Nice friend! Nice to have a variety of pre-sets!
Some of it depends on the brand of chain / pre-sets. Generally, pre-sets and tie straps are replaced as a pair, so if you have some that are not marked, or a mixed bag, you can start with a large table, and good lighting, to match the tie straps and pre-sets, or use a '
known' pre-set to ID an '
unknown' tie strap, etc.
That chart that Warped5 referenced is a good starting point for Oregon chain, if they are marked. STIHL dealers have similar charts for their chain parts, and a helpful one may help you with their part numbers.
The pre-sets need to fit: 1) the smaller diameter tie strap holes; 2) the larger diameter drive link holes; 3) the thickness of the drive link, and 4) the spacing of the rivets. Some will work on multiple brands of chain - some are brand specific. (There are even oddities, such as more than one type of Oregon 1/2" pitch chain, which use separate pre-sets and tie straps!).
Gauge can be tricky, since some STIHL chains are .063 at the top of the drive link (bearing area), then thinned out to .050 or .058 at the tang, so the same pre-set will fit 3 different gauges of chain. Some Oregon chains are .058 at the top, then thinned to .050, so you need a different pre-set for .063 gauge chain. Other drive links are straight gauge (e.g. .050 across the entire drive link). Narrow kerf chains have thinner wall tie straps, so a micrometer is helpful to sort or ID those.
Again, with a little patience, the parts can be sorted by comparing them to known chain parts. The larger diameter portion of the rivet should fit precisely into the holes in a known drive link (attached to a length of known chain) with the 'shoulder' of the rivet sitting flush. If the preset is for a narrower gauge chain, it will bind when spun; if it is for a thicker gauge chain, it will be sloppy when spun, and may slap against the guide bar mounting pads when installed.
*** Once you have them sorted, keep them separate in clearly marked (pitch, gauge(s), brand), zip-lock bags. *** I keep these sorted in a Plano style tackle box for easy reference.
Philbert
