A well sharpened chain?
- Thread starter Joseph W Santora
- Start date
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Yes, it looks good. I take them back as they get dull, sometimes its slowly and other times its very fast. If you want a fast chain you need to file/grind back every cutter past any damage, but sometimes circumstance dictates that you just need to get it back far enough to finish the job, then you can clean it up properly later or toss it when that job is done.
Yes ground, but do you know what you're looking at?
I wouldn't bet my life on it, but I'm guessing it's either a chipper chain or form of a square grind.
Yeah you lost the working corner pretty much on that one . A little at a time and you will be back into spec .
If you don't know, then maybe your comment on it was out of place
.It's square...
The rakers on this particular chain where a little low(not done by me), so I converted it to square as that eats up a good bit of the working corner, but not as much of the outside edge of the top plate because the top plate angle is a bit less than it would be if it was round filed.
Next touch up and the rakers will be perfect for cutting frozen wood.
If you don't know, then maybe your comment on it was out of place
It's square...
View attachment 961647
The rakers on this particular chain where a little low(not done by me), so I converted it to square as that eats up a good bit of the working corner, but not as much of the outside edge of the top plate because the top plate angle is a bit less than it would be if it was round filed.
Next touch up and the rakers will be perfect for cutting frozen wood.
Look in good Brett , I square file also as you know , I find it a big improvement in cutting gnarly hardwoods . Takes a little more set up time than round filing , but once you get the proper filing technique things speed up noticeably !
The raker file or a small single ******* cut square file to rework the leading edge , as Brett mentioned gets you back in the ball game !
If you don't know, then maybe your comment on it was out of place
It's square...
View attachment 961647
The rakers on this particular chain where a little low(not done by me), so I converted it to square as that eats up a good bit of the working corner, but not as much of the outside edge of the top plate because the top plate angle is a bit less than it would be if it was round filed.
Next touch up and the rakers will be perfect for cutting frozen wood.
That chain is a little aggressive , same one with the rakers a tad low Brett ? It seemed to begin to smooth out in the last few cookies or you let up a little on the top handle lol. Love the old 2 Series !
If you don't know, then maybe your comment on it was out of place
It's square...
View attachment 961647
The rakers on this particular chain where a little low(not done by me), so I converted it to square as that eats up a good bit of the working corner, but not as much of the outside edge of the top plate because the top plate angle is a bit less than it would be if it was round filed.
Next touch up and the rakers will be perfect for cutting frozen wood.
Interesting!
I've never dealt with square chain. Outside of the 42" bar chains, I stick with semi-chisel. It's rare anything I cut is clean.
And thankfully little to no frozen wood here, at least not the under 2000' elevations.
Exactly. The teeth, when I finish them all some day, will be sufficient for cutting, to be made more than sufficient upon future sharpening. WIth what the still-dull teeth are like, it's a significant improvement.
Definately less hook for light brushing & limbing applications .
I have a couple square grinders, for converting them, after that I will hand file them until I get damage.
Yes, rakers a bit low, I said that above, even so it bores just fine.
If you look close you can see the knots in it and it was frozen, and yes I let up on the last cut. In green non-frozen wood this chain would be very smooth.
Those cookies will be in the wood stove over the next few days
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Absolutely Brett , frozen wood will chunk out easily & yes I see the knots , changes the cutting dynamics immensely . What angle profile do you prefer with your square filing & grinding ?I have a couple square grinders, for converting them, after that I will hand file them until I get damage.
Yes, rakers a bit low, I said that above, even so it bores just fine.
If you look close you can see the knots in it and it was frozen, and yes I let up on the last cut. In green non-frozen wood this chain would be very smooth.
Those cookies will be in the wood stove over the next few days
The depth (raker) determines the rate of the cut , having each tooth the same size is impracticable , although in a perfect world optimial , it does not effect a straight cutting saw chain !
Curvy Dominator Kevin , has a ring to it , kinda grows on yeah !I'll see if I can find a video.
Do your chains cut straight, you've been cutting out a lot lately
Better stop that or we'll give you a name like curvy Kevin and make you hang with digger Dave.
Always get a laugh at people saying all the cutters have to be the same length, don’t think they ever thought of what a raker gauge actually does .
Most have no idea, and won't listen when you tell them, but they'll be happy to tell you how to do it the "right way lol.
I true most of them(edit; the cutters) up when I put them on the grinders, if they are off the saw I'm only gonna file one raker with a progressive gauge, then it's going on the raker grinder
.I guess everyone has there version,,
My first 3 cu in saw was a Jonsered purchased in 1982, with a Carlton chain.
I loved that saw, and always kept a Carlton chain on it,, the guy that sold me the saw always sharpened the chains,,
Then, about 15 years later, I decided I needed a second saw, I bought a Stihl 029 Super,,
I do not know if it took forever for that saw to break in,, or what, but, that saw NEVER cut worth a hoot,,
THEN, a couple weeks ago, I bought the Pferd 3 file holder sharpener.
I had just cleaned up the 029, from sitting around not being used,, and I filed the chain with the Pferd,,
(I have only ever has Stihl chains for the 029!!)
Well, for the past week, I have been running that saw for 2 or 3 hours per day,, and going through LOTS of gas,,
That saw now cuts equal to, or better than how I remember the Jonsered.
I have only touched up the chain once since the first Pferd sharpening.
I can not go back and compare it to the Jonsered, I gave that saw to my SIL,,
he put the saw in the bucket of the JD 855,, and the saw promptly bounced out,, to its death,,
I have several new Stihl chains,, I may have to put a new chain on,, and see how the 029 cuts.
It may be that the 029 likes the drags to be a little lower,,
I noticed every drag was visibly lowered by the Pfred, even though I only stroked each tooth 5 strokes.
Just 2 hours ago I was cutting a white oak that had blown down last summer
The 029 (16" bar) could not reach through the tree at 30 feet up the tree, and no rot in the tree.
The 029 just dropped right through the oak never needing the spikes, just slight down pressure.
Prior to cutting the oak, I had cut up about 50 feet of fallen locust ~12 to 16inches in diameter.
It is now a pleasure to run.
Prior to the Pferd sharpened chain, I really disliked even running the 029
My first 3 cu in saw was a Jonsered purchased in 1982, with a Carlton chain.
I loved that saw, and always kept a Carlton chain on it,, the guy that sold me the saw always sharpened the chains,,
Then, about 15 years later, I decided I needed a second saw, I bought a Stihl 029 Super,,
I do not know if it took forever for that saw to break in,, or what, but, that saw NEVER cut worth a hoot,,
THEN, a couple weeks ago, I bought the Pferd 3 file holder sharpener.
I had just cleaned up the 029, from sitting around not being used,, and I filed the chain with the Pferd,,
(I have only ever has Stihl chains for the 029!!)
Well, for the past week, I have been running that saw for 2 or 3 hours per day,, and going through LOTS of gas,,
That saw now cuts equal to, or better than how I remember the Jonsered.
I have only touched up the chain once since the first Pferd sharpening.
I can not go back and compare it to the Jonsered, I gave that saw to my SIL,,
he put the saw in the bucket of the JD 855,, and the saw promptly bounced out,, to its death,,
I have several new Stihl chains,, I may have to put a new chain on,, and see how the 029 cuts.
It may be that the 029 likes the drags to be a little lower,,
I noticed every drag was visibly lowered by the Pfred, even though I only stroked each tooth 5 strokes.
Just 2 hours ago I was cutting a white oak that had blown down last summer
The 029 (16" bar) could not reach through the tree at 30 feet up the tree, and no rot in the tree.
The 029 just dropped right through the oak never needing the spikes, just slight down pressure.
Prior to cutting the oak, I had cut up about 50 feet of fallen locust ~12 to 16inches in diameter.
It is now a pleasure to run.
Prior to the Pferd sharpened chain, I really disliked even running the 029
You never got back to me Brett on your preferred tooth angle your running on your square ground or filed chains . I'am currently running a 35 degree angle rather than the conventional 30 degree I round file at. I find the tooth stays sharper longer on my Ash & Ironwood up North . I use an old Vintage Granberg 104 Jig from the 60's that excepts the double bevel or triangle files very effectively @ my 25 degree down stroke . I use a lot of Oregon chain lately , use to buy a lot of Stihl RS , but find the new Oregon cuts a little better & longer , probably a metallurgy thing within hardest class ? Anyhow , learnt the square filing from my uncle back in the late 60's . He was pretty well an old school type guy . I still have a few of his old Mac file holders that I still currently use when I free hand lol.Most have no idea, and won't listen when you tell them, but they'll be happy to tell you how to do it the "right way lol.
I true most of them(edit; the cutters) up when I put them on the grinders, if they are off the saw I'm only gonna file one raker with a progressive gauge, then it's going on the raker grinder
Top plate is at about 25, couple degrees on the side plate which gives close to 45 degrees on the underside if I had to guess. It's not a real fast cut, but its durable and smooth. The smoothness is one thing that makes it safer and helps to keep it sharper longer because you can control the cut better as it's not grabby so you're not as likely to hit the ground.
The Oregon EXL is one of my favorites out of the box and its quite hard. The new husky x-cut chains are also very hard and cut nicely out of the box. Both the x-cut and the EXL are very difficult to mimic the original angles on. It can be done, but it takes a couple steps with various files/techniques. At least it sharpens well using a standard single file/technique.
That's pretty cool you had someone to teach you. I learned sharpening on the internet and personal experience, would have been a lot easier and cheaper to have had someone to teach me
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LoneOak
ArboristSite Operative
"Smooth" and "Durable" are faster at the end of the day, and will always be my preferece over "The Fast Slice" type of chain.Top plate is at about 25, couple degrees on the side plate which gives close to 45 degrees on the underside if I had to guess. It's not a real fast cut, but its durable and smooth. The smoothness is one thing that makes it safer and helps to keep it sharper longer because you can control the cut better as it's not grabby so you're not as likely to hit the ground.
The Oregon EXL is one of my favorites out of the box and its quite hard. The new husky x-cut chains are also very hard and cut nicely out of the box. Both the x-cut and the EXL are very difficult to mimic the original angles on. It can be done, but it takes a couple steps with various files/techniques. At least it sharpens well using a standard single file/technique.
That's pretty cool you had someone to teach you. I learned sharpening on the internet and personal experience, would have been a lot easier and cheaper to have had someone to teach me
