Bar pitch options on an alaskan

StuBC · December 05, 2005, 11:31:01 AM

I am getting ready to out fit my Procut chainsaw mill with a saw. I have bought a Husky 395 and I am looking at Baileys for a long bar. Going to go with 42" becaseu that is the bar that the mill is based off of, I have one i am building off of and his 088 runs deadly with that big of a bar.

Baileys offers a 0.375 and a 0.404 pitch 42" Oregon. I dont know the difference in performance or matching chains, sharpening etc. I would like an outfit that is easy(er?) to sharpen and somewhat flexible. Does my bar pitch contribute to that? I want to get one of those chain grinders to do the chain sharpening, and I read that rip chain cant be done with one of those. Is this all tied to the bar and chain choice?

solodan · December 05, 2005, 11:55:05 AM

If you run other saws what pitch are you running? What pitch is you're sprocket on th 395xp? I have smaller saws that I run .375 on, so when I bought a 3120xp I put a .375 sprocket on it. This way I can run all of my chains and all of my bars on any of my saws. Also the kerf is smaller on the 3.75 compared to the .404.

StuBC · December 05, 2005, 12:09:14 PM

I dont really know to be honest. I have another chain saw, its a Stihl 360 for bucking and falling. Stock bar and chain, what ever it came with. This is really new to me. I dont even know how to tell what pitch it is to look at it or find the markings, I guess I could take it apart to see etchings. I guess if I make a decision on one set up over the other, I will buy a new sprocket to match it, then its all new and ready.
My questions are below, this will help me get a better understanding

Is it sound logic that thin kerf 3.75 is better for milling?
Should I be outfitting to be using ripping chain?
Does that make me have one pitch over the other for ripping chain?
Is ripping chain sharpenable with a grinder unit?

solodan · December 05, 2005, 12:43:03 PM

look on the mounting end of the bar. there are numbers there that will tell you the length in drive links, the gauge, and the pitch . you are probably running .375 pitch .050 gauge. and i'm sorry for the confusion, but the gauge is what determines the kerf not the pitch as I stated in my previous post. just needed to finish my coffee before my brain started working. ;D
yes a ripping chain cuts smother than oter chains because of the low angle.
either .375 pitch/.050 gauge or .404/.063 is all i've seen for ripping chains, but you can file any chain to 10 degrees or less and get the same effect.
sharpening a rip chain is the same as sharpening any round chisel chain, just different angles.