Progressive Depth Gauge vs the others

[user 122190]

sparkplug gap is not that critical.

 

[Keder]

Sharpened and filed the Rakers this morning with the new progressive raker gauge. Wow!

The progressive with the angled plate seems to cut much faster then the old gauge of mine that would straddle two cutters. I'm convinced the progressive makes a difference. I'm thinking the angle on the raker makes less of a bump, letting the cutter grab the wood faster and more firm. That's my theory at least. Regardless, my older gauge is now looking for a new home. Neighbors are getting a gift sometime soon.

I learned measuring the tooth length and filing to very close to the same very very important, then set the rake height. There is a close relationship. Alway possible then to adjust rakes so no pressure required on saw

 

[82F100SWB]

Tooth legnth does not always need to be the same, especially if you are using a progressive guage, as you are setting raker height per tooth.

Some people find it easier to keep them the same, but, personally, I am not going to file off most of a chains life in the event that I find something I didn't want to with a few teeth.

 

[Keder]

Tooth legnth does not always need to be the same, especially if you are using a progressive guage, as you are setting raker height per tooth.

Some people find it easier to keep them the same, but, personally, I am not going to file off most of a chains life in the event that I find something I didn't want to with a few teeth.

Right you are, If there are a few quite a bit shorter, I leave them and slowly catch up. Find using a jig with only one freehand touch up in between makes it easy to keep even. It’s interesting to examine the chip spill from a new chain first few cuts and an old chain. Chip size varies within the sample.
Don’t know why but has to be sharpening variable of some type.

 

[HumBurner]

. Chip size varies within the sample.
Don’t know why but has to be sharpening variable of some type.

Condition of file being used and its cleanliness, pressure being applied to the swipe, and movement/play in the jig or other.


Also, with the file-n-joint, how clean the round bar is at the top of the file holder has a huge impact on how smooth or not it swipes, aside from the three factors above. I've just recently noticed this after changing up my methods some and getting better, more consistent results than in the past.

 

[tomalophicon]

Condition of file being used and its cleanliness, pressure being applied to the swipe, and movement/play in the jig or other.


Also, with the file-n-joint, how clean the round bar is at the top of the file holder has a huge impact on how smooth or not it swipes, aside from the three factors above. I've just recently noticed this after changing up my methods some and getting better, more consistent results than in the past.

I add 4 drops of machine oil to the guide bar each time i use the file-n-joint.

 

[HarleyT]

Ah.... I was wondering where the name progressive came from. Makes sense now.

I thought it meant that it is "woke".

 

[bwalker]

With a progressive guage, you don't have to worry about filing back the teeth to all the same length. The raker's matched to each tooth.

There is more to consider than consistent raker depth. The tooth narrows as it's filled down. As such with the teeth different lengths are loaded differently, which slows cut speed down.

 

[tomalophicon]

I thought it meant that it is "woke".

Go woke, go broke!

 

[vizette]

Like he says, there's experience and then there's everything else. My experience matches what he's saying/showing. Get the depth gauges (aka rakers) right and you won't notice if the cutters are different. I've run some jacked up snaggletooth chains that cut straight and fast by ignoring the cutter size matching nonsense and just filing each one properly. Then hit the depth gauges to match them to each cutter and you're good to go.

 

[bwalker]

Like he says, there's experience and then there's everything else. My experience matches what he's saying/showing. Get the depth gauges (aka rakers) right and you won't notice if the cutters are different. I've run some jacked up snaggletooth chains that cut straight and fast by ignoring the cutter size matching nonsense and just filing each one properly. Then hit the depth gauges to match them to each cutter and you're good to go.

I've run plenty of chains with cutters all over the place and am not super crazy about keeping them all the same . It happens. However, they do not cut as well, no doubt in my mind.

 

[firekindler]

I add 4 drops of machine oil to the guide bar each time i use the file-n-joint.

I use a light layer of never-seize; only have to reapply it a couple times a year. Then store the jig with a rag around it to keep every thing else from getting "never-seized."

 

[Philbert]

I add 4 drops of machine oil to the guide bar each time i use the file-n-joint.

I use a light layer of never-seize; only have to reapply it a couple times a year.

We are getting away a bit from the original focus of the thread . . . . but . . . many of the File-N-Joint devices have a small, felt pad, above the round guide bar, that can be saturated with light oil to keep the bar lubricated. Some have a space where this type of pad can be added, if not provided OEM.

Philbert

 

[Huskybill]

You must have really really good eyes. Hard to believe that someone can tell 5/1000th of an inch, and you get to save <$10.

What about your other saws? Are they so so forgiving to have the rakers wildly different?

I built Cnc machines accurate to the millionths laser checked. You can’t see .025” that’s a plug gap.

 

[Hendrixon]

Stihl progressive gauge is good but it takes rakers off a bit too much. If you put it on new chain (3/8p i use) it wants to take off quite a bit of the raker. I "tuned" the tool a bit. Added extra 0,5 mm metal plate under the tool, where it sits on the cutter, now it matches the height of the raker of new chain.

 

[NSEric]

I have a couple home made depth gauges. I took one swipe off the rakers at a time until I got them where I want them then made the gauge match that height.
My saws are a little too big for .325 chain so my rakers are .040-.050 not .025 on a new chain.