alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description

Author Topic: Trophy wife  (Read 10218 times)

Offline bandmiller2

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 373
Trophy wife
« on: April 05, 2016, 06:12:32 AM »
Chainsaws are like a trophy wife they require a lot of care and attention but when happy will put out. I don't think theirs another tool that will save so much labor for such a small amount of fuel. If our forefathers had chainsaws we'd all be living in the great American desert. Its hard to beat compressed air when cleaning up a saw as that fine sawdust gets everywhere. Many pilgrims are afrade to remove the bar or even adjust it. The only time their saw really cuts well is with a new chain. I go both ways (sharpening) file and grind. Most of the time I file with the saw clamped in a bench vice at a handy hight. Every so often, or if I hit something, I'll take the chain off and grind it to even thing up and give me a chance to clean the bar slot. If its hard to file after you grind your too frisky with the grinder and overheating the teeth. Most folks run the saws sprocket too long and it gets grooves worn in it. I prefer the rim sprockets as they last longer and are cheaper in the long run, just replace the rim. Keep your chain adjusted right, too loose is as bad as too tight. Holding the bar tip up I like to just remove the chain sag from the bottom of the bar yet let the chain pull around easy. A new chain will require more adjustments until its worn in. Any advice guys I don't know everything. Frank C.

Offline furu

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 668
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2016, 10:38:06 AM »
Buy quality loops and or chain never the cheap stuff.
I rarely grind my loops.  

I am a hand filer almost exclusively.  I try to touch up a chain every tank or so but occasionally will go two tanks of fuel depending upon what I am doing.  I find that two or three strokes of the file will keep the chain just right and staying on top of it minimizes the amount of filing that I do.  

Some folks have said that filing every tank wears down the chain quickly but from my experience touching it up every tank will actually minimize the amount of metal that is removed and makes it last longer.  I learned that trick from an old head logger years ago.   Me I touch up the chain wherever I am, never in a vice.  Most of the time kneeling in the forest next to my fuel can.

Dress your bar occasionally the wear on the bar can effect performance significantly.
Never use old regular oil for chain oil. It just does not perform properly and the stuff is not that expensive to claim it cost too much.

Use full synthetic 2 cycle oil.  The old stuff or even the semi synthetic 2 cycle oil has been left by the side of the highway for keeping the saw running cleanly and carbon free and does effect the smell of your clothes at the end of the day. ;D

If you tighten up the chain when it is hot/warm loosen it at the end of business so it does not over tighten on the bar as it cools.  Normally not a problem but can be, given wrong circumstances.  

When you change the loop, flip the bar over to equalize the wear.  As to the drive sprocket some will say to change it after you wear out two loops.  Maybe I have been lucky but I have never had it wear that quickly but I would check it for wear every time you pull a loop off and/or bar (why not it is visible at that time and can easily be done.)

I like full-skip, full-chisel for normal cutting.  If I am doing site prep work requiring the chainsaw instead of the brushcutters, I never use full-skip as the size of the material does not warrant it and it effects safety when cutting small diameter woody stems.

Always wear PPE.  The cost is much less than one visit to the doctor and the pain and down time are even worse.  Don't care if it is hot wear it.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing when no one is looking.
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else will ever even know.

Offline bandmiller2

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 373
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2016, 06:18:55 AM »
All good info Furu, I too have gone to full synthetic. In fact synthetic in all my small engines once broken in. I sharpen, usually with a file, at each fill up a couple of swipes with a sharp file. By the time the chain has worn out its cut enough wood so even this cheap yankee is satisfied. Never tried skip chain of any type its not too popular back east. I do like square ground chisel though. Yesterday cut with some old round chipper chain compared to chisel it felt dull. Frank C.

Offline furu

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 668
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2016, 02:23:06 PM »
I will say that I am pretty good with sharpening classic full chisel cutters but have never been really satisfied with my square ground chisel hand filing.  

I am a purist and use Stihl as I think their cutters are a bit harder and hold an edge better than Oregon. (Just my opinion)

The majority of the saw shops say that most folks turn their square ground into classic round chisel because it is too hard without a square ground bench sharpener.  Since my sharpening occurs in the field that is not a good option.

While I have gotten better on square ground sharpening techniques I am always ready to learn more. (of course my personality is one that always thinks I can improve and be better)  

Are you any good at square ground chisel hand sharpening and can pass on techniques?
Integrity is not just doing the right thing.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing when no one is looking.
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else will ever even know.

Offline bandmiller2

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 373
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2016, 07:27:22 PM »
No mate never tried filing square chain I have a Silvey r2 square grinder. Round filed chisel chain can be  converted to square and vice versa but it looks a little funky for a couple of sharpenings. I don't think theirs any chain that cuts faster than well sharpened square chisel, but its not for everyone. Frank C.

Offline kbeitz

  • Collector and builder of many things.
  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 203
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2019, 03:49:32 AM »
I have two good chain saw grinders but I sharpen 90% of the time with a
dremel. I hate files. Way to slow. It's so easy with a dremel.
Home made band saw mill.
Machine shop.
Wood work shop.
Weld shop.
Collector of mechanical things

Offline furu

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 668
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2019, 11:52:56 AM »
Don't know how slow "way too slow is" but I sharpen a 20 inch loop in about 4 minutes or less and 28 inch about 5 minutes.   
This is for round file chisel chain not square cut.
I also never let it get really dull (providing I don't hit something like the ground which is instant dull)

How long does it take with a dremel?  I have never used one and new techniques are always nice to know.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing when no one is looking.
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else will ever even know.

Offline mike p

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 939
  • adicted to the aroma of oak
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2019, 05:41:34 PM »
Im a dremil sharpener takes about a minute for 20"
Eagle's Nest Tree farm & Sawmill
BSA Scoutmaster Retired
My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from
 too much government.
   Thomas Jefferson 1802
 No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.

   Thomas Jefferson

Offline kbeitz

  • Collector and builder of many things.
  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 203
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2019, 07:33:37 PM »
I take a black marker and mark one link... I zip around the chain to the mark and then do the other angle links. Yep... about a minute I would say and the chain stays on the saw. i also use a 12 volt one in the field...
Home made band saw mill.
Machine shop.
Wood work shop.
Weld shop.
Collector of mechanical things

Offline furu

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 668
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2019, 02:04:20 AM »
Im a dremil sharpener takes about a minute for 20"

I take a black marker and mark one link... I zip around the chain to the mark and then do the other angle links. Yep... about a minute I would say and the chain stays on the saw. i also use a 12 volt one in the field...


Well I am impressed by your dremel sharpening description. 
Maybe I will have to give it a try as fast as you say it is. 
A normal 20 inch loop has 36 cutters on the loop and to do it in about a minute is less than 2 seconds (1.67 seconds actually) a cutter to position/align and sharpen. That is rather quick and impressive as a time saver to do all that in about a minute.
 
I very occasionally run a full skip loop on my 20" (not a common thing to do) depending upon what I am cutting  and that would still be only 3.3 seconds a cutter.
Very fast no matter how you look at it.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing when no one is looking.
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else will ever even know.

Offline bandmiller2

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 373
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2019, 05:55:45 AM »
I have steered clear of Dremil due to the cost of the little round stones. When the smoke clears most folks end up filing chains, with some ability and practice its the fastest cheapest way. The temper of chain cutters is dumbed down to what a file can cut easily if everyone used a grinder they could be made from a harder tool steel, fat chance that will ever happen. Frank C.

Offline kbeitz

  • Collector and builder of many things.
  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 203
Re: Trophy wife
« Reply #11 on: February 12, 2019, 06:31:08 PM »
I have steered clear of Dremil due to the cost of the little round stones. When the smoke clears most folks end up filing chains, with some ability and practice its the fastest cheapest way. The temper of chain cutters is dumbed down to what a file can cut easily if everyone used a grinder they could be made from a harder tool steel, fat chance that will ever happen. Frank C.

Not if you buy them right...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gesswein-100-pcs-Red-1-8-Shank-1-5-Shank-1-8-head-Rotary-Bits-Dremel/132932560757?hash=item1ef365e775:g:0lAAAOSwzZNcGt0r:sc:USPSFirstClass!17846!US!-1:rk:23:pf:0

I had to find a fast way when i had 20 people running chain saws when cutting Christmas trees... I get around 3 sharpenings per stone.
Home made band saw mill.
Machine shop.
Wood work shop.
Weld shop.
Collector of mechanical things