Oregon EXL chain

[Philbert]

My key word is 'intent': you have to know what you want the final tooth / cutter to look like before you start. Same with a file, Dremel, etc.

If you just run the grinder like a chop saw, you get what you get.

Philbert

 

[Douglas Ostrander]

This afternoon I used a sharpie coloring the new cutters and then just spinning the grinder to try and match the angles of EXL. The closest I could get was with the head tilted at 45 - 50 degrees. Left and right was 25 degrees and no tilt. 45 degrees would just tapping the racker and 50 was almost to high but worked. So me using the setting of regular LGX chain had the head to high and chopping the top plate.

Wondering if anyone else has tried to match the OEM grind. Have not found anything listed for grind settings. I was using a Oregon 511AX ginder

 

[Khntr85]

@Douglas Ostrander its funny you say that....

Yes I have tried to match factory chains....I have found that Stihl and Oregon chains have a MUCH more aggressive cutters from the factory than you get following their numbers....

The more I have learned and gotten into grinding, I think they don’t want people to grind a chain that’s as good as factory....hell they dont want us sharpening peoples chains that cut better than their factory grind, even though it’s easy to do...

 

[Philbert]

Wondering if anyone else has tried to match the OEM grind.

What I heard . . . (rumor . . .rumor . . .rumor . . ) is that some of these new chains are being ground on CNC machines: that is, the factory wheels follow a sweeping, programmed path, rather than simply pivoting into the cutter. Might require a specially profiled wheel to approximate the final shape on our 551A grinders? Maybe like guys dress the wheels on their Silvey grinders for square ground chain?

If there is a big difference between 'out-of-the-box' profiles, and what an average guy can do at home (file, grinder, Dremel, whatever), users may have to make some choices (@Khntr85 's post overlapped mine while typing). As a value oriented guy, I am interested in what I can do with a chain. Some other guys might start to treat them like razor or utility knife blades . . .

That is, until the oft speculated, $300, CNC chain grinder becomes available on eBay . . .

Philbert

 

[longbowch]

[QUOTE="@Douglas Ostrander-- Lot of Ostranders in this area. One of them is a logger, and he's also a Doug. His uncle Alfred opened a Jonsered dealership in this county back in 1972. It was all Jonsered here back in the 70's and 80's thanks to Al.

Wow that is weird. My Grandfather who was gone before me was Alfred. But I am in Iowa.[/QUOTE]

Not to hijack this thread, but where are you in Iowa? I’m on the east side.

 

[Khntr85]

@Philbert I know what you mean!!!

You know I would love to see a Stihl factory chain grinder!!

I don’t know if this makes sense, but I call Stihls factory grind a “hollow” grind....all the edges are thinner (weaker), than they would be if you ground/filed them....

I think they just want the chain they sell to the average joe to cut super fast/smooth out of the box, and they don’t care about durablity....they do this so guys say, “wow can’t beat a new chain out of the box”....well guys that have been filing/grinding for years know better!!!

 

[Douglas Ostrander]

Pm sent. Central Iowa from SE Iowa.

Yes factory must be using cbc grinder. Lots of different angles below the top plate.

Think I am getting close to matching the top plate.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Khntr85]

@Douglas Ostrander i will say that if/when I am going for what I call that “hollow” grind, I use a higher number at the base slide,(which would be tilt on the Oregon)....

It helps create that sharper angle on the side plate....I hope that makes since....

Here is the base adjustment on the USG...I know you guys have the Oregon’s and know all about the tilt on them...

 

[huskyboy]

I’m hoping it’s not hard to hand file. Easy to file is one of the reasons I like lgx.

 

[Douglas Ostrander]

@Douglas Ostrander i will say that if/when I am going for what I call that “hollow” grind, I use a higher number at the base slide,(which would be tilt on the Oregon)....

It helps create that sharper angle on the side plate....I hope that makes since....

Here is the base adjustment on the USG...I know you guys have the Oregon’s and know all about the tilt on them...
View attachment 108809

I have the same adjustment on my Oregon 620-120 hydraulic assist grinder. Yes I am wonder if I could use a little more side plate angle. If you didn't know I have the Oregon 511ax, Oregon 620-120, Silvey prosharp grinders.

 

[OBX Koastie]

This is great input to my question and thank all of the responders, especially those who have actually worked with it. I also run Oregon 95TXL chain (Philbert I am sure remembers his test and my finding that Lowes actually had a hybrid TXL/VPX chain for sale!) on my Dolmar for limbing and I could not find the correct angles for sharpening the TXL or the EXL chain. This is the response I got from a Senior Technical Advisor at Oregon:

Hello Kim,
Thanks for your inquiry. The Oregon(R) 95TXL target angle for the top plate is actually 30 degrees. The reason the box indicates 35 degrees is that it assumes you are using a 10 degree down angle with your grinder and due to the compound angle involved that setting will result in a 30 degee top plate angle to agree with the factory grind angle. A more accurate setting would be 33 degrees for the top plate but 35 will work close enough. If you have the "10 down" compensation marks on your grinder vise you can use those for the TP settings instead of the center pointer if you are using the down angle. The side plate grind setting is 55 degrees.

For the 72EXL chain you are correct using the 25/10/55 settings although to be more accurate you would use 28/10/55 to compensate for the down angle if you are using that. Again your "10 down" setting on the vise angle will give you the correct top plate setting if you are using the down angle.

Thanks for your comments on the 511AX grinder, it is a great grinder for the application you have. We appreciate your use of Oregon(R) products!

Hope this helps answer some of the issues with grind angles. I think I am going to stick with the comments that indicate no specific gains are seen with the =/- 10 degree setting. (To tell the truth I doubt I would . be able to tell one way or another. )

 

[p61 western]

Has anyone tried to square file this new chain yet?

 

[Dub11]

Has anyone tried to square file this new chain yet?

Are you taking the lead on this..........

 

[huskyboy]

I ordered a loop of exj 32” skip .063 chain to try.

 

[p61 western]

Are you taking the lead on this..........

If I get some of it lol.

 

[MG2186]

Has anyone tried to square file this new chain yet?

I’ve converted one on my 451, it converts well, easier than LGX for that matter

 

[Lightning Performance]

If this chain bores well, big plus, has a hard cutter, is fairly low stretch and runs cool but smooth I need some to try out on the mill. Might work good with a lesser face angle. Might not. Have to try.
I like LG or LGX, same chain. Stihl RS is harder and runs cooler. They are about the same smoothness to me and it could be better. They are both smoother in square cutter converts. If this chain is smoother and has the wider feed window, there should be no downside to this cutter.

 

[MG2186]

I did some expiementing with grinder settings today on this chain. I tried 25,20,22 degree top plate, 55,60,58 degree on the head tilt and without the 10 degree vice tilt and with also. The best results for me were 58,22,&10. It cut really well at these settings for me this is with a elcheapo green Timber Tuff grinder and a diamond CBN wheel. I was just about ready to go grind it square it didn’t start cutting better than it was. The 10* vice tilt definitely was the difference maker. The depth gauges were .025-.028” roughly

 

[huskyboy]

I did some expiementing with grinder settings today on this chain. I tried 25,20,22 degree top plate, 55,60,58 degree on the head tilt and without the 10 degree vice tilt and with also. The best results for me were 58,22,&10. It cut really well at these settings for me this is with a elcheapo green Timber Tuff grinder and a diamond CBN wheel. I was just about ready to go grind it square it didn’t start cutting better than it was. The 10* vice tilt definitely was the difference maker. The depth gauges were .025-.028” roughly

Do you like it better than lgx in general?

 

[MG2186]

Do you like it better than lgx in general?

Yes