Nice find, and awesome shop!
Philbert's Chain Salvage Challenge
- Thread starter Philbert
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At this point I have reached hoarder status. I will still look for non safety chains in decent shape in any pitch/gauge/DL count but I will pass over the safety chains. Up here in softwood country, full chisel is king and if I had my druthers, every saw would wear a loop of FC.
I really need to organize all of my chains again. At one point this spring I had all of my chains listed on my phone by pitch, gauge, DL, cutter condition, and cutter type. Also if they were at the cabin or home.
I noticed that every time I get rid of unneeded chains IE wrong DL or gauge, the very next saw I acquire needed that chain.
I really need to organize all of my chains again. At one point this spring I had all of my chains listed on my phone by pitch, gauge, DL, cutter condition, and cutter type. Also if they were at the cabin or home.
I noticed that every time I get rid of unneeded chains IE wrong DL or gauge, the very next saw I acquire needed that chain.
I just wouldn't have it in me to throw them away. Pretty rude for someone to ***** about what they got when they knew it was grab bag. I remember seeing your ad and I did not take any because I had enough chains already.
The only thing I wish that loggers would do when sharpening chain with a file is to make both sides with cutters of equal size. Most of the time the cutters on one side are bigger than the ones on the other side and so the cut pulls either left or right. That has to be evened out. Often the angle is not the same either. I've called that to their attention and they always respond, "Things are tough out there in the field."
The price they give to me for old chain is always good: free. So, I seldom complain. When a tree service company gives me a chain loop that's been sharpened so many times that the cutters are non-existent or ready to fly off, I usually substitute a logger's chain that's been salvaged and evened up but still has several sharpenings left. They never refuse that improvement.
The price they give to me for old chain is always good: free. So, I seldom complain. When a tree service company gives me a chain loop that's been sharpened so many times that the cutters are non-existent or ready to fly off, I usually substitute a logger's chain that's been salvaged and evened up but still has several sharpenings left. They never refuse that improvement.
It was Valley Firewood that offered the large flat rate box of random chain for the postage. [emoji848]
The first box was so entertaining I got a second from him just to watch our letter carrier carry it up our front yard from the truck..[emoji108]
Picture a 110# female with a 40# box. [emoji23]
Plus the hours spent sorting it was like treating me to dinner and a movie.
Worth every penny.
I do have some full skip, chisel with safety bumper loops. Weird stuff really.
The first box was so entertaining I got a second from him just to watch our letter carrier carry it up our front yard from the truck..[emoji108]
Picture a 110# female with a 40# box. [emoji23]
Plus the hours spent sorting it was like treating me to dinner and a movie.
Worth every penny.
I do have some full skip, chisel with safety bumper loops. Weird stuff really.
Plus the fact that the box wasn’t that big so people had no idea it would be that heavy.
The fit pitcher was an anomaly. Don’t penalize everyone cause of one.
I wanted to fix up this chain, but it's so effed up I don't think I have the patience. One chisel is broken off, looks like it was sharpened with the wrong size file (its 1/4) chain. I can get a brand new loop of Oregon 25 chain for $27 shipped, and this chain is a mess, the chisels on one side are about 1/16 inch longer than the other.
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That chain is perfectly salvageable if you had the patience. Being 1/4 chain, there's not that much material to deal with. A grinder would obviously help, but those cutters could be brought back to life quite easily with a file just as well. The majority of the effort would be getting the rakers right..., with a progressive depth gauge tool. If done correctly, the broken cutter won't matter (make it go away), nor will different cutter lengths. I'd revive it if it were mine and probably get two or three more sharpenings out of it before the end of its useful life.
Thank you! I'll think it over, the patience is the biggest factor, I have 2 small kids and barely enough time to wipe my azz.
So if I understand you correctly, the cutters can be different lengths if the depths are the same by filing the rakers?
The ‘different length cutters’ is a separate discussion. But those cutters can be evened out easily with a grinder.
Philbert
Philbert
As Philbert said, that's a whole different discussion with lots of threads (and opinions) on the subject..., sorta like oil threads. But the short general answer is yes. A progressive type depth gauge tool is required for optimum results when adjusting for cutters of different lengths. Just do a search the subject and either find the patience to read a ton of stuff, or just take my word for it. LOL
Haha sounds like a can of worms...do i need something more specialized than feeler guages to do it?
Yes. You need ‘progressive’ depth gauge tools. Will not give you as smooth a cut as equal cutter IMO.
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/stihl-progressive-depth-gauge-tool.336757/
Philbert
Thank you!
Yeah you would need a depth gauge that sets each individual raker to the depth of each tooth not bridged between the two. I normally will not do that and I end up grinding by working on the smallest tooth and making them match. My OCD as a machinist wouldn't let me feel good about having all different length cutters. I usually use a caliper and check the cutter size and when I turn the grinder to do the opposing side I back off on the length a little bit. Most grinders I have seen when you switch sides it seems to take off a little more between the two. I go out about a quarter turn and try a cutter and fine tune it back in.
Thanks! I need to find a gauge it sounds like.
Upon inspection, the angle that some dope put on the longer cutters is so extreme, by the time the angle is fixed (Im set at 35 degrees) I think they will be as short as the other cutters, haha.
I hate that!! I had a chain this spring that came with a saw. I swear if must have had a 60 degree angle!! Full length cutter at cutting edge tapered almost to the back of the cutter on other side!!!
