Bucked some hickory

[NovaMan]

There was a pile of big hickory next door, so I thought I'd have at it. I started with the RSC3 chain, but then I tried the full skip chain (what's the part number on that, Andy?) and that worked better. Now the full skip chain is dull. Is it reasonable for it be dull, or did I work it too hard? I went through almost a gallon of gas.

The fresh cuts are the ones I made:

 

[Gypo Logger]

Nova Man, it's really gonna be difficult to ascertain what exactly you may have rocked out on. City trees often harbour metal objects and since it was hollow as well there may have been some foreign material in there that has abraided your cutters.
Also, could you have inadvertantly rocked out on the fire hydrant?

 

[Newfie]

I hope you didn't use a gallon of gas on that little pile of wood, tell us that you hauled away truckloads before you took the pictures. If not the chain was probably dull before you started.

I'll second what John said and add that any downed wood on a construction site is going to be covered in grit from the ineveitable dust kicked from equipment and vehicles moving around it.

 

[Reddog]

When I have to buck to length on the deck, I get about six to eight cuts before I am filing. These are 20" +" trees. In felling clean wood and bucking in the woods I touch it up every tank. But it only takes minor filing one or two passes. I run both RS and RSFS and both seem to dull as quick as the other. If you know you are going to cut dirty logs try RM or RMFS and see. The corner is not as easily dulled.:greenchainsaw:

 

[DeanBrown3D]

Novaman - are you ripping those round lengthwise? Looks like you did at least some of those.

I use RS chain on hickory and its never ever been a problem for me, but I know others who have used craftsman saws and chains that had a real hard time, blunts it before even felling the tree.

 

[rmihalek]

Never try to "field sharpen" your chain. You will rarely get a good edge (or an even cut) when you're practicing this technique. The better way to cut is to bring three or four chains with you when you go cutting. When you need to fuel the saw, put in a new chain and top off the oil tank and yer back in bidness!

Sharpen your chains at home where you have access to a dedicated grinder.

 

[clearance]

Never try to "field sharpen" your chain. You will rarely get a good edge (or an even cut) when you're practicing this technique. The better way to cut is to bring three or four chains with you when you go cutting. When you need to fuel the saw, put in a new chain and top off the oil tank and yer back in bidness!

Sharpen your chains at home where you have access to a dedicated grinder.

This is ok advice about running a few chains, when you get home sharpen them by hand, hopefully in a vise, if you grind you will never learn to hand file chains, that is what you want to be doing in the field. After a while you will be able to put a razor edge on your saw, before it really gets dull, in the field, by hand, the way its sposed to be done. Stick at it, very satisfying to be able to do this with just a file, throw away the training wheels everyone.

 

[NovaMan]

To answer some of the questions:
I barely hit the dirt once or twice.
I definitely didn't hit the hydrant.
Yes, that's all the wood I cut with about... 5 tanks or so. (I'm new!)
The logs weren't exactly clean, and one of them had lots of crud in the middle.
Yes, I was ripping them lengthwise; I didn't split any of it.
When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
:greenchainsaw:

This was my first time sawing with a real gas saw; I didn't injure myself, and I enjoyed it. :biggrinbounce2:

One thing I noticed was the full skip chain didn't sling nearly as much oil as the RSC3. I checked the oil hole in the bar and even poked a little wood shaving out with a toothpick, but it didn't make any difference. Should I have cranked up the oil? How hot should the teeth be right after a big cut?

 

[Freakingstang]

were you ripping them standing up or laying down? If you would have gone parallel to the grain (lengthwise) you should have had extremely long spagehtti chips. Looks like fine dust from perpendicular cutting (standin on end). That would have taken a ton of gas with a normal chisel chain

 

[RaisedByWolves]

How hot should the teeth be right after a big cut?

The bar and chain should be moderatly warm, certainly not too hot to touch.


Do what stang said and cut with the grain next time, easier on you, your bar and your chain will stay sharp longer.


Either way it sounds like your havin fun, thats all that matters.

 

[k3vin]

Perhaps try putting the chain on the other way. Hehe

 

[DeanBrown3D]

Perhaps try putting the chain on the other way. Hehe

opcorn: You have to file the cutters right down and sharpen the rakers, its a real PITA that way:jester:

 

[stihlatit]

This is ok advice about running a few chains, when you get home sharpen them by hand, hopefully in a vise, if you grind you will never learn to hand file chains, that is what you want to be doing in the field. After a while you will be able to put a razor edge on your saw, before it really gets dull, in the field, by hand, the way its sposed to be done. Stick at it, very satisfying to be able to do this with just a file, throw away the training wheels everyone.

Ditto......should be no probs with field sharpening.

 

[NovaMan]

were you ripping them standing up or laying down? If you would have gone parallel to the grain (lengthwise) you should have had extremely long spagehtti chips. Looks like fine dust from perpendicular cutting (standin on end). That would have taken a ton of gas with a normal chisel chain

I did some of both. (I thought the wood pasta was kinda neat.)

The bar and chain should be moderatly warm, certainly not too hot to touch.

Do what stang said and cut with the grain next time, easier on you, your bar and your chain will stay sharp longer.

Either way it sounds like your havin fun, thats all that matters.

At times, the bar and chain were too hot to touch. What am I doing wrong? (I may be a newb, but I have the chain on the right way.)


Wait a sec... is it easier on the saw to make chips or spaghetti?

 

[Lakeside53]

I'd say it's reasonable to have a blunt chain after 5 tanks of gas in Hickory, with some ripping and dirt touching... Any of the RS chains cut poorly as soon as the point is blunt. Touch it up in the field, and early - I do all the time...


..and I see soemof your wood has rotten centers - bound to be dirt and junk in there... You might be better off with an RM chain...

I was getting about 3-4 tanks of gas between sharpening today, but I was ripping about 175 - 200 bdft per chain..

 

[NovaMan]

Even if it is reasonable for my chain to be dull, the heat has me worried now. With the RSC3 chain, it threw alot of oil. With the skip chain, it hardly threw any oil. If I crank up the oil volume, will the chain run much cooler? Am I using too much RPM?


So RM is the chain to use on dirty wood? Most of the wood I cut is at least somewhat dirty, so maybe I should get one of those. What do I ask for when I go to the dealership?

 

[Lakeside53]

Even if it is reasonable for my chain to be dull, the heat has me worried now. With the RSC3 chain, it threw alot of oil. With the skip chain, it hardly threw any oil. If I crank up the oil volume, will the chain run much cooler? Am I using too much RPM?


So RM is the chain to use on dirty wood? Most of the wood I cut is at least somewhat dirty, so maybe I should get one of those. What do I ask for when I go to the dealership?

Ask them for RM, not RM2. If you want RM skip, then ask for that. They won't have it in stock, but can get it by the loop. Remember though, except for wood with rotten holes, the wood INSIDE is clean, so only the bark or outside is dirty.. with some care and even chipping away bark, you can make your chains last a long time..

The 026 gushes oil.... and the same amount of oil no matter what type chain you run, so the only issue you have is chain tension... Don't over tighten the chain and it will run fine.. Sure , turn up the oil if you want.. won't hurt.

If you changed the chain and it oils less, then the only other variable is the oil hole into the bar... be real sure it isn't blocked when you turned the bar over.

 

[NovaMan]

I did turn the bar over when I switched to the skip chain, but I checked the oil hole when it didn't spew oil like with the RSC3. I'll flip the bar again with the skip chain and see if it oils better... maybe it's a bum oil hole?

Tell me a little about the full skip chain I have. All I know now is it's full skip 3/8" and the teeth look different than the RSC3.

Edit: I tighten the chain so that I can move it with one hand. It loosened up during cutting because of the heat and new chain stretch, so I don't think excessive chain tension is a problem.

 

[fubar2]

Hand fileing a chain takes mucho practiseimo but well worth the effort when you do master it. Youll know youre good when you get a rip cut producing both spaghetti and meatballs add heat and Mister youre in for a fine lunch.

 

[Lakeside53]

I did turn the bar over when I switched to the skip chain, but I checked the oil hole when it didn't spew oil like with the RSC3. I'll flip the bar again with the skip chain and see if it oils better... maybe it's a bum oil hole?

Tell me a little about the full skip chain I have. All I know now is it's full skip 3/8" and the teeth look different than the RSC3.

Edit: I tighten the chain so that I can move it with one hand. It loosened up during cutting because of the heat and new chain stretch, so I don't think excessive chain tension is a problem.

The full skip you have is a Square Ground Full Skip RS... same basic cutter as your RSC, but square ground instead of round. Your full skip will be round ground as soon as you sharpen it. The type of chain has nothing to do with the oil output... Oil holes don't go bum - they just need cleaning out.. same with bar grooves..

Take of the bar an chain, start the saw and watch for oil coming out of the oil hole in the inner side plate... just to be sure...