# Rakers, Depth gauge. too low? safety chain



## Kenji Acso (Dec 28, 2014)

i got a P3416 with safety chain and reduced kickback bar (AKA stupid proof combo).
i bought and used an oregon filling and depth gauge kit for a while, but never really used the raker file and gauge thing.

tonight i thought it was time to use it, i tried to put it the way youre suppose to, with only the raker showing. i saw that it was a wrong position because the guide was sliding all over the place and it was impossible to be sure if it was good or not. so i thought; the slot tru the gauge is so big, it must be to put the whole tooth in!
so i filled the raker down to the black safety link that was bellow it, and the gauge couldn't let me file more so it was suppose to be OK. after looking at it for sometime i looked online to see if what i did was alright. its not.

my depth limiter are now at 1mm~ about 40-45tal deep. 
i cant try it now, because of noise and neighbor...

am not stupid, i worked with dangerous machinery all my life, but i want to know from you Pros out there. could having the raker THIS deep cause mechanical problem to the saw? sproket, and other things?


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## CR888 (Dec 28, 2014)

Sheeez l am not sure what l can say to help you...but lets give it a go. Filling your depth gauge down to the bumper link was silly and will make your chain almost unusable if the cutters are new. lt will be very harsh on your sprocket and be dangerous to use. You will most likely need to file your cutters back to where it will cut normally again. Depth gauge setting is crutial to a well filed chain. Do a search on 'progressive raker setting' and good luck with your cutting.


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## Kenji Acso (Dec 28, 2014)

alright, thank you for the advice.
ive read about "pro" filling the raker up to .40, so i wasnt sure.


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## Philbert (Dec 28, 2014)

Welcome to A.S.!

Key thing is that the 'rakers' are really 'depth gauges' - they control the size of the bite each cutter takes. Normal recommendation is to take off a little at a time, since you can't add them back. 0.025 inches is the standard setting for most chain. As the cutter wears/gets sharpened or ground back, some people will take off more, referred to as 'progressive' raker filing. 
http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...ly-progressive-depth-raker-generators.114624/

But 0.04 inches is a lot, and will result in a rough cut.

Good news is that you may not have taken that much off. You can lay a straight edge across a few cutters and measure the offset to your depth gauges with feeler gauges. The wide slot in the gauge tool (the one with the slot in the middle, right?) is designed to sit on 2 cutters, with room for the depth gauge and bumper to fit through - it needs to be wide for some chains.

If you have taken it down too much, you can: ditch the chain and pretend it never happened; grind/file the teeth back a ways to reduce the offset/difference; use it and get a really rough ride (you and your saw).

Philbert


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## 79jasper (Dec 28, 2014)

Maybe even a picture would help. 

Sent from my SM-T537R4 using Tapatalk


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## woodchuck357 (Dec 29, 2014)

depends on the saw and chain, some get filed with the .025, some .035, some .045


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## KenJax Tree (Dec 29, 2014)

I saw a guy get a 372xp ripped right out of his hands by having his rakers way too low.


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## Philbert (Dec 29, 2014)

KenJax Tree said:


> I saw a guy get a 372xp ripped right out of hjs hands by having his rakers way too low.


That could ruin your day . . .

Philbert


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## Kenji Acso (Dec 29, 2014)

thank you for the welcome, ive bean watching for a long time but didn't need to post so i haven't made an account until today.

yeah, my gauge is the one on the 2nd picture, the one with the rectangle window in the middle.

sadly i dont have a camera, my last one froze to death at -40.


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## Philbert (Dec 29, 2014)

Try it and let us know! We love feedback (and pictures)! 

Philbert


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## Kenji Acso (Dec 29, 2014)

just tried it this morning on a couple hardwood log, it cuts very well!
must hold it more than normal, before you could cut without holding nothing more than the trigger, now you must hold it firmly to control it. it wants to pulls. i dont know if frozen wood is easier to cut than normal, but it did a very good job. cant wait to try it on soft wood this summer.

cut way faster too.
overall very good.

looking for spare parts on ebay, somebody know witch Stilh sprocket fit the P3416 crank?
3/8", .5"crank
my current (factory) sprocket was always very bumpy, when you move the chain by hand it goes tight->loose->tight->loose, with each tooth. i dont know if its designed cheaply like that or something else, but am looking for an enclosed one like pictured:





thats the one i got:
http://www.jackssmallengines.com/Products/POULAN/Sprockets/Spur-Sprockets/514678/2127899/s


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## CR888 (Dec 29, 2014)

lf its going tight then loose as you advance the chain it is a most common symtom of a worn sprocket.


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## Kenji Acso (Dec 29, 2014)

its a brand new saw, right out of the box it was like this.
i think its the sprocket shape, that's why am looking to change. crank bearing dont have any play either.

ive cut 2cord hard and 2soft with it, and it haven't changed for worse.
i wish i had a camera to show you guys.


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## beastmaster (Dec 31, 2014)

At lest your using a gage. Trying to eyeball .030 on a long bar if not perfect can cause the saw to cut bumpy or sideways. Taken down to far the saw will grab the wood and stick More isn't better or faster.


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## Kenji Acso (Dec 31, 2014)

i think the chain was made with the second rakers set to that depth to limit the amount people could remove on purpose.
i searched for an image of my chain online but couldnt find one.


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## HuskStihl (Dec 31, 2014)

I would be happy with 0.040 in loblolly pine with skip chain and any of my bigger saws. I would be unhappy with 0.040 in live oak with my 350.


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## Philbert (Dec 31, 2014)

Kenji Acso said:


> i think the chain was made with the second rakers set to that depth to limit the amount people could remove on purpose.


Depends on the chain/style. Some have scribe marks on the low kickback bumpers to mark how far they can be filed or ground. Some have 'tails' that are easily filed down. Some say that these should not be filed at all.

Philbert


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