cant get chips instead of sawdust while cutting

[Okie]

Test your chain on a green red oak log and compare the chips vs dust.
If you get a new chain test it on a green log first, then go to the dead stuff and see if you get chips.
Post up some pic's of your chain.
Dead red oak is usually does not dull a chain very fast.

Old dead black jack limbs will dull a chain fast and make the chain even throw sparks.

 

[huskihl]

Ive noticed a chip size difference between white oak, and other species such as beech and hickory. All using the same chain.

The oak chips are much smaller. I dont have experience with red oak.

Red oak, white oak and elm produce chips more like splinters for me

 

[CaseyForrest]

Red oak, white oak and elm produce chips more like splinters for me

Good comparison, I see the same with the oak and elm.

 

[dmb2613]

A white oak fell in a storm about 5 years ago behind the house. I cut most of it up. But left about 15 foot of the trunk. I use it to test saws from time to time. I took a rebuilt 026 to it yesterday with a 18 in bar and 3/8 P chain [new] That thing has got so hard you cant get big chips out of it, but I can burry that 026 in it and she dont die down.
Cut some green wood with it and report back.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Test your chain on a green red oak log and compare the chips vs dust.
If you get a new chain test it on a green log first, then go to the dead stuff and see if you get chips.
Post up some pic's of your chain.
Dead red oak is usually does not dull a chain very fast.

Old dead black jack limbs will dull a chain fast and make the chain even throw sparks.

Very old, dead white gum Euc can dull a chain in a matter of inches of cut. I use semi chiz on that stuff because of it. The red gum I’ve cut in Cali has always been a softer wood in comparison but there are other types, especially in AU that are harder than the white gum here.

 

[sb47]

Ive noticed a chip size difference between white oak, and other species such as beech and hickory. All using the same chain.

The oak chips are much smaller. I dont have experience with red oak.

I cut a lot of red oak and it's not a hard wood to cut when it's green. However it is a lot harder when it's dry. It splits very easy as well.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

It's been down in the desert for 20 years, got a mountain of it to cut. Some may be deteriorated from the dryness at the ends, but most is hard, slick and smooth after you cut it, slapping it is like slapping a rock. Dense and heavy...maul bounces off it. Tension in it from drying and cracking over the years. Als has dust in the cracks...sometimes I pressure wash it (288 vid) and sometimes I don't (395).

Looks like a red gum, watching again. And, I had not watched the end of your vid with the chain explanation. May be the pic quality but that chain looks a bit dull to me and would easily explain the blowing dust mixed with chips seen. That old a white gum would literally make the chain chatter, cut very slowly regardless of saw power and throw slivers as suggested above.
Some older white is impossible to cut without full carbide chain. And…it laughs at hydraulic splitters

nice saw

 

[angelo c]

We don’t have rot in the desert. It’s dry hard Euc and a good square .404” chain and ported 395.

Stock 288 with 3/8”

You really should consider bigger saws..

 

[angelo c]

Red oak, white oak and elm produce chips more like splinters for me

Maybe you should have yer saws ported...
I got a guy !!!

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Maybe you should have yer saws ported...
I got a guy !!!

I‘m guessing you haven’t cut those when extremely old and dry,

 

[028S038AV]

Sorry to hear of issue.... also did not read all of the posts.

Sharpening chainsaw chains is art... not all people can .... I have been cutting firewood and fixing chainsaws since the early 1970. Old now and a full day of chainsaw will wipe me out. I have tried a few times to sharpen chain, just not happy with results... I have 2 small saws, 2 med saws, and 1 big saw. Have not used big one in years. Have 12 saws to fix and sell to others.....

I buy 3-4 chains for the saw... semi chisel non safety chains for me. The drive sprocket will wear out with about 4-5 chains due to getting a groove. Once there is a grove in drive sprocket the chain can get loose and tight and it rides in & out of the drive sprocket grove. With a few extra chains you can bring a dull chain to the local stihl dealer and ask them to sharpen $7-8 and if you bring in a few maybe little less. The chain will get "ground up" faster but the cut is way better. Good Chain will give you chips..... saw dust will not cut, you will over work the saw and could over heat the saw and score the cylinder and piston.

Keep the chain out of the dirt and rocks.... small hit will dull saw by about 25%, hit again and down 50-60%.... If you wood is on the ground.... put a hunk of wood under so off the ground and a "cantileaver" supported longer log or tree limb on the downed tree already will cut up much better. If you wood is covered in mud will dull your chain pretty quick too.

Chain Sharpen is the only part of maint and repair..... I am not pleased with my own work. I also purchased Harbor Freight bench top sharpener....... did not work as well as I would like.... Like new and would like to sell it. You can buy a professional level bench top sharpener if the dealer or town is long way away... but it is a few buck.

Again.... 3rd page was saying I am getting saw dust out of my saw on dry oak trees.
Buy a few new chains and have them on hand..... I gave up on hand sharpen chains....... 30 years ago

Also if the shop shapens you chain and the top of cutter is all blue.... they ground off too much metal and over heated the cutter. Most sthil dealers would replace the chain at this point.

 

[Ironhorsedoctor]

I agree that hand filing a chain is an art! And to be artful you need to keep at it and practice.
Not all round files between manufacturers are the same either. Some are less aggressive than
others. I’m no artist when it comes to sharpening a chain but I do have better results when sharpening
3/8 or .325 pitch rather than a 3/8 lp. I probably have better control with the bigger tooth???
And don’t be fooled about you have to have the same file strokes on each tooth and each tooth
has to be the same size. That’s a myth! The size of the tooth has got nothing to do with how it cuts. It’s all about
how sharp the top plate and corner is and the gullet ( side plate ) and the depth of the racker. Keep in mind that one or two
severely damaged teeth on relatively new chain sharpened at a dealer will no doubt shorten the service life of your chain because
the chain is sharpened on a machine and indexed as such. Don’t be afraid of experimenting with file sizes either. Sometimes a smaller diameter file gives a better profile on a tooth as it’s filled back to end of service life. That’s been my experience!

 

[angelo c]

Make sure your files are sharp ...or you ain't sharpening ship...no matter how hard you watch YouTube...

 

[angelo c]

I‘m guessing you haven’t cut those when extremely old and dry,

Now...I dunno how cold or dry it gets in that balmy west coast state of Idaho...but here in the "yooper" technically the "upper peninsula of New Jersey" we have actual snow and ice sometimes in the winter...so yes I know cold and dry oaks/elms and Jersey girls...

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Now...I dunno how cold or dry it gets in that balmy west coast state of Idaho...but here in the "yooper" technically the "upper peninsula of New Jersey" we have actual snow and ice sometimes in the winter...so yes I know cold and dry oaks/elms and Jersey girls...

Got to -2 one day last year. coldest so far was 9 this winter.

 

[Okie]

Same problem here. I've been sawing on this tree for days and this is as far as I've gotten.

You need to get a pet Beaver to help you with that tree you are whittling on.

 

[Okie]

Where did jettro go????????
See no response since his first post???????????????

 

[coffeebrk]

Where did jettro go????????
See no response since his first post???????????????

He will return once there have been 200 posts. I know this from ancient writings.
As I read in the prophecies from the millionth decendent of Nostradamus.
He calls himself Nostradamus Jr.
I speak only what I have read in the quatrains from Jr. or have made it all up.

 

[davidwyby]

You really should consider bigger saws..

@singinwoodwackr chains were new or straight off my stihl USG. But if you think the dust is because I don't know what a sharp chain is, you are more than welcome to come show me and try some.

 

[jettro]

well, its final. im an idiot. for the past year ive been using the wrong file for my saw, to small. supposed to be a 3/16 so i picked some up. watched get the gullot on youtube. dude you rock!! cut way better but chain life has been drastically reduced. then i hit i think a nail in the tree cause saw some sparks and no freaking rock there. crap. i think i was using a 5/32 file. i have watched a bunch of billys vids and love em. couple other fellas vids to.