Responding to dangerous practices

[Spartan]

This makes no sense to me.  The only way I know to get noodles is cutting with the grain, not against.  A forester probably knows bunk about cutting with a saw vs a logger.  If I take my rakers even a little too low, it is horrible, bogs, vibrates, not efficient in any way.  would hate to limb with no rakers, that would be plain stupid and dangerous, especially on a skip.  I just don't even get the argument, my guess is that if they are saying that, they really are not very qualified at what they are doing. 

I would tell them good for you, and walk away.

[sawguy21]

When I started in the shop in the mid 70's the loggers and farmers were using high torque low speed saws  with aggressive chain. More than a few took the rakers way down then complained about excessive vibration and lost parts. Some never got it, we just smiled and took their money. ;D
I don't know why the op would even worry about arguing with these guys, the only way to convince them would be to cut along side. I have met people who would rather look stupid than admit they were wrong. Somebody once said something to the effect that a man will fight hardest to hang onto his ignorance.

[Jeff]

The original poster certainly must have bee a troll. He has never been back since making the post. probably someone's idea of a panty raid.

[Al_Smith]

 :D Panty raid aye  :D FWIW there have been more than the usual amount  of rather "troolish " type comments on several forums the last several weeks .Maybe it's the time change or the eclipse of the moon several weeks ago .

[mad murdock]

I think a "yooper" night or 2 are in order to inoculate the FF from those types.  ;)

[Jeff]

It seems to be a good way to weed out the potential problem children. :D

[barbender]

I just want to see that 48" Colorado Hickory. The Missouri River clear cutting operation sounds interesting too :D

[Al_Smith]

I'd like to see a 48" hickory any where .Think of how many axe handles that thing would make .

[JohnG28]

I'd like to see a 48" hickory any where .Think of how many axe handles that thing would make .

Can't you find them in the same area as the eastern redwood?

[Al_Smith]

Well yeah but they are hard to find .It's been reported there is a small grove of eastern redwoods on the south shore of lake Superior as well as arctic palm trees and alligators with fur like a grizzley bear .It's the same area reports of hens teeth came from .--the first BS artist doesn't stand a chance . 8)

[Caloren]

They ought to have a "like" button on some of these posts!  :D

[JohnG28]

 :D :D

[Al_Smith]

 :D Oh it can get worse believe me .I'd well imagine about the time Jeff ruins a keyboard from spitting coffee all over it it probabley would come to a halt .-until then----bring it on . 8)

[WmFritz]

--the first BS artist doesn't stand a chance . 8)

Especially when Al decides to pull his rubber boots on.  :D :D

[Al_Smith]

 :D I can't help myself it just comes out like a fart in the middle of a sermon .

[clww]

Nice  :

[SliverPicker]

I'd like to see a hickory tree period in Colorado . :D

My thought as well.  Sounds like horse pucky to me.

[DaleK]

I know a couple of Amishmen running saws with no depth gauge at all on them. Of course they also have 12 year olds running commercial mills before and after school with 9 and 10 year olds running edgers and planers. Big on the concept of "it doesn't matter what I do, it's God's will"
Hired one to help me one winter, sent him home before noon or he probably would have gotten us both killed.

[petefrom bearswamp]

Havent visited this thread in a while.
Yes I was cutting with the top of the bar when the saw kicked and the handle struck me just below the kneecap.
No cut just a lot of pain.
I have filed my rakers a little too much a couple of times and the saw grabs badly.

[Mn woodchuck]

I I agree with Nell also I find that about .040 on clearance is just about perfect I've even went to 45 and they still work at 35..

[coxy]

I have filed the rakers all the way off just to watch my ex bro in law through the saw @@@ and moan and carry on like  a little school girl  :D  I would love to see them cut hickory with no rakers ill say BS  I put on a new chain and file it out of the box and take 2 drags off each raker then the chain (to me ) is good for at least 5-6 fileings (if it don't get stoned ) :D

[HiTech]

I don't consider myself a Pro or Expert but a new out of the box chain to me is the best to cut trees down with. They cut nice and smooth with no grabbing and minimal applied pressure. Once they need to be touched up with a file I will also touch the rakers up a bit. Perhaps you could file the rackers way down on softwood but for hardwood I think the saw would jump so much you couldn't hold on to it. Then of course I have seen guys walking around with huge scars on their faces from chainsaw jumps. Was always told the tip caught. To me grabby chains are dangerous. Wisdom comes with age and in some cases it never comes. I had a very old logger tell me that it never pays to hurry or take shortcuts. He told me logging was much like carpentry...measure twice, cut once.

[FayettesFinest]

As a bit of a newbie to this whole industry and chainsaws in general, how often should I file down the rakers? I try to file my chain through every second tank of gas or so, depending on what I'm cutting. I've been cutting a lot of really dirty stuff that's been laying down on my friends farm and I've found that the saws aren't real big fans of trees caked in mud. Also, here in SWPA and I'm sure in other regions as well, a lot of the locust trees have some kind of blight or disease and I've noticed that the saws don't like that either... Needless to say, I file my chains a good bit. If it's just a "clean up" sharpening, I'll hit each tooth 3-5 times. If the saw is cutting like a butterknife, I'll hit them about 10 times. Is this a good method?

[beenthere]

Do what works best for you.
I file after every tank of fuel (unless I touch the saw in the dirt or rock it). Then usually just a couple good strokes. File the rakers WITH A GAUGE about every other filing.

The tool I've found that works best for me is the Pferd jig. Has a plate for filing off the rakers with a flat file to the right height for softwood or hardwoods. About $10 and easy to use. 

 

Never, IMO, should a chain become so dull that more than 3-4 strokes with a sharp file would be necessary. IMO  others opinions vary.  ;D

[celliott]

There isn't a correct number of strokes for each tooth to restore it's sharpness. It's however many it takes to get the working corner back. If it takes 4 each, good, if it takes 10, fine. If one takes 4 and one takes 6, OK as long as the working corner on the top plate is sharp.

Beenthere, I use that same guide, it works great, especially for the depth gauges.
I've gotten so where I can free-hand file the teeth without the roller guide pretty well (the guide helped build muscle memory) However, I still use the depth gauge guide.
I bought one for .325 chain recently too.