Tutorial: make your own raker depth gauge supported by software tool

[hannes69]

File them down and lets go make some chips fly.---

Indeed

 

[HarleyT]

Well, just trying to explain things to you a bit.

Guys here tend to like using their saws,

like those who follow Cooking sites like food, and they are not that interested that much in making their own measuring cups.

 

[Del_]

Well, just trying to explain things to you a bit.

Guys here tend to like using their saws,

like those who follow Cooking sites like food, and they are not that interested that much in making their own measuring cups.

HarleyT, you are speaking for yourself and only yourself.

I believe there is quite a bit of interest in this subject. If not it would not of been a topic of interest for the 16 years I've been here.

Threads like this tend to become of great historical interest and run for many years.

This is the first time that I recall that software has been presented.

 

[HarleyT]

OK, yes. I only speak for myself.

Let the history continue....

 

[Westboastfaller]

Who is to say as most daily active members are names IDK?
Lots of guys are down with making and fixing and many are not.
I am on the 'are not' side. I will spend time to help someone to run or troubleshoot a saw on here or otherwise.but I won't fix my own on/off switch.
OP, I told a phycologists about 5 yes ago that I had a real hard time with when I would hold a door open for strangers and they couldn't even say thank you. He looked at me and said.." Why do you hold the door open for someone" As I didn't have the answer he said.." Because you wanted too...you didn't do it for a thank you".
That changed my life. 20 people can not say thank you and I walk away as I was....crying...now I just cry all the time....lol OK the crying part was a joke. True goods.

I try to share the ways of my trade on here all the time and get dismissed often. Truth is, every time I wanted too and most times they didn't ask, as we didn't ask you. Now go blow and wipe your nose and we can get started ok.? J/k
I will ask some questions.

 

[Del_]

For our new friend writing and reading in a foreign language:

J/k means 'just kidding'.

 

[hannes69]

Guys here tend to like using their saws,
like those who follow Cooking sites like food, and they are not that interested that much in making their own measuring cups.

Not so sure about that comparison. Maybe a better one says: "There are people who love to follow cooking sites, but aren´t able to or interested in making a meal..."
There are things called essentials. You can do some porting, muffler mods and so on to have more power out of the saw. You can leave it out without greater problems.
On the other side it should be of interest for you, which sort of fuel you are using, you are breathing the exhaust gases all the time. You should be interested in tuning a carb. Due to many parameters it can change its behaviour and you are raunning too lean or too rich. It´s good to see when this is coming to you and you can react. Otherwise some costly parts of your saw can be trash in a very short time.
And then there´s the chain in your CHAINsaw. This device is doing all the work for you. Not you (though being tired after some chainsaw work). It´s not the engine, the engine is driving the chain. The chain is THE crucial part of your saw. And to maintain power, you have to maintain your chain, that means sharpening and part of that process means raker filing. Maybe you throw away a chain when it´s time to file it the first time, I don´t think so. Some of you give it away to a service, I think many of you do this job on your own.
There are many threads dealing with correct sharpening of the chain (angles, techniques,...) and always the importance of the raker is mentioned. You can have a very sharp chain, but this isn´t of much help, if your rakers haven´t the correct depth. Too low and it gets dangerous for you and some parts of your saw will suffer, too high and you have no fun with cutting or can´t even cut.
In my opinion we are not talking here about making a C+ grade out of C, we are talking about getting at least a B instead of an E or F
Now we can discuss who determines what an essential is, but it´s better to leave that out.

Because you wanted too...you didn't do it for a thank you

You´re right. I wanted to open this thread and present my ideas and work to you. I´m not after the big 'thank you', noone has to say that my specialized aspect of chainsaws is the most important one in (chainsaw´s) life.
I can not put demands on the community here. But as thread opener I can emphasize some aspects or pointing to some wishes. And I wish constructive feedback, critics, development, movement.

I will ask some questions.

You´re welcome

J/k means 'just kidding'.

Thanks for the note, helped me out of my hopeless 'blow and wipe my nose' situation

 

[Del_]

Thanks for the note, helped me out of my hopeless 'blow and wipe my nose' situation

Hannes, a saying you may or may not of heard: "The turd in the punch bowl".

You are going to find a few that come here for that very reason.

It is great to see that you are familiar with that type of behavior.

 

[Westboastfaller]

I had spent a fair bit of time reading and re-reading to try and understand as much as possible first. I'm not a tec guy, but do like math and cutting theory. I am very much aware that a progressive gauge will not keep a chain cutting correctly with a series of various length cutters. I wasn't sure of the reason behind that. I believed the light surge (skip chain) was from when you had a much longer tooth in front of a short one with the centripetal force sucking the chain in causing it to miss a run of teeth then grab agsin. It wasn't terrible but I could notice the start of the end. Maybe I'm half right? I would also get driver wear with the Oregon too, at about half chain and that was reason enough to swap out the chain for good . I think most of us were lead to believe that a progressive gauge would match the depth. I wonder if Oregon chain has a steeper cutter top plate slope than Stihl? It looks like it does and I found Stihl move forgiving as it stays cutting properly, longer. I know the cutter is of a slightly lower profile.
Re: Reg 3/8 chain that is. So now things fall into place (no pun) and I thank you for that.

Questions:
Its hard to see off this device.
How does it work? You say you pick the desired angle and it butts up at the end of the slot correct? I see it sits on the rivit. So this has one position and its more accurate due to the lower point to the rivet?

Start with this and I'll write more.

 

[Westboastfaller]

I had a hard time figuring out what [mil] was to mean behind what looked to be 1000" was confusing me with millimeters, which couldn't possibly be.
Took me a while to figure out that to mean,mili. That meaning 1000 as in milliliters; being a thousandths of a litre or milligram & milimetre being that of a kilogram and metre
Yeah, I grew up with metric and that one took a while for me to connect.
Its funny 20 yrs ago in Alaska I noticed 'Americans' using K after the housing prices. I have assumed for 20 yrs that its derived from Kilo.
Always struck me as odd considering they are not with the metric system. Must have being the same dik realtor that moved on to working for a saw chain company and started calling everything in the shop "FULL ....."!

 

[Philbert]

Absolutely. I'm a very critical person myself, so criticism is welcome. I'm not after getting only praise. And I consider this topic here now in a work in progress state. There's always room for improvement.

. . . Beside that: It's the second time in this thread that you are giving hints towards alternative raker depth gauge solutions other than mine. If you think that my solution has weaknesses, flaws or could be improved feel free to communicate that in a direct manner by talking about my solution and not by this indirect manner with pointing to alternatives.

Sorry for offending you. In some of you posts you seemed very open to comments, alternative opinions, and even joking. However, you seem very closed minded to options and ideas other than your software based solution.

Your 'solution' seems overly complex for practical use. Even if you decide on an optimized angle, you still need to measure that in the field, and I pointed out existing tools, and alternatives to your home made versions, that could measure and support those angles. It was intended to support your software results, but you are taking it as a challenge to your system, despite your encouragement of criticism.

To a certain degree I really don´t understand what´s going on here. It´s ok to make discussions around topics, talking about basics, experiences, alternatives and so on. . . . I wanted to discuss my solution for the given problem. So discuss what is better of my solution and what is worse compared to other ways? What can be improved? How is the usability of the software tool? And what´s really disappointing to me: Noone really wants to simply try it? . . .

What is going on here is that this is a public forum. It is not a research symposium. Not everyone fell in love with your approach, and you are disappointed. You have not convinced many people that the complex, software driven, 'make-your-own-tool approach' offers a significant, practical advantage over existing tools and methods.

I personally work with dozens of different chains on dozens of different saws. I will be dammed if I have to carry around dozens of little, homemade gauges, and also provide them to the people I work with.

Scan through some of the other threads in this forum: you were treated with greater courtesy than many participants.

Philbert

 

[HarleyT]

Another "floater"!!!

 

[Heffalump]

The 034 Super is a FINE saw indeed.

Welcome!!

 

[Stihl 041S]

Sorry for offending you. In some of you posts you seemed very open to comments, alternative opinions, and even joking. However, you seem very closed minded to options and ideas other than your software based solution.

Your 'solution' seems overly complex for practical use. Even if you decide on an optimized angle, you still need to measure that in the field, and I pointed out existing tools, and alternatives to your home made versions, that could measure and support those angles. It was intended to support your software results, but you are taking it as a challenge to your system, despite your encouragement of criticism.



What is going on here is that this is a public forum. It is not a research symposium. Not everyone fell in love with your approach, and you are disappointed. You have not convinced many people that the complex, software driven, 'make-your-own-tool approach' offers a significant, practical advantage over existing tools and methods.

I personally work with dozens of different chains on dozens of different saws. I will be dammed if I have to carry around dozens of little, homemade gauges, and also provide them to the people I work with.

Scan through some of the other threads in this forum: you were treated with greater courtesy than many participants.

Philbert

It is know as the Dunn Kruger Effect. Very common in research.
And one must understand the law of diminishing returns
Just is.

 

[HarleyT]

Ouch....

 

[Stihl 041S]

Aw heck we all do it.
Because in Theory ........theory and practice are the same......in practice......they usually aren’t.

 

[HarleyT]

I would like to see a video of these gauges in use, and how the depth gauge/rubber band/File? work in reality. Just a video of someone adjusting the rakers, and how that works.
Just as a starting point.

And if I ask any questions about the use/practicality of this method, not to be dismissed immediately.

And have the poster not use the "language barrier" as a quick easy way out of responding to questions.

 

[HarleyT]

But hey, we are a big pile of "TURDS".....

 

[HarleyT]

I showed a couple of examples of chain, that would cause some problems for the gauge to work.

But they were dismissed immediately. I saw no response to my questions.

 

[HarleyT]

Pretty much, every loop that one has, would require it's own gauge. Unless one purchased a case of identical loops at one time. Which is absurd.