Fast Angles for round chain

[MG2186]

Time for a turbo on
I like turbos!

 

[Wolverine]

Got hook?

 

[Cat 525]

I agree with cleaning the gullet but too much hook can cause it to dull much faster!

 

[Moparmyway]

Time for a turbo on the grocery getter?


View attachment 144529

Going to need a report from you about how that works out Mark !!

 

[RI Chevy]

Time for a turbo on the grocery getter?


View attachment 144529

Wow. Square filed semi chisel chain! A first here. Lol

 

[Philbert]

25° for hardwoods, 30° mixed, 35° for softwoods.

You can drop your depth gauges a bit too, if only running softwoods.

Part of it depends on your saw: more hook will give you a more aggressive cut, provided that your saw can pull it. Otherwise, it may dog things down a bit.

One of the fun parts of sharpening your own chain is that you can experiment, and see what work for you! I would try 35°/55°/10° on a grinder with a 0.030" depth gauge for faster cutting in soft woods.

Philbert

 

[Moparmyway]

Wow. Square filed semi chisel chain! A first here. Lol

Not a first, but it’s the best I’ve ever seen, including the junk I’ve tried to file. Haven’t tried squaring semi on my Simington yet though

 

[RI Chevy]

I have never seen anyone file semi chisel square before. Lol
I am anxious to hear how it cuts.

 

[mdavlee]

You can the corner is in the round corner on the cutter

 

[huskyboy]

This is semi chisel oregon chain I handfiled in pine. I can get the stihl rm to cut faster. It’s not as good as round or square obviously... but sufficient for dirty wood. While the square guys are filing I’ll still be cutting. For felling trees I hate semi, it doesn’t bore cut as good.

 

[davidwyby]

This thread is old, maybe there is more experience out there now...?

I have a fast round filed itch...have a lot of chains to sharpen...thinking about “cheating” and getting a grinder. Been digging through the Just Chains section looking for gold and looks like I found a nugget.

@Armbru84 you still have a grinder you’d part with?

@huskyboy would like to see pics of your semi chisel, that looks to be cutting good!

 

[huskyboy]

This thread is old, maybe there is more experience out there now...?

I have a fast round filed itch...have a lot of chains to sharpen...thinking about “cheating” and getting a grinder. Been digging through the Just Chains section looking for gold and looks like I found a nugget.

@Armbru84 you still have a grinder you’d part with?

@huskyboy would like to see pics of your semi chisel, that looks to be cutting good!

That was quite a while ago, wish I had pics of the chain.

 

[davidwyby]

That was quite a while ago, wish I had pics of the chain.

You sayin’ you’ve lost your touch and can’t do it again?! Can’t be...I’d expect you’ve only gotten better. ;-)

 

[RI Chevy]

One of my 3/8 semi chisel cutters. Not the best, but good enough for who it's for.

 

[davidwyby]

One of my 3/8 semi chisel cutters. Not the best, but good enough for who it's for.

Do you have two separate angles goin on there?

 

[Lightning Performance]

Generally I'm still running 30/55/5 near seven degrees angle to my drags. They go from new around 25-30 to 22-24 the first filing. After that they go on my grinder. The drags are down near 60 at the end of tooth life. If it needs more bite add a swipe with your flat file. Changing to a 25/50/10 for white oak and very dry hardwoods like locust. Just my thing that worked out for 20 - 28" bars running 3/8 050 full comp with semi or full chisel cutters.

 

[RI Chevy]

I have no idea David. I just run the file through the cutter. Lol
I don't measure anything, just go by feel in the cut and keep an eye on the chips. Listen to the saw.

 

[RI Chevy]

Generally I'm still running 30/55/5 near seven degrees angle to my drags. They go from new around 25-30 to 22-24 the first filing. After that they go on my grinder. The drags are down near 60 at the end of tooth life. If it needs more bite add a swipe with your flat file. Changing to a 25/50/10 for white oak and very dry hardwoods like locust. Just my thing that worked out for 20 - 28" bars running 3/8 050 full comp with semi or full chisel cutters.

Wow Kenny. What is all these numbers? I recognize 25 degrees and 30 degrees. What are the 50 numbers? And the last numbers?

 

[Wilhelm]

Assuming you can make a chain with any top plate angle you choose, and durability is a non issue, what do you like?
Should note that I cut way more oak than pine or other soft species.

I buck almost exclusively turkey oak, which is much more dense than "regular" oak (You figure out the difference between the two!).
I have always been round filing and I tried full chisel, semi chisel, round tooth and semi chisel solid carbide tipped.
I use .325", 3/8"LP, 3/8" and .404" pitch chains.
I tried Oregon/Dolmar, Carlton, Stihl, TriLink, Archer.
I have been filing free handed, with bar mounted filing aids and with Archer FastFiler roller guides (which ride on top of a bar mounted chain).

The fastest cutting chain is 3/8" Oregon LGX 3/4th to half worn, round filed with an Archer FastFiler sporting custom made side and bottom rollers.
A completely stock FastFiler is just as fast or a little bit faster but generates a cutter that dulls quickly in oak/turkey oak.

A new sharp file is the best way to get a very sharp cutter edge.

My chains always self feed, when they don't I consider them dull!

I filed a TriLink loop yesterday, gonna go and take some pictures.
Stay tuned

 

[Philbert]

I buck almost exclusively turkey oak, which is much more dense than "regular" oak (You figure out the difference between the two!).

Challenge accepted!

Here is a quirky (or at least Quercus) response to my investigation:

Quercus laevis, the turkey oak, is a member of the red oak group of oaks. It is native to the southeastern United States, occurring on the coastal plain from Virginia south to central Florida, and west to southeast Louisiana. There they mingle with many tropical trees such as mature coconut palms and large Cuban Laurel (Ficus) trees.

The name turkey oak derives from the resemblance of the leaves to a turkey's foot. A Turkish and southern European species Quercus cerris is also commonly referred to as Turkey oak, so Quercus laevis is sometimes referred to as American turkey oak to distinguish it from the European species.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_laevis


Quercus cerris
"Austrian Oak" redirects here. For the bodybuilder with this nickname, see Arnold Schwarzenegger. (!!!)

Quercus cerris, the Turkey oak or Austrian oak, is an oak native to south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor . . .

The tree harbours the gall wasp Andricus quercuscalicis whose larvae seriously damage the acorns of native British oaks. In 1998, the Ministry of Defence ordered the felling of all Turkey oaks on its UK bases.

Turkey oak is widely planted and is naturalised in much of Europe. This is partly for its relatively fast growth. It is used as an ornamental, and as a coastal windbreak. The wood has many of the characteristics of other oaks, but is very prone to crack and split and hence is relegated to such uses as fencing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_cerris

Philbert