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Started by Kevin, January 20, 2002, 01:25:21 PM

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Kevin

Chain Sharpening

When sharpening your chain cutters remove only enough metal that will be making contact with the wood.
Remember the cutter will only cut to the depth of the rakers so there`s no need to remove more metal on the tooth than required.
A good method to determine this is to blacken the cutting edge of the tooth with a black marker.
When you take those two forward strokes with the file you`ll easily see how much metal has been removed.
Sharpen the leading edge of the cutter along the top of the cutter (top plate) all the way to the working corner of the tooth no deeper that the raker height.
Use only forward strokes and don`t touch the cutting edge on the return or removal of the file.
A cutter with a 10o side plate hook will have slightly more metal removed from the working corner than the back or rear of the cutting edge.


psychotic1

Thank you and please continue...

This seems like a good place to bring up a question.

In one of your back posts you explain to a guy to sharpen his rip chain to 10 and 45o.  He didn't understand how to get 45 on his Oregon file guide and neither do I.  You apparently posted a picture for him, but I can't seem to see it or get it to load on my machine.  Could I please get you to explain this again?

Bruce

Ps. Jeff? any guesses as to why I couldn't see the picture in this post until I replied to it?
Patience, hell.  I'm gonna kill something

Gordon

Kevin I didn't think you had it in ya. ;)

Seriously that idea deserves to go into the knowledge base. Very simple but very useful.

Gordon

Kevin

Bruce if you`re using a 13/64 or 7/32 file with 3/8 saw chain  it will give you the inside top plate angle 40-50o .
You can change this angle using a grinder.

Kevin

Gordon, you`re too kind!
I did have it but lost it then briefly got it back.
Don`t raise your expectations of me just yet.  :D

psychotic1

OK, great
Now all I need to know is which angle to set at 10o  ::)
would it be the tilt and swivel base?  or the top guide swivel...
I'll get this yet by gosh!! :P
Patience, hell.  I'm gonna kill something

Kevin

Bruce, what chain are you using?

psychotic1

At the moment I'm not milling anything, but I wanted to learn and understand, so I'll know what to do when the time comes...  I've got my 041 set up for crosscut, and I got 5 chains with it when I bought it used.  I'm planning on getting a logosol with the stihl 066 but that won't be for another year or so... :'(

But I still want to know what I'm doing, so I can flatten out the learning curve a little bit.
I read about the 91v in your response to the question about best ripping chain, and I've seen it on oregon's site, but I'm still confused about sharpening it.
Patience, hell.  I'm gonna kill something

Kevin

I think the 91VS isn`t suitable for milling, of course that`s just my opinion.
It was designed for Arborists.
If you check the Oregon chart I posted you`ll see that 91 doesn`t require the 10o side plate hook.
Which chain are you using on your saw for X cutting now?

psychotic1

I have no Idea
 I got several chains when I bought the saw and they all came in little plastic tubs with oily rags in the bottom.  I'm reasonalbly certain they're from stihl, and if I remember right (?) it's round ground.

I've got a 28 inch bar if that helps any
It cuts well, when I set the file guide to 0o "horizontal" and 35o to the bar.  

Best I can do.  I don't have the saw here with me.
Patience, hell.  I'm gonna kill something

Kevin

Most commercial chains are round ground.
If it`s Stihl it might be RM or RS.

psychotic1

Ok.  So you're not thrilled with the 91VS.  You like the Oregon RA, but you say it's hard to get a hold of.  What would you recommend in place of the RA.  Especially since the oregon website says it's just a different grind.  I figure I'd rather save the money and get the regular grind, and change it myself. Or is there some reason I'm missing

The logosol comes with a 16" picco bar and 2 chains for the 066.  I figure that will change pretty quick, but I'll decide the size of bar later. After I get a little better idea what size logs I'll be milling.
Patience, hell.  I'm gonna kill something

Kevin

Check with your dealer and see if you can get Oregon RD in full skip.
Full skip Stihl RSF is a good milling chain, just sharpen it to 10 or 15o over time with a hand file when it needs sharpening.
You can also order RA from my dealer if you want to sample a loop but it won`t go unnoticed by Oregon special agents!

fencerowphil (Phil L.)

Hey guys.
On the Stihl 090 which I just bought, I had them ship a Stihl rip chain.   It is a 46 RCX Oilomatic with 124 drive links for the 42" bar. This chain is a round chisel .404 pitch with no skips.  It looks to be ground at 10 deg.
On the other hand the crosscut chain, stock with the saw was a full chisel tooth, skip design.
Phil L.

P.S.   A local shop offered to sell me 100 ft. of full chisel Stihl 404 chain for $275, since they no longer have much call for it.  Is that a decent deal?  It seems good to me - no shipping involved.  I would have to grind into rip chain, however, as I needed it.
Bi-VacAtional:  Piano tuner and sawyer.  (Use one to take a vacation from the other.) Have two Stihl 090s, one Stihl 075, Echo CS8000, Echo 346,  two Homely-ite 27AVs, Peterson 10" Swingblade Winch Production Frame, 36" and 54"Alaskan mills, and a sore back.

Kevin

Phil,
I wouldn`t buy bulk chain until you tried a loop of it and are happy with the results.

psychotic1

thank you gentlemen.
This should help me be ready to mill when my machine arrives...
Shipping anything around here takes at least a week, and I sure won't want to wait that long!!!!

Ps. Kevin, thanx for such a usefull website.  I use it as a portal for my milling research.

bruce
Patience, hell.  I'm gonna kill something

Kevin

Thanks Bruce,
When you guys get rolling be sure to take a bunch of pictures so I can post them on the Milling Masters for everyone to enjoy.

Kevin

>Now all I need to know is which angle to set at 10o  
would it be the tilt and swivel base?  or the top guide swivel...

That depends on the chain you are using.
I tilt the vise for the 10o side plate hook and file the top plate to 10o on my RA chain.

psychotic1

And the 10o top plate gives you a better cut than the "normal" 45o?

Should that work on the RD?

I'm thinking about getting a mini-mill this spring, I'm probably gonna want one for big beams later on, buying it now would appease my sawdust jones.  Probably use my 041 for the cuts.  I'll try to talk to my local stihl guy today about chain.

Bruce
Patience, hell.  I'm gonna kill something

Kevin

A normal top plate is usually 25-35o.
We use 0-15o for milling.
The 45o develops on the inside of the cutter (inside top plate) which is made naturally by the round file.

psychotic1

 :P So... I want and outside top plate of 10o.  And you put a 10o inside top plate on your RA with your grinder, but I have to pretty much stick with 45o because I am as of yet hand filing..  Yes?

If... I say IF I've got it right. what advantage does the 10o inside top plate give you over 45?  Would it be worth my while to buy a grinder -depending on how much sharpening I'll actually be doing.

My handy-dandy file guide also lets me tilt the file horizontally so I'm filing at a somewhat up or down angle.  I don't see a description of this angle in my tutorial.  Should I forget that angle even exists?

Thank you so much for explaining this stuff.  I can't get anything out of the dealer here in town.  I don't think he knows anything.  He keeps going back to his computer and asking what I'm going to be using my saw for. ::)
Patience, hell.  I'm gonna kill something

Kevin

>If... I say IF I've got it right. what advantage does the 10o inside top plate give you over 45?  Would it be worth my while to buy a grinder -depending on how much sharpening I'll actually be doing.

Bruce, you can forget the 45o angle because it`s on the inside of the top plate, you`ll get that angle automatically with the file.
Your top plate should have somewhere between 10-15o and you tilt the file on chisel chain to give you a 10o side plate hook.



1  raker height.
2  tilt file for 10o side plate hook on round ground chisel chain or tilt the vise on a grinder.
3 10-15o top plate angle.
4  your file will give you this angle, on a grinder you need to tilt the head.


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