I ground the top plates of some of the teeth on my saw chain to make th granberg style milling chain. I will try it tomorrow, but I have a stupid question. I have that "anti kickback" chain on my saw, that has that extra "guides" between the teeth. Will these have any affect on ripping? If everything works I'll buy good chain, but I kind of want to get the bugs worked out before I spend any money on this setup. Should I remove the guides, or what I can of them? Hopefully everything will work out tomorrow and I'll get some real chain.
Question number two. I keep looking for cutting speeds and I read today that about 3 feet per minute in pine is about right (I think it was 12 inch thick) can anyone tell me what I should really expect in hard and softwoods, judged using your saw. Mine is underpowered, but at least I will have something to compare it to, so I can tell if I am having other problems. Thanks guys. I'll update with my progress tomorrow afternoon..........if she don't blow up first.
I doubt you can make good ripping chain out of anti kick back chain.I myself,while not being a lover of chainsaw milling have tried several grinds.The smoothest is the straight across method.The fastest is just plain old chisel.
If you cut the log at about 45 degrees you will not get those long french fry chips that plug up the saw.
As far as power to mill,use the biggest saw you have,it takes a lot of power to make any speed.I've used an 048 Stihl,not nearly enough power or torque.The biggest I own is a Mac super pro 125 and a Homelite 2100s.They get the job done but it's still slow compaired to a bandsaw mill.
I can make about 8 feet in 5 minutes in 18" red oak.
Baileys have ripping chain on sale at this time,check it out.
Quote from: Al_Smith on July 16, 2006, 09:17:57 AM
I can make about 8 feet in 5 minutes in 18" red oak.
Cutting a full 18" face on the kerf I assume not just an 18" diameter log?
I run Logosol's 10° ripping chains on my 066 and MS660, it's a bit apples and oranges when compared to a standard full comp ripping chain because of the difference in kerf and generally shorter bars. In pine I can rip a 12" face 14'+ long in about 90 seconds. The same cut in red oak takes a good three minutes.
My perception of time is a bit suspect since my second case of Lymes disease but SWMBO says that's about right.
Those extra guides on the safety chain should probably get filed down so they stay lower than the rakers.
Quote from: Raphael on July 16, 2006, 10:21:02 AM
Quote from: Al_Smith on July 16, 2006, 09:17:57 AM
I can make about 8 feet in 5 minutes in 18" red oak.
Cutting a full 18" face on the kerf I assume not just an 18" diameter log?
Yep, a full 18" deep cut on a squared log,using a Granberg mini mill on a 125 Mac.Not the best set up to use but all I had at the time. It was just an experiment to use short logs for something besides firewood.
Yeah, I'm not getting anywhere near that, although things did speed up today with the newly ground chain. I can get 4 feet in 3 minutes in pine at about 12 inches wide. I'm starting to wonder if something isn't quite square on my mill. It's really driving me crazy and I'm about to give up. I don't know what else to do and unfortunately I don't have a real alaskan to mount my saw to , to see if it is the mill or the saw. Time to go buy an alaskan I guess.
Try standing a "scrap log" on end and rip it straight down with the saw off your mill, you'll get one of three results.
1: The saw cuts just as slowly off the mill... could be many things but all saw related.
2: The saw cuts well but wants to cut curves then it's probably just a slight missmatch in angles on your chain and you are milling slow because your saw is fighting the mill.
3: The saw cuts well and pretty DanG straight. Then the problem is with the saw fighting the mill due to an alignment issue, how is your mill designed? How smooth are these slow cuts?
I'll give that a try. It won't be for about 3 weeks though. Good ideas Raphael.
> I can get 4 feet in 3 minutes in pine at about 12 inches wide.
> I'm starting to wonder if something isn't quite square on my mill.
Yes, if it is not square it really slows down the saw. Cutting white oak, 12-16 inches across, with a Husky 365, 28" bar, and Bailey's ripping chain I was able to cut at a slow walk and 8 feet took not even a minute. This was with a ProCut mill. It cut slow at first, but, once I tweaked it and leveled everything it worked fine. I angled the mill downhill slightly so gravity moved the saw and I did not have to use much pressure. Plus, I found cutting with the top of the bar would work better many times.