well you knew i was going to ask questions with a new saw lol
ripping chains . i see them on different sites and they all seem to be the same or close . like to have some fee back on works best to you. steve
I have ripped thousands of feet of logs and have found that regular chain cuts faster then ripping chain. Ripping chain will give a little better finish.
I've filed it several different styles and pretty much consider it a waste of time .Regular round filed chisel will cut more smoothly that running lumber through a circle mill by a long shot .Actually it's not that far off of a bandsaw although as compaired to same it's like pitting a snail to a jack rabbit .You have to keep it razor sharp though .
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Like Bill and Al said! Regular chipper chain will do just as good of a job as ripping chain. Cut two or three rips then touch up the chain.As Al said a razor sharp chain is the key! Tim
I have used regular full comp chisel chain, woodsman pro(Carlton) ripping chain(3/8"), and most recently stihl's picco ripping chain with the oil-o-matic feature on the drive links. The standard chisel chain rips with good speed, but finish is not as smooth as rip chain, but smoother than a circle saw. The stihl picco has 3 clear advantages 1. Cutting speed, it cuts faster than the standard chisel or the 3/8" rip chain and gives the smooth rip chain finish. 2. Less sawdust because of smaller kerf, also reason for faster cut speed-more yield per log. 3. Improved and noticeable better lube oil distribution on chain(oil-o-matic at work). I would notice on the standard chain and the 3/8" rip chain, a little pool of oil would form on the bar as chain exited bar cover, with stihl chain, oil stays on the chain better, no pooling, and more oil on chain after it goes around the tip- increase lube on bottom side of bar.
I've used both types on all sizes of trees. I prefer the ripping chain primarily due to the finished surface they leave after the cut.
You folks have a point on finish but if you are going to run it through a planer any way it makes little difference .Besides it's alot easier feeding boards in a planer than ripping with a chainsaw .
well i ordered a ripping chain , so i get to test to what i like . i really like the saw , balance is good with a 32 bar on it . im going to get the oil kit has anyone ever put one in. steve
you might want to check your dealer if you bought the saw new,thought they were updating all new saws [MS660's] with the high output oil pump.
I use full comp 3/8 on my csm, Well you could call it a Chain saw Bar Mill
first chain was a skip tooth, that is a waste of time
I regrind it 55 and 10, skiping the included 10 deg angle.
skip 5 sequence pair skip 5. with all the inbetween ones I made them into sharpened rakers, Taking the leg off the cutter, and worked well, surface finish was better than band sawn! Now thinking I could cut faster, ground the extra "rakers" out and essentially made hyper-skip chain. It dosn't really cut much faster.
Finish is choppy and grabby, and puts more load on the chain. I was able to run my mill without an automatic tensioner before, but had to put one on with the newer grind chain. Pine, cottonwood, dosnt matter. Ill use it on the dirty logs, pine and cedar logs going into mantles but Going back to my other style grind for board stock!
My old style grind didnt need to be plained, a touch off with 80 grit in pine and it was smooth.
Now given my carrage weighs 200+ lbs, it dosnt bounce much. My wheels are cheazy thou and were welded pulleys.
Quote from: Al_Smith on December 02, 2012, 07:38:24 PM
You folks have a point on finish but if you are going to run it through a planer any way it makes little difference .Besides it's alot easier feeding boards in a planer than ripping with a chainsaw .
I cannot afford a planer that will accept a 36"-48" width piece of wood, so for me, the finish of the cut matters.
I've never tried it but I have heard of chainsaw millers on the west coast who file their ripping chain with a goofy or chisel bit file.
I'm told it's faster cutting and smoother finish then round filed chain.