5.5 mm) ▲
A1EP
A1EPSK*
A2EP
A3EP
3/8"
.050" (1.3 mm)
.058" (1.5 mm)
.063" (1.6 mm)
7/32"
(5.5 mm) ▲
A1EP-GL
A2EP-GL
A3EP-GL
3/8"
.050" (1.3 mm)
.058" (1.5 mm)
.063" (1.6 mm)
7/32"
(5.5 mm) ▲
*Skip sequence =
Regular sequence =
Carlton®Saw Chain Line

9
Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Carlton®Saw Chain Line
P/N ANSI
B2EP .404" .058" (1.5 mm) 7/32"
(5.5 mm) ▲
B3EP .404" .063" (1.6 mm) 7/32"
(5.5 mm) ▲
B3S .404" .063" (1.6 mm) 7/32"
(5.5 mm) ▲
B3LM .404" .063" (1.6 mm) 7/32"
(5.5 mm) ▲
B3H-RP .404" .063" (1.6 mm) 7/32"
(5.5 mm) ▲
B3RM10 .404" .063" (1.6 mm) 7/32"
(5.5 mm) ▲

10 Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Carlton®Filing Specifications
Carlton®Filing Specifications
E1MC-BL 5/32" 4.0 mm 30° 90° .025"
N4C-BL 5/32" 4.0 mm 35° 90° .025"
N4C 5/32" 4.0 mm 35° 90° .025"
N1C-BL 5/32" 4.0 mm 35° 90° .025"
N1C 5/32" 4.0 mm 35° 90° .025"
K1NK-BL
K1C-BL
K2C-BL
K3C-BL
3/16" 4.8 mm 30° 90° .025"
K1C
K2C
K3C
3/16" 4.8 mm 30° 90° .025"
K1L
K2L
K3L
11/64" 4.5 mm 30° 10° .025"
A1EP-GL
A2EP-GL
A3EP-GL
7/32" 5.5 mm 35° 90° .025”
A1EP
A2EP
A3EP
7/32" 5.5 mm 35° 90° .025”
A1LM
A2LM
A3LM
7/32" 5.5 mm 30° 10° .025"
B2EP
B3EP
B3S
7/32" 5.5 mm 35° 90° .030"
B3H-RP 7/32" 5.5 mm 5 – 10° 90° .040"
B3LM 7/32" 5.5 mm 35° 10° .040"
B3RM10 7/32" 5.5 mm 10° 10° .040"

11
Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Carlton®Maintenance Tools
Filing tools
Filing kit Round file
Flat file
File handle
Stump vise Bar-mounted sharpener
Grinders
Electric bench saw chain grinder 12V electric saw chain sharpener
Grinding wheels Sharpening stones
Saw chain repair tools
Chain breaker Rivet spinner

12 Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Saw Chain Maintenance
Sharpening basics
Any product requiring routine maintenance should always be
serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Cuing angles and depth gauge seings are designed into your
Carlton®saw chain at the factory and have proven best for a
wide range of cuing conditions. Maintaining your Carlton
saw chain to factory specications will ensure full saw chain
durabili and cuing eciency. It will also allow you to cut
more wood with less eort.
Cuers lose their sharp edge and become dull om extended
cuing, om abrasives in the wood (sand, ashes, grit) or om
hiing foreign objects such as dirt, nails, rocks, and pavement.
A good sharpening job restores each cuer’s leading edge with
specic ling angles recommended by the factory. e leading
edge is the most important part of the cuer, because it does
most of the work.
As a cuer is repeatedly sharpened, the tooth gets shorter than
the depth gauge as it’s led away. is brings us to the second
aspect of saw chain sharpening.
e height of the depth gauge
in relation to the height of
the leading edge of the cuer
determines the size of the
bite that the tooth can take.
Consequently, the depth gauge
must be lowered in proportion
to the decreased cuer height to
kp the factory designated clearance angle, and kp the saw
chain self-fding into the wood.
Depth gauge setting
Clearance angle

13
Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Understanding depth gauges
e least understood part of depth gauge maintenance (aside
om not knowing that depth gauges nd to be maintained at
all) is how much to le the depth gauges down each time the
cuer is sharpened. If the depth gauges are not lowered enough,
the saw chain will not cut eciently. If depth gauges are
lowered too much, the saw chain will cut, but cut very
aggressively. Plee s page 10 for ling specications for the
Carlton family of saw chain.
A new cuer (1.) has a depth
gauge seing that will fd
into the wood eciently. e
depth gauge seing is the
distance ben the height
of the depth gauge relative to
the overall height of the cuer.
is distance determines the
size of the bite that a cuer can
take. As the cuer is led back,
its overall height becomes
lower. e depth gauge must
be led down as the cuer gets
shorter (and lower) to kp the
saw chain self-fding.
e next cuer (2.) has bn
partially led back without
lowering the depth gauge.
is cuer cannot fd into the
wood because it has no depth
gauge seing. In fact, the depth
gauge in this cuer will actually
hold the cuer tooth away
om the wood. is condition
is known as “high” depth
gauges. When the saw chain
stops cuing eectively, many
operators will push down, adding more fd pressure. e saw
chain is forced into the wood, causing cuer booms to wear
rapidly and makes cuing wood much more dicult.
e third cuer (3.) has the same cuer length and height as
the second cuer, but the depth gauge has bn lowered to
compensate for the shorter cuer height. As a result, cuer #3
will cut as eectively as the new cuer.
1. NEW CUTTER
Factory depth gauge setting
2. FILED CUTTER
No depth gauge setting
3. FILED CUTTER
Corrected depth gauge setting
Saw Chain Maintenance

14 Carlton®Maintenance and Safety Manual
Saw Chain Maintenance
Setting Depth Gauges
1. Use a depth gauge tool with the correct built-in seing for
your saw chain and check your depth gauges every thr or
four sharpenings.
2. Placethetoolontopofyoursawchainsoonedepthgauge
protrudes through the slot in the tool.
3. If the depth gauge extends above the slot, le the depth
gauge down level with the top of the tool using a at le.
Never le the depth gauge down enough to excd the
depth gauge seing specied in this manual for your
Carlton saw chain.
NOTE: Do not le or alter the tops of kickback-reducing
bumperorguarddrivelinks.
Carlton®Technical Tip
Depth gauges don’t wear down by themselves. They’re made from the
same hardened steel as the rest of the cutter. Depth gauges must be filed
down as the cutter is filed shorter in length and lower in height to keep
the saw chain self feeding into the wood.