Chains and sharpeners

[Upper]

Hello,new to the forum.I have cut a lot of firewood and have had limited success with files and hand held electric sharpeners.
  I just purchased an Alaskan mill and a Stihl 661 with a 36 inch bar.I would like the lowdown on chain types and best bench sharpener
to purchase.My first mod will probably be a hand crank winch on the Alaskan.I will be milling California central valley white oak,live oak,
sugar pine,yellow pine and tamarack .Thanks...............Upper

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum. Your post may get shifted to the Chainsaw board.

Lots of threads on the forum that deal with sharpening chains, and some searching will turn up a lot of interesting reading. Start by going to the Chainsaw forum/board on the Index page and go down through some of the recent subject titles.

Also, let us know what you have tried and what was limiting to your success. That will be a place to start.

[Upper]

Thanks

[snowshoveler]

The chain and bar is everything there is when milling with a chainsaw.
I started out with an alaskin mill and a 373 husky.
Next was a jonsered chainsaw mill...cut well over 10 thousand feet with that.
Eventually got a Belsaw circle mill.
Use the shortest bar that will saw the log you are cutting. Less filing is good but you have to be very very particular about the filing.
Chris

[mad murdock]

I have done a fair bit of milling with the Alaskan, a Timberjigg, and lastly with the mill I have now, a Bumblebee CSM.  I use primarily my 372XPW, and it does well.  I set it up with the stihl 63PMX "picco" chain, and an .050" bar and drive sprocket. I am well pleased with the 1/4" kerf this setup makes-less sawdust, and a little more boards by the time I get to the last board vs 3/8" B/C.  I hand file using 5/32" files and have had good results cutting softwood, and a little hardwood.  Most wood I mill is Douglas Fir, a little WRC, and some big leaf maple and an alder or 2. If you are not seasoned at hand filing, use the granberg style filing guide, as it allows you to get the angles perfect tooth to tooth. their 12v grinder with guide is almost the same thing, but with a grinder rather than a file.  Either way they are the best for sharpening with a CSM.  consistency and proper angles are key in smooth quick milling. 

[HolmenTree]

  I just purchased an Alaskan mill and a Stihl 661 with a 36 inch bar .My first mod will probably be a hand crank winch on the Alaskan.

Welcome to our site Upper.
As you mention hand winch on the Alaskan mill I can only think of one book .......which you may have all ready read Will Malloff's beautiful  well written and  illustrated  book called "Chainsaw Lumber making ".
Focused on milling PNW  timber on the spot where the tree is felled.
Will passed away last July at his home in Alert Bay, B.C. at the age of 81.

http://www.northislandgazette.com/mobile/obits/?id=10034943

[Upper]

Book is on it's way Holmen Tree.And thanks I am engulfed in this forum.................Upper

[HolmenTree]

Your welcome Upper.
The book features some awesome milling saws that Malloff used, notably a Stihl 090 Gear drive was one of his favorites.
Did you order the original 1982 edition or the latest 2nd printing from spring of 2015?

[tlbrooks]

I don't sharpen often enough to keep a good eye for hand file sharpening . sometimes it would cut better than new and next time I sharpened it would be awful. I just a few weeks ago bought a timberline sharpener. well pleased with it so far. ive only sharpened about 4 chains twice with it.

[Bandmill Bandit]

I don't sharpen often enough to keep a good eye for hand file sharpening . sometimes it would cut better than new and next time I sharpened it would be awful. I just a few weeks ago bought a timberline sharpener. well pleased with it so far. ive only sharpened about 4 chains twice with it.

that is why i use a timberline sharping tool. always give a nice true edge.

[Brucer]

I used Will Malloff's method of mounting the granberg mill to the bar. That allowed me to remove a chain quite easily for filing off the saw.

I used three different filing methods in sequence to keep my chain sharp. After several hand filings I'd use a bench grinder to true up the tooth profile and get all teeth to the same length. For hand filing I would use a Pferd file and simply make the number of strokes on each tooth (no need to measure the tooth length -- the bench grinder would fix any discrepancies that crept in). The Pferd system files the tooth and the raker at the same time, so all the rakers end up at a consistent depth. This isn't deep enough for chainsaw milling, so I also have a special raker file that I use after hand filing the tooth. Once again, I just use the same number of strokes on each raker.

So -- bench grinder gives all the teeth a consistent profile and length. Hand file resharpens the teeth on the mill and gives the rakers a consistent depth. Raker file takes the rakers down to a better depth for chainsaw milling.

I have a special raker file that's made in Portugal. The edges of the file a smooth and rounded, so if I slip and hit the front of the tooth, no harm done. This file is way better than any North American file I've used -- it cuts fast and never seems to wear out.

I upgraded my mill over 10 years ago (to a Wood-Mizer ;D) but I still use the same method for keeping my chainsaw sharp. I find that bucking Douglas-Fir logs for the sawmill is harder on my chains than chainsaw milling ever was.

[HolmenTree]

 

  

  

 

I did the Will Malloff's modification to the Alaskan too bolting the bar to the bottom of the uprights. But after  years of removing and reinstalling the 2 bolts the threads in the holes wore out so I just reinstalled the bottom brackets.

I've  been chisel bit square filing my .404 chisel milling chain for the last few years. Have only square filed my chains for timbersport only previously.
I find it mills a lot better then round filed chain, especially on the long cuts of my 32 ft aluminum stabbing rails.
Seems to hold a better edge too or just has better cutting edge angles to cut longer even with a semi dull edge