my efforts at square chisel..

[tony marks]

well i found the stuff i needed,for square filieing
used the dremal to rough it in, then the square file to tune it up and for uniformity.. this 372 takes about 4 minutes to get its power ,so im thinking not all that great..
then she finds her power and for a first time ,very pleased.. im trying for durability also .. held up as good as round chisel in clean wood..
some of u laghing.. but mabe some of u can use this info .. equipment used a dremel flat sharpening stone ,to rough it in. then a 3 pt file for fine tuning..just use common sense.. u know probably what will cut fast..
its my hope to introduce this into this area ..after ive had some fun..
if im here now i can get a hellova lot better,i know that.. u can too.
im still at .025 depth but its obvious it will take a lot more bite.. no way i wus pulling the saw dn with the dogs this time ..but like i said still .025 depth..
ps i got an square filed stihl chain an some files ordered..oughta get interesting

 

[Lawn Masters]

I sure hope you do get better at it, I can probably learn how to file, but I havent had the time yet, maybe I too will take on learning square filing this winter. never hurts to learn a new thing.

 

[glens]

Tony,

Nelsonfrye showed me in his shop one day that all you really need to do to get the job started is to take a round-filed or ground chain and stroke it with the chisel-bit file a couple of times to form the corner.&nbsp; If you're only cutting 25 mil it's not <i>necessary</i> to have much more than that squared down the side of the cutter from the corner.

A friendly dealer gave me a factory square-ground link once to use as a guide/sample when I get started square filing.&nbsp; I just haven't got around to it yet, though I've got everything I really need, including the confidence.&nbsp; A chain vice at a workbench would be nice, and now that my eyes are not wanting to focus so nearby anymore, some reading glasses might be nice...

Glen

 

[tony marks]

yep it a new thing to me,, but it does cut better by a margin..i suspect the margin, mite get more significant,the better u get.. it took a while to get to the point, that i put out an respectable round file chain..so it ll be fun trying to perfect this..
the key,, as in rd fileing is in knowing what causes what.. and so on..
i can make an rd file very fast but that is not what i take on the job.. i lean toward ,, fast as i can make it, an still have a chain that will hold up..

 

[Al Smith]

Square filing

I don't claim to be an expert square filer but I think one thing that will help,is a very good source of light.When I am doing a porting job,or making finish cuts on a lathe,I find it helps a great deal.Another option,is a stand mounted lighted magnifier,saves a lot on eye strain.

 

[a_lopa]

i used square files years ago,from memory i filed from the point of the tooth outwards opisite than a round

 

[ballonknott]

Hey Glens, how much does your confidence weigh? LOL

 

[glens]

Pushing a couple hundred pounds.

Don't you get tired of coming around here in those costumes?

Glen

 

[ballonknott]

Study this and give it a try!

 

[Al Smith]

Where did they go

It appears,from the picture,that most,if not all of the rivet heads are ground off. Is this an optical illusion?

 

[tony marks]

thanks for the pic.. i forgot to mention that an fellow arborsite member has made me many square filed chain..
eric ecopsey has had the machine for an good while ..dont know if eric is looking for work in this department.. but he did a pretty gooid job out of the gate an im sure he has got it nailed by now..
eric i just want to be able to do it myself..thanks for your help.. john also made me a fine square chisel ..
ive got an stihl factory square chisel coming.. it sure is made differtent than the ones ive seen pics of on this site.
i want to evaluate whhat they are doing ersus what i see most square filers do..
art martin mentioned that the trick is to get the 90degree rite in the beak..
so theres gonna be alot of experimenting,as stihls doesnt do that from the pic i saw. we ll see what i can come up with..input always welcome.. even from those who wouldnt vote for me as president

 

[Crofter]

Originally posted by ballonknott
Study this and give it a try!

Don't be giving away trade secrets like that.

 

[Crofter]

Tony, do you have a chain vise or are you planning to sharpen on the bar?

 

[glens]

Hey D.

I had <i>real</i> chain in mind, not something you put on for a couple minutes on the occasional weekend.&nbsp; I don't think what you showed us would stand up very long buried in hickory.

G

 

[tony marks]

frank i got several vises.. but up to now i been just tightening the chain dn real good..it ll just be a matter of finding what produces the best results.. no hurry ,just want to make progress. thanks
ps i get more fun out of getting there ,than being there..

 

[ballonknott]

Just trying to help you out G. Since I've filed thousands of these teeth for work and racing, I'm just suggesting you study the tooth, then try filing one, since you've never filed a chisel chain before. Let us know how it works out.

 

[glens]

Hey, thanks man.&nbsp; I'll keep you informed about it.

Glen

 

[tony marks]

if u guys get a chance... look at what stihls
version of square grd is..i ll reseve my
observations about it until i try it..
if that system works better,ill be surprised .. but if it does produce good results.. it looks simple to do. wouldn that be something..
just strait up filing ,looks like..

 

[ballonknott]

From what I understand Marky Mark is going to make an attempt to build a race chain, soon. So you guys wanting to know more about filing a chisel chain should watch for a thread about this. It should be real fun and I'm sure very entertaining. Could we have another Art Marky, or how about Mark Donkey? Only time will tell!

 

[Crofter]

How is Stihl square grind different Tony. Have only had my hands on Carlton and Oregon factory grind. They sure are not too swift as they come from the box and are hard enough from the grinding that you just about ruin a new chisel bit file getting it started. I prefer to convert a round ground chisel chain to square filed. The factory square angles are only marginally faster than a good round filed chain.
Square filing sure takes more light and reading glasses if you are over about 45.
Round filing you could probably do by moonlight and feel. Square filing takes a bit more attention!