Chainsaw milling chain

[twoodward15]

I've gone through the pages of milling chain threads in this section.  I have a question and I hope you guys can help me.
      I started building a chainsaw mill about a year ago.  Well, I finished it yesterday (I am a really big procrastinator and I picked up interest again).  Anyway, I have a saw for it (it's a 55cc McCulloch, I know, but it was free and runs good)  So anyway, I've got this saw mounted and I'm ready to go.  I'm gonna check it out this Saturday (if it's not raining).  Ok, here we go, were getting there now.  It has the standard basic chain on it.  I do a real good job sharpening chains so I'm not worried about it being sharp, but how well do you think it'll cut.  I'm cutting pine this weekend to see how it works.  If it works well (doesn't bind or cut angled lumber) I'll buy some good milling chain, but will it cut alright with standard chain?

[Kevin]

Yes it will cut although the finished lumber may be a little rough.

[twoodward15]

that's ok, I've got a jointer and planer to solve that problem.  Does it take much longer to cut than with ripping chain?  I've got some 12 inch pine logs to test it on.

[Kevin]

You won't see any difference using the same profile of chain but the size of your power head will slow you down.

[rebocardo]

> Does it take much longer to cut than with ripping chain?

Yes, it vibrates more too. That is not the big worry, a regular full comp chain will run MUCH hotter then a ripping chan. Why? I do not know, but, it is what I noticed the most.

[Kevin]

If it's vibrating that's a good indicator that the depth gauges have been taken down too much.

[twoodward15]

Excellent, thanks guys.

[rebocardo]

> If it's vibrating that's a good indicator that the depth gauges

I was talking about new stock chain ... not ones I had filed.

On some of my home made ripping chain I took the cutters to .030-.040 for a faster cut, but, that failure is another story  :D

[Tony_T]

> If it's vibrating that's a good indicator that the depth gauges

I was talking about new stock chain ... not ones I had filed.

On some of my home made ripping chain I took the cutters to .030-.040 for a faster cut, but, that failure is another story  :D

Keep the depth guages the same (maybe less with such a small powerhead), file the cutters ca. 5 degrees to get smoother cut

[Kevin]

The stock chain I used was Stihl RSF in softwood.
No problem other than the finish on the wood as compared to a stock ripping chain out of the box.

[twoodward15]

No speed difference in cutting?  I'm thinking that my problem is still lack of power over anything.  It doesn't take much to bog the motor out.  I'm not even coming close to cutting at the speed that one of the websites claims I should be cutting at, and they weren't even trying to sell their product in that claim.

[Al_Smith]

I hate to be the bearer of bad tiddings but that little Mac just doesn't have the soup to mill with.I've tried it with an 048 Stihl and that isn't enough.

I've used my 2100 Homie and Sp 125 Mac,they have enough but it is not a fast process even with that amount of power.On the other hand you can get nice usable lumber from what normally would be firewood.

As far as a smoother cut with rip chain,compaired to full comp chisel,that's what they make planers for.

[Kevin]

Actually RSF is skip chain with a standard top plate angle.

[twoodward15]

Yeah Al, it just aint got enough.  It'll do until I get something bigger though.  I'll keep cutting shorts.  It'll suck down a tank of gas in less than two of the boards in my post in the sawmill section.

[Al_Smith]

 What you need is a big old reed valve saw,100cc's or larger.Every so often one pops up on e-bay for a reasonable amount.

On occasion one will show up at an auction or garage sale,on sale because the owners can't get them running.They most likely were parked because they are so heavy to use.In the case of milling weight is not an issue at all.

Another thing to consider is the fact that most big old Macs,for example are cast iron lined cylinders and will take that sustained run time a lot better than more modern saws.I own several but must admit they can be a little cantankerous at times.That aside,they or perhaps a large old Homelite could be a lower cost alternative to a much more costly modern,large displacement saw.

[rebocardo]

> No speed difference in cutting?  I'm thinking that my problem is still lack of power over anything.

With my Husky 365 running a 28" bar, I found for hardwood 12-14 inches width was the sweet spot where I could cut as fast as a slow walk. Being dead on for squareness of the rig made a big difference in speed. Probably with 55, 8-10 inches width would be ideal.

What I would do is cut a 12x12 or so, then halve it. Then cut my 1x6 from the 6x12 so it went quickly.