Oregon 511A

[John464]

So I bought this chain grinder and I tried to sharpen a few chains. tried them out, didnt cut that great. So I called up another local guy that provoked me to buy the grinder. Yesterday he sent over one of his guys who says he does a good job using the Oregon 511A and wouldnt mind sending him over to the shop to teach us how to get the proper edge. Got to the job today with three "sharp" chains for each of the big saws and well before you know it im on my way to the supply store to purchase new chains so we could get through the day.

Ive been sharpening by hand all this time and thought Id try out something I believed would save us time and allow us to preserve older chains that may have been too tough to get straight by hand, but right now Ive about had it with this chain grinder. Do I continue being old school or can someone please shed some light on how to properly use the Oregon/Tecomoc grinders on a chisel chain? By sharp Im talking just as good as the first time you hand file a new chain. I need my saws to RIP not just cut!

What would realy help is a VIDEO or any tips/help at all would be greatly appreciated. :help:



my angles I was using:
30-bottom plate
0-tilt bottom plate
60- top plate

 

[CaseyForrest]

Are you talking round ground chisel or square? I too hand file, I get much enjoyment out of it.

 

[sugarbush]

So I bought this chain grinder and I tried to sharpen a few chains. tried them out, didnt cut that great. So I called up another local guy that provoked me to buy the grinder. Yesterday he sent over one of his guys who says he does a good job using the Oregon 511A and wouldnt mind sending him over to the shop to teach us how to get the proper edge. Got to the job today with three "sharp" chains for each of the big saws and well before you know it im on my way to the supply store to purchase new chains so we could get through the day.

Ive been sharpening by hand all this time and thought Id try out something I believed would save us time and allow us to preserve older chains that may have been too tough to get straight by hand, but right now Ive about had it with this chain grinder. Do I continue being old school or can someone please shed some light on how to properly use the Oregon/Tecomoc grinders on a chisel chain? By sharp Im talking just as good as the first time you hand file a new chain. I need my saws to RIP not just cut!

What would realy help is a VIDEO or any tips/help at all would be greatly appreciated. :help:



my angles I was using:
30-bottom plate
0-tilt bottom plate
60- top plate

top plate 60 degrees. 25 degrees on vise angle (top plate). Tilt the bed to the back mark for your right hand cutters and the front mark for the left cutters ( 10 degree tilt for chisel chain). The middle mark, or zero tilt is for semi-chisel or lowering the rakers. What size wheel are you using?

 

[trimmmed]

Are you talking round ground chisel or square? I too hand file, I get much enjoyment out of it.

Gotta be round on a 511A, although I think Gypo modified the wheel and took a swipe at square with a 511

 

[CaseyForrest]

Yeah, just wanted to make sure he wasnt trying to grind square on that grinder. Other than that I have nothing to offer, as I have never used a grinder!!!

 

[computeruser]

You might want to try various setups between 25-35 degrees for the top plate. I've been pleased with 35 degrees, but I've never done a side-by-side of 25, 30 and 35 (hmm...something to do at the next GTG?).

With a little practice, you can get pretty good sharpening out of the 511. The ABN wheels tend to do a nicer job than the regular wheels that come with it, but at $180...

Perhaps some pictures of the chain might shed some light on why things aren't working out the way you want.

 

[trimmmed]

Yeah, just wanted to make sure he wasnt trying to grind square on that grinder. Other than that I have nothing to offer, as I have never used a grinder!!!

Me neither, although I plead guilty to using a dremel, before I got my filing down.

 

[Lawn Masters]

I bet you're grinding too much metal off at once. take the chain stop back till you're only taking off like a hairs thickness of metal, and dont try to make the chain PERFECT in the first pass, you'll have to go around the whole chain a couple times to make it perfect.

 

[John464]

top plate 60 degrees. 25 degrees on vise angle (top plate). Tilt the bed to the back mark for your right hand cutters and the front mark for the left cutters ( 10 degree tilt for chisel chain). The middle mark, or zero tilt is for semi-chisel or lowering the rakers. What size wheel are you using?

to clarify Im using Oregon chains, round chisel. Using the correct wheel for the bigger saws. Its the biggest wheel that comes with the grinder when you buy it. The saws that the chains go on are Stihl 440 Stihl 460, and Stihl 660. I havent been using the tilt, but I will give that a go. The rakers I have been doing by hand hand, since the grinding wheel seemed to take too much off.

I will grind some chains tomorrow to show you guys. Thanks!

Is there videos floating on the net for chain grinding?

 

[John464]

I bet you're grinding too much metal off at once. take the chain stop back till you're only taking off like a hairs thickness of metal, and dont try to make the chain PERFECT in the first pass, you'll have to go around the whole chain a couple times to make it perfect.

Yes I was only doing one pass and the teeth looked pretty good, but different than when I do by hand....They feel sharp when touched but just dont cut when faced with big wood.

 

[klickitatsacket]

if you are really good at hand filing, then the grinder will always be second best. Use your grinder to fix chains and maybe if you are in a hurry, then touch them up with a file to put that fine edge that you like on. Because the grinder does not have a reversing motor, it will never be as good as what you are able to do.

 

[mpapuga]

I think you get 3 wheels with the grinder and the largest wheel (1/4") should be used for the depth on the rakers, the 3/16" wheel is for for the 3/8 chain on the saws you quoted. A video used to be available, maybe check with the dealer you bought it from.
Mark

 

[sugarbush]

to clarify Im using Oregon chains, round chisel. Using the correct wheel for the bigger saws. Its the biggest wheel that comes with the grinder when you buy it. The saws that the chains go on are Stihl 440 Stihl 460, and Stihl 660. I havent been using the tilt, but I will give that a go. The rakers I have been doing by hand hand, since the grinding wheel seemed to take too much off.

I will grind some chains tomorrow to show you guys. Thanks!

Is there videos floating on the net for chain grinding?

if you got 3 wheel's with the grinder as you should have and are useing the largest for grinding the tooth, that's the wrong one. as someone else said that one is for taking down the raker's, and you can adjust the amount you take off with the setting's. you should have gotten a dressing tool to get the correct profile on the wheel. you should not grind any deeper then when the flat part of the wheel come's even with the top of the tooth.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Me neither, although I plead guilty to using a dremel, before I got my filing down.

I was going to use the dremel, even got the little attachment to sharpen saw chains. Bad part is my dremel didnt have the threaded collar needed to use the attachment!!! I have also heard as the stones wear down, you get very inconsistent sharpenings.

Here is what I use when at home.....

 

[John464]

hmm ok, So I should be using the middle sized wheel that comes with the grinder. This would correspond with a 7/32 file size? I was lead to believe the three different wheel sizes where in comparison to the three different file sizes 3/16 = small wheel 5/16 = middle sized wheel 7/32=large wheel ??

 

[sugarbush]

John464: this may be to diffucult to explain all you need to know. I can mail you a copy of the video if you want.

 

[John464]

John464: this may be to diffucult to explain all you need to know. I can mail you a copy of the video if you want.

dropping u a PM. Thanks!

 

[Oregon Engineer]

A little help from OREGON

John464,

The manual instructions for the grinder can be found at: http://www.oregonchain.com/pdf/accessories/511AManual_3Lang.pdf

Page 15 shows you grinder settings and grinder wheel thickness for any Oregon chain. The down load is 7 megs so it may take some time.

OR

Call 503 653-4706 and request the 511A instructional video and the 511A grinder manual.

OR

Send me a PM with your address and I'll get it sent to you.

The grinder can put on a 10 degree down angle so don't forget to try it.

Once you have the grinder angles setup close to what you want then the next step is to experiment with the shape of the wheel edge. The instructions will tell you to put a full radius on the edge of the wheel. This works nice for an average grind but likely you will want something better. Slight changes to the wheel edge shape and depth of grind can make very big differences in the final sharpness of the cutter.

As an example: the picture below is a wheel profile for the 11H harvester chain. The flat is oriented horizontal.

Start with a full round wheel and slowly modify the radius until the cutting edge is what you want.
Then take a thin piece of metal and grind the wheel contour into it for future use as a wheel profile guide.

 

[Toneman]

I have the EFCO model chain grinder with the reversing motor.
The base does not have the tilt angle lines on it like the Oregon 511A does. I can tilt the base to the full stop on each side. Does anyone know if this provides the 10 degrees?

 

[Uwharrie]

Toneman, Simple answer, Yes it is 10 degrees.