Making a ripping chain

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Final verdict...

Not worth the trouble IMO. When it's sharp and tuned perfectly it does cut much faster than regular 3/8" ripping chain, but it goes south quickly after a cut or two. Also, I found that the cut must be started absolutely perfectly because it's impossible to correct the kerf once started. Several times I had a cut wander out of line and had to switch to a regular chain to correct it.

I use .325 for everything 44" and shorter now and it cut nearly as fast as the Granberg style in my tests. I also lasts longer, cuts smoother and takes less time to sharpen.

 

[timberwolf]

I found the gangberg style chain ripped cedar well. Anyone try a square grind for ripping?

 

[BobL]

I found the gangberg style chain ripped cedar well. Anyone try a square grind for ripping?

I'm using square on BIL mill (I have two chains). I haven't tried any other chains with this rig so I can't compare. I'm surprised how sharp it has stayed even on the Aussie hardwoods - I would thing the cutter points would at least dull after one log. I have been touching the chains up between logs where they needed it our not just to practice my square grind filing technique.

Filing is not as bad as I thought it would be but it's tricky not to keep pushing down too hard which ends up creating the tip notch down too far.

Last week I cut right through a 4" nail (I did not even notice it at the time!) and it made a mess of 3 of the cutters and they will need at least 1/8" taken off them to recover the tips. its odd how only 3 were badly affected (they are also not consecutive! cutters), about 6 more have noticeable damage (ie the tip point is very slightly rounded and blue) and the rest look as they normally do after milling a log, ie a slight edge dullness. I can't work out how that happened, its like most of the cutters never even touched that nail!

As I only have hand files this is going to be a real patience tester to fix. At some stage I was going to convert this chain to round filing and maybe now is it. Then maybe I will be able to compare round verus square?

Cheers

 

[aquan8tor]

I found the gangberg style chain ripped cedar well. Anyone try a square grind for ripping?

I'm sure this has been asked a hundred times on AS, but is there a good online HOW-TO for square ground chain?? I bought the Northern 511A copy and would like to maybe try.

 

[BobL]

I'm sure this has been asked a hundred times on AS, but is there a good online HOW-TO for square ground chain?? I bought the Northern 511A copy and would like to maybe try.

I have not been sharpening these chains for too long but I will share with you what I have found out.

Have you seen the Oregon Maintenance and Safety Manual?
There are 3 pages dedicated to square ground in that manual that are pretty useful.

There appear to be two types of square ground cutters, one that is L shaped and has two faces of the cutter (like the stihl) and one that has 3 (like the Oregon), so make sure you have the right file for the chain.

My chains are stihl and have the 2 main filing angles marked on the cutters which helps quite a bit.

I'm not sure if you know but it's better to file the the teeth backwards. ie "down", "across", and "sideways" back along the chain.

Getting enough of the "sideways" and controlling the amount of downwards bit is the hardest bit and can lead to the a cutter edge notch dropping down below where it should be.

To reduce this problem one really needs a rig or jig to firmly hold the chain in place so that enough sideways force can be applied without the chain lifting up off the bar. I hold mine by the drive links in a hand saw vice but even then the drive links can still slip out, so I add a clamp to hold the chain down while I'm filing. It's a PITA to keep moving the clamp so I'm thinking a special jig that fits into a metal working vice might be in order.

Clearing the gullet is not that easy without having the file slip and hit the cutter edge - its a matter of maintaining a firm downwards and sideway force.

The rest, eg setting the depth guages, is pretty much standard chain stuff.

I hope this helps.

Cheers.