# Ripping Chain, I am so confused.



## retoid (Mar 25, 2008)

I have been doing lots of reading, asking and researching about ripping chain.
The more I learn about them the more confused I get. Everyone gives me different information and I am just not sure who to listen to anymore.

I am curious what is going to be the best solution for ripping mainly NW red cedar but some other woods like maple and douglass fur. My saw is a Husky 2100 CD with a 36" bar and we are using a Granberg alaskan mill 36"

I am also curious why I have been hearing so many different versions of ripping chain from so many sources? Is it word of mouth? I prefer getting information from somebody who is experienced in this field and has been milling with a chainsaw for some time and actually know what they are talking about. (I am not saying anyone on here has given me bunk info.) Local people.

I would imagine the chain selection is going to depend on how smooth of a cut I need as well. I would like to know both. For the most part our milled wood will be used for outdoor use and for mt bike features, so smooth cuts are not applicable for that need. However I am getting interested in making some furniture as well and would like to know if a different ripping chain would create a smoother cut that would help for less sanding later on.

Thank you for helping. (great forum guys. I appreciate all the help I have already gotten from here.)


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## slabmaster (Mar 25, 2008)

*Ripping chain*

I have milled thousands of board ft. And i prefer 3/8 .050 chain.I mostly do hardwood.And use round chizel ful comp.For nice finish.Sharpened at 10 degrees.I do thin down every other two cutters to 1/16" , sort of a skip design and sharpen them at 30 degrees.Granberg sells chain already that way for ripping.It works fine for me on hardwood.For softwood,you can go more agressive,say full square chizel skip.sharpened at 0 degrees would be real fast cutting but a bit rough on finish.


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Mar 25, 2008)

Here's yet another opinion...


I would recommend trying .325 or possibly LP/picco chain for your setup. I use .325 with a 44" bar on my 084 and it cuts faster and produces less sawdust compared to 3/8". I've never personally used LP chain but some speak highly of it. I know it's too light for a 120cc saw and it might be on the border for a 100cc saw. Someone else can chime here...

In my experience I have found more aggressive chains do well in softwoods in terms speed and efficiency but at the cost of a rougher surface. .325 full comp, semi-chisel chain with 15 deg top plates and rakers at .030"-.035" should chew through cedar and douglas fir with your saw. For maple, 5 deg top plates and .025"-.030" rakers will give you a better finish and be less taxing on the saw.


Good luck-


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## Adkpk (Mar 25, 2008)

Carlton makes a good ripping chain. Go with what type of bar you have and have fun with it. Not that hard. Leave it up to the experts and you'll never figure it out. (We learned by doing). Bailey's will walk you through what type of chain will fit your saw just have the bar handy when you call. And you need to count the links on your chain also for them.


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## Mad Professor (Mar 25, 2008)

For up to 25" bar w/066 I use sthil picco (3/8 LP) ground to 5-10 degrees in hardwoods. Very smooth cuts and less kerf. The smaller kerf = less sawdust/waste and a faster cut.

Set up a water feed to cool the bar regardless of what you decide to use for chain.

Note a 25" bar will handle most 30-33" logs once you square it to a cant.


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## DRB (Mar 26, 2008)

I use Oregon 73RD rip chain with good luck on western red cedar. It seems that if I take the rakers down to much the cut gets a rougher. 

Here are a couple of pics of results I have had.


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## RPM (Mar 27, 2008)

DRB said:


> I use Oregon 73RD rip chain with good luck on western red cedar. It seems that if I take the rakers down to much the cut gets a rougher.
> 
> Here are a couple of pics of results I have had.



Looks like some nice beach combing finds you've got there - can't beat coastal old growth timber. Used to work logging on the outside coast of Vancouver Island - Nootka / Port Eliza. We used to mill up stuff that showed up on the beach in front of camp - weird currents there that seemed to gather logs that fell out of booms (fir/red - yellow cedar) A couple of big mahogany and teak logs washed up on shore one year (probably from the Philippines) - the camp manager walked a hydraulic log loader down onto the beach and chucked it up to the camp. He had a volkswagon mill that he used to mill it all up and took a huge load out on the barge. I'd take a couple big planks (mostly yellow cedar) out on the crew boat every shift - probably a 1000' bdf or more over a year or two.


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## retoid (Apr 20, 2008)

I found the perfect chain for my needs.

I bought a skip tooth 3/8" .063 oregon chain. It creates a very rough texture on the wood. Which is great since we are riding our mt. bikes on the slabs.


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## peterrum (Apr 20, 2008)

*site*

I think there is some good information here.

http://www.sawmillchainsaws.com/


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## Zodiac45 (Apr 28, 2008)

So what I see the experianced guys saying here is that they don't neccesarily buy ripping chain per se? 
You buy standard chain and grind it too spec? I am following here? Most standard non ripping chain is 30 degrees and 60. So too make a ripping chain I would change this too say 5-10 degrees top plate tooth and 75 at the angle of my grinder head?


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Apr 28, 2008)

Zodiac45 said:


> So what I see the experianced guys saying here is that they don't neccesarily buy ripping chain per se?
> You buy standard chain and grind it too spec? I am following here? Most standard non ripping chain is 30 degrees and 60. So too make a ripping chain I would change this too say 5-10 degrees top plate tooth and 75 at the angle of my grinder head?



For 3/8 I buy Bailey's ripping chain because it's a good value and you actually start with longer teeth than standard chain thus getting longer life.

I have to make my .325 ripping chain from regular semi-chisel chain and I grind it a little at a time to 15-60-10.

My grinder only goes to 60 for the top plate cutting angle but I don't believe I'd go any more than that even if it did. 75 degrees seems to me like it would be too thin and brittle.


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## Zodiac45 (Apr 29, 2008)

aggiewoodbutchr said:


> For 3/8 I buy Bailey's ripping chain because it's a good value and you actually start with longer teeth than standard chain thus getting longer life.
> 
> I have to make my .325 ripping chain from regular semi-chisel chain and I grind it a little at a time to 15-60-10.
> 
> My grinder only goes to 60 for the top plate cutting angle but I don't believe I'd go any more than that even if it did. 75 degrees seems to me like it would be too thin and brittle.



Thanks for the reply Aggie,

I usually always grind at 60 degrees myself. My Speed Sharp will go too 90 or straight up and down for rakers etc. and I had read where a guy mentioned a 0 or flat across face coming in a 75? I had the same thought about the cutting face but opposite since it would provide a "shorter" face rather than longer/thinner due too the wheel raising a litter higher than the standard 60 degrees?

At any rate, I think I'll first stay at the 60 and take a few older chains and whittle them down over several passes too the 10-15 range and see how they go. 0 or straight across seemed a bit extreme too me? Does that equate with smoother? The less the angle, smoother the cut? Getting the milling bug lately and might pull the trigger on something too give it a go! Could probably use my 143MX initially on medium logs with a 30" or maybe a 36" Alaskan type.


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## slabmaster (Apr 29, 2008)

o degrees is the smoothest and it gets worse from there as the angle increases.Full comp. ripping chain at 10 degrees does a good job.I start out with that and after i sharpen it is changed to 0 degrees and every two cutters are angled at 30 degrees and thinned to 1/16"kerf. It then not only does a good job, but also cuts alot faster and is easier on the saw.Mark


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## Zodiac45 (Apr 29, 2008)

slabmaster said:


> o degrees is the smoothest and it gets worse from there as the angle increases.Full comp. ripping chain at 10 degrees does a good job.I start out with that and after i sharpen it is changed to 0 degrees and every two cutters are angled at 75 degrees and thinned to 1/16". It then not only does a good job, but also cuts alot faster and is easier on the saw.Mark



Thanks Mark,

Interesting. So your sort of making a semi skip ripping chain there. I figured the 0 was the smoothest yep at a price of speed I imagine.


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## slabmaster (Apr 29, 2008)

Yes,The skip design really picks up speed and is better on your saw as two teeth slice and the next two cut out what you just sliced.The board still stays smooth.Mark


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Apr 29, 2008)

Zodiac45 said:


> Thanks for the reply Aggie,
> 
> I usually always grind at 60 degrees myself. My Speed Sharp will go too 90 or straight up and down for rakers etc. and I had read where a guy mentioned a 0 or flat across face coming in a 75? I had the same thought about the cutting face but opposite since it would provide a "shorter" face rather than longer/thinner due too the wheel raising a litter higher than the standard 60 degrees?
> 
> At any rate, I think I'll first stay at the 60 and take a few older chains and whittle them down over several passes too the 10-15 range and see how they go. 0 or straight across seemed a bit extreme too me? Does that equate with smoother? The less the angle, smoother the cut? Getting the milling bug lately and might pull the trigger on something too give it a go! Could probably use my 143MX initially on medium logs with a 30" or maybe a 36" Alaskan type.



I brain was a little backwards there. For some reason I was thinking would produce a longer angle. 

0 degrees would produce a smoother cut but at the cost of a little speed. Depending on what I'm cutting and the results I want I'll use anywhere from 0 to 20 degrees.


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Apr 29, 2008)

slabmaster said:


> o degrees is the smoothest and it gets worse from there as the angle increases.Full comp. ripping chain at 10 degrees does a good job.I start out with that and after i sharpen it is changed to 0 degrees and every two cutters are angled at 30 degrees and thinned to 1/16"kerf. It then not only does a good job, but also cuts alot faster and is easier on the saw.Mark



Here's a good link to what Mark is describing.

http://www.granberg.com/ripping_chain.html


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## retoid (Apr 30, 2008)

Thanks again for all the great info guys.

When we use a standard oregon chain for milling. We figured out a good method for creating a rough cut that we want for good traction with out mt bike tires.

This is what the texture comes out like.











and a couple more to show what we built


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## retoid (Apr 30, 2008)

Here is the bullet that we sawed through while milling with the 2100.


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## aggiewoodbutchr (May 2, 2008)

Awesome work!


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## 2FatGuys (May 2, 2008)

slabmaster said:


> o degrees is the smoothest and it gets worse from there as the angle increases.Full comp. ripping chain at 10 degrees does a good job.I start out with that and after i sharpen it is changed to 0 degrees and every two cutters are angled at 30 degrees and thinned to 1/16"kerf. It then not only does a good job, but also cuts alot faster and is easier on the saw.Mark



Can you post pictures of that? This cutter pattern sounds interesting. I'd like to see what it looks like. Thanks.

EDIT: Never mind... I just saw the other post with the Granberg link.


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