Aspiring Square Filers

[P_woozel]

Frank, I took your advice and cleaned out the gullets. I will lower the rakers a little and see how it works. Between you and EHP I am getting real sound advice. Thanks to both of you.


I wonder how many chains it will take to get this all figured out.

I didnt used to worry about the gullets, but it makes a worl of difference, especially when you are just about halfway on the tooth. :blob5:

 

[SpikeSupra]

I have a macro mode on the camera but the flash is too much and washed everything out. I am blocking off part of the flash. It is hard to get a true perspective of what the angles really are. Focus is touchy too. Photography is another area where I have lots of room for improvement.

The secret to micro photography is to have a seperate light source like a halogen lamp or spotlight, then turn off your flash.

 

[Crofter]

Some pics on converting round to square. the small crescent on side cutter is part of original round ground surface. A few more strokes would remove it.

Tooth filed with position too low on tooth leavin side beak. Looks normal from top view.

Tooth filed with corner too high on tooth leaving beak on top plate. This is the least desireable

 

[Crofter]

Another filed tooth that could have had file hanle a bit higher. Remember, I am filing from the outside (other side in this pic) The file would have been clearing the tie straps a fair bit. Kissing the tie straps would give you a slightly coarser top plate bevel, but this will cut good enough for the girls I go with

 

[trimmmed]

Your a quick study Frank, nice pics!

 

[Crofter]

Light for Filing

You certainly need lots of light and I find that the location of the light source very important in provide some clues that really help file positioning in the tooth. Square is trickier than round filing because the file angle is so different than the resulting top plate angle. Also the file rotation is mainly what controls the side plate hook. The pic. I attach shows the file in the tooth and shadows created indicating gap or discrepancy between file and tooth. The shadow is tapered and indicates the file handle should be moved to the right. The side of the tooth projects a similar shadow onto the file indicating which way you will want to rotate the file to get the desired hook in the side plate. You may find different ways of locating the file, but this sure helps my game

 

[Crofter]

Here's a few pictures of some file and tooth angles that I would consider decent for a working square filed chain. Competition angles would be different. It is easy to find yourself filing into the tie straps. All these different angles plus file rotation must be controlled simultaneously to get the finished result. Seems tricky at first, but like riding a bike, after you get it down you cant remember why it seemd so hard

 

[Mange]

Wery educating picturs. The best explanation so far.

 

[jokers]

Very nice Crofter, thanks for taking the time and effort to share.

Russ

 

[Crofter]

There are a few more people trying square filing and some of the stuff eariler in this thread may help. I have not used a square grinder at all, but most of this stuff applies. I am thinking about trying a grinder to easier get the uniformity of some chains where I am working toward something like you might take to a chainsaw race. I knock back the tooth length with a round grinder and do some reshaping with it but have hit some teeth that I manage to harden and the file then wont touch. Darn and Shucks gets said!

 

[lucky]

So Frank when you convert do you use a round grinder to shorten the tooth then a chisel file to convert? I have converted by just using the chisel file and that seems to wear them out real quick.
What's this goofy file that people talk about?

 

[MacDaddy]

Frank if you're tempering the tooth with a grinder put a coolant mister on it when you grind and slow down.

 

[Crofter]

Macman, 100 % Just the mess and that I dont keep the shop heated. I peck, peck, but occasionally I guess I got impatient.

Lucky, I would not have to take the tooth back simply to convert to square filed. It really takes only a few file strokes as all of the round ground surfaces do not have to be removed at once. Just the very point of the tooth and a bit of material on the inside corner of the tooth that is the most in the way of initial chip formation. We have been all told to make good firm file contact and not let it skitter or it will dull quicker. Especially with the left hand I am weak in this respect so the chisel files seem not to last too long sometimes. I use the round grinder to make a uniform gullet shape and set the rake angle when I am working up a chain for bragging. That rake angle sets the file rotation, and the top plate angle, so only have to eyeball the rearward tilt of the file as it skims the side of my clamp. The keeping file corner on or just below tooth corner also has to be watched. There just are a lot of dimensions that have to be controlled simultaneously as opposed to only 2 on roundfiling, but you begin to do it automatically after a while and even git to put your tongue back in and chew gum!

 

[Crofter]

I bought a used square grinder a while back. No instructions whatsoever and had a few things needing attention. It is a Simington 450 swing arm. Would anyone happen to have a manual for one. I played around and made a few modifications to give some sharper angles a little more like a competition chain than what you would use for a work chain. It would be a bit of a pain to change back and forth because of having to dress the wheel to new angles.

 

[redprospector]

Hey Frank,
Is that the grinder I was looking at on Ebay a while back?
If it is, you got a good deal.
Sorry I don't have any paperwork on it, couldn't find anything on it either.

Andy

 

[Crofter]

I dont think it has been made for many a year and then I believe they were in a patent dispute with Silvey. I couldn't find any link to a manua anywhere either but I think I have it pretty well fingered out. I never seem to be able to leave anything as is without some modification or other so the operating manuals get obsolete pretty quick anyway.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Here's my first serious attempt at square filing by hand. The chain was Carlton A! and I used a 6 sided Pferd file that Dave Neiger gave me at WJ's GTG.
Anyway, it didn't take me much longer than had I square ground it, so I will try to just file in the woods now till I master it. Why, I have no idea, but maybe one day I can file race chain as well.
You can still see remnants of the last time I ground this chain on the right side of under the top plate.
John

 

[046]

since I'm just getting started with square filed chains...
this is great info for me!! thanks for sharing.