Looking for advice on chain sharpeners for slabbers

Fether Hardwoods · June 29, 2018, 10:13:01 AM

I am running a Peterson slabber, and have come to the conclusion that a sharpener is appropriate for my opperation. So what are you slabber folks using for grinders? It came with a bar mount grinder that is a joke.

Thanks

maderahardwoods · June 29, 2018, 02:29:44 PM

I have the Lucas DSM and sharpen by hand. The mill came with a fixture that attaches to the mills frame rail, the fixture has a 10 degree scribe to guide your eye.

This works best for me, I have the hydraulic Oregon grinder but cant use it as i have replaced teeth at various points. It is also probably faster to hand sharpen as the rakers have to be sharpened every time. If you are only sawing clean wood, the electric grinder could work. I would not want a sharpener without the hydraulic locking feature to hold the chain in place.

-Marco

Joey Grimes · June 29, 2018, 09:54:33 PM

I recently purchased the grandberg grind an joint and I am very happy with it I don't think anyone can do as good a job by hand I know I can't I can do my 60 inch chains for my Lucas in about 10 min .

xlogger · June 30, 2018, 05:24:37 AM

I have two grinders one for sharpening and the other set for lowering the rakers.

terrifictimbersllc · June 30, 2018, 04:57:17 PM

I have an Efco grinder, made in italy, its about 20 yrs old. For any kind of chain sharpening. I also use a 4mm ABN wheel that I got from Bailey's which I recommend. I think the brand was Dinasaw. It cost about $250 but what I like is that it doesnt wear and change shape as it is used. I sharpen slabber chains at 15 degrees (viewed from the top) and set the grinder angle at 60 degrees (from horizontal). Unless there is damage the grinding takes off very little metal. No reason I couldnt sharpen by hand file.

If I were to get another grinder I would check out whatever people recommend here, and what Bailey's sells. Probably would be one of the more expensive Oregon ones. But I don't really need to get a new one.

YellowHammer · June 30, 2018, 10:42:15 PM

I don't have a slabber but sharpen a lot of chains. I have a Stihl USG grinder, same one the Stihl dealers use. Very good machine, no slop, excellent results.

scsmith42 · June 30, 2018, 10:57:14 PM

I bought an Italian knockoff of an Oregon electric chain sharpener from Bailey's about 10 years ago. We've sharpened a LOT of chains on it, including the slabber chains. It was around $180 back then but the price has come down.

Put a CBN wheel on it; you won't regret it.

sam-tip · July 06, 2018, 01:51:57 PM

Oregon 511AX and 620 hydraulic assist with CBN wheels. Carry 6 190 DL chains. Just keep switching chains and sharpen at home.

oakiemac · July 09, 2018, 10:59:36 PM

I have an Oregon grinder with a CBN wheel. Works great. I'm thinking of getting a cheap one just for the rakers.

Silverfoxfintry · December 28, 2018, 04:10:03 AM

I have a "Carlton" electric sharpener. The biggest chain I sharpen is 186 links. Far too long to do by hand. Changing the chain on a double ended mill is a pain!
By the way, what is a "CBN" wheel?
Wet and warm in Scotland today +8c.
Thanks. Silverfox.

longtime lurker · December 28, 2018, 04:49:17 AM

Standard Oregon grinder. I hand sharpen chainsaw chains but slabbing chains I use a grinder. I buy chains in sets of two or three and keep rotating them : that way I can toss anyone at the chain sharpening/ raker filing task and they can't really screw it up, and they can be sharpening while I cut

scsmith42 · December 28, 2018, 04:33:10 PM

Quote from: Silverfoxfintry on December 28, 2018, 04:10:03 AM
I have a "Carlton" electric sharpener. The biggest chain I sharpen is 186 links. Far too long to do by hand. Changing the chain on a double ended mill is a pain!
By the way, what is a "CBN" wheel?
Wet and warm in Scotland today +8c.
Thanks. Silverfox.

CBN - Cubic Boron Nitride - a synthetic material that is better than industrial diamond for sharpening chainsaw chains.

terrifictimbersllc · December 28, 2018, 05:24:49 PM

CBN wheel is a steel wheel coated with CBN. The wheel has a profile determined by the shape of the steel, and the profile does not change as the wheel is used. So you do not have to re-shape the wheel. This and the long life are the main advantages. The CBN coating lasts a very long time and you buy a new wheel when it gets worn off anywhere.

They cost a lot more than pink, white or blue vitreous wheels. In addition to the long wear, no changing profile, a CBN wheel doesn't throw off wheel dust in use. Just the material that is being ground gets thrown off.

Another material very similar to CBN is ABN (Amber boron nitride rather than Cubic Boron Nitride). Some available chainsaw grinder wheels have ABN on them.

offrink · December 28, 2018, 11:34:02 PM

I use a 59" and a 72" bar 880 with a custom mill. 7-59" milling chains and 5-72" milling chains. I take them in to the local dealer to get them sharpened. He cleans them, sharpens them to 10° or whatever I tell him, tags them with the date sharpened, and gets them back to me the same day 6 days a week. Best of all, it's $15 a chain. If it takes him 25 minutes to do all that then I would lose money doing via taking away my time and a poorer quality finish.