Square ground recommendations

[BostonBull]

I am thinking of ordering a couple of square ground chain loops after all the talk lately about how good it is.
I will most likely get a 16" loop and a 20" loop. I have never played with this stuff before but would like to start to learn how to sharpen it. I want to make one into a lighter faster cutting chain, call it a semi race chain for my Washington hotsaws Stage 3R MS 460.

My question is which should I get? The RSLK, RSLHK, or the RSLFK? Is it better to have full comp for the 20" and then skip for the chain I want to mess around with?

Any other suggestions?

 

[CaseyForrest]

OK, take this for whats it worth...I am in NO way an expert, I just started using this stuff.

I did not notice a big difference in cutting times between out of the box square ground and out of the box round ground chisel. Take into consideration the amount of time square takes to maintain......assuming you will never touch it with a grinder. I hand file everything, so time in maintaining a chain plays a role in which I buy.

NOW.....I can say with first hand knowledge, if you are going to make a race only chain....and you are planning on working the chain over, it is WAY faster than freshly sharpened RS.

 

[ShoerFast]

I am thinking of ordering a couple of square ground chain loops after all the talk lately about how good it is.
I will most likely get a 16" loop and a 20" loop. I have never played with this stuff before but would like to start to learn how to sharpen it. I want to make one into a lighter faster cutting chain, call it a semi race chain for my Washington hotsaws Stage 3R MS 460.

My question is which should I get? The RSLK, RSLHK, or the RSLFK? Is it better to have full comp for the 20" and then skip for the chain I want to mess around with?

Any other suggestions?

Just my .02 cents worth, but if you saw is toting the load with full comp, round filed chisel, it will simply cut faster with RSLK,,,,,, no need to go with half or full skip.

 

[John Ellison]

I like and use mostly Oregon chain. Cant say anything about other makes of factory square ground chain but Oregon sq, ground off the roll is useless until you file/grind it. I guess they know that anyone using it is going to be fiddleing with it anyway.

 

[BostonBull]

I dont plan on keping this chain on for daily use it will be when I am cutting sawlogs, or when I am dicking around down in the log stand area withtimes and that. I want both sizes so I can run the 16" bar for times and run the 20" for work in CLEAN wood.

Now to learn to file this stuff to make it fast, and then make it resemble a race chain. Its a good thing theres a lot of time in a day!

 

[CaseyForrest]

Tell me about it!! I just started today.....I got 10 cutters done, 8 will have to be re-done, and my head started hurting!!!

 

[Freakingstang]

you won't see much difference in off the reel round and square. There is some, but not much. You have to file it or grind it a little to make it really cut. I am not talking race chain, but regular work chain.

Dennis cahoon told me new chain is like a knife. You got to put an edge on it if you want it to cut worth a damn.

Get the full comp, but I would start with some files and some regular round chain. Preferably some used round chain. once you have that figured out, then buy some square to to play with. I don't use much round anymore, except for my 28" and 36" bars. I only run round on them as they don't get used that much and the time it takes to sharpen them leaves me with keeping them round filed.

 

[BostonBull]

Why is it easier to start with a round ground chain than a suare one? They are only a few bucks more. Do you still have to take the gulletsdown with a round file?

 

[Freakingstang]

IMO, you can't learn to file a chain that is already square, but it you take a round chain and make it square it will force you to lean how to sharpen it.

Yes, take the gullet down with a round file. a regular 3/8 chain file (7/32 or 13/64) will work fine. You don't want a big step in there..

-Steve