ROUND Grinders only

[Red97]

Just good ol round chisel/semi from the grinder.

What works? Angles/dangles/depth.
What grinder are ya using? Stihl/Oregon/other??
What wheels do you like?
Do you use different settings for wood type?
How many chains do you grind a year?

Getting a grinder soon, want to know what to expect.

Thank you

 

[Canadian farm boy]

I've got a laser brand grinder. It's similar to the Oregon. I use CBN wheels for sharpening the cutter and a 1/4" pink stone for the DG. I usually stick to 60/30/0 for semi and 50 or 55/25/10 for chisel. I do try slightly different angles periodically looking for that "perfect" cutting chain.

You may want to check the angle and degree markings on the grinder for accuracy. A digital angle finder and or protractor works great. My grinder was out a few degrees in almost every direction.

When I sharpen a cutter I use several small bumps of the wheel as to not over heat the cutter.

I also like to grind fairly deep into the cutter so the top plate actually gets sharpened by the side of the wheel. This also helps to keep the gullets cleaned out. ******Note that this is just my preference and some may disagree.******

Lots of light

Take small, very small "bites". You almost want the wheel to be brushing the cutter not grinding it. You may have to go around a chain several times if it's been rocked or abused.

I profiled my DG stone to have a slight concave shape. This way when I touch up my DG they have a slightly rounded profile. I also set the grinder head tilt to 10* for grinding DG. I find the profile of the stone combined with the angle of the head help make for a smoother cutting chain.

This is my grinder

 

[Red97]

Thank you for the reply, clears some things up.

 

[Canadian farm boy]

Get a paint marker. Mark the first cutter you do. Saves some confusion as to where you started. I find white or yellow works the best for me.
If sharpening a chain that has been hand filed I will usually check over the chain visually and try and find the smallest or shortest cutter. Try and use this cutter as your starting point. This way when your done sharpening the rest of the chain every cutter and DG are the same.

 

[Moparmyway]

I have a 511A with a CBN wheel and added some tubing for air cooling of the cutter. Works great and the cutter is cold to the touch immediately after grinding. I run 53/30/10 for all chains except my own full chisel. They get filed square

 

[Canadian farm boy]

@Moparmyway Do you use regulated shop air?

 

[Moparmyway]

Yup ........... 120 psi, but I added a small ball valve to the setup (see picture #1) and keep the pressure pretty low ............ it doesnt need much, and you can see the sparks arent being blown away (see picture #2)

 

[Firewood Bandit]

I like this one, Picked up NIB a couple years ago. Use for 3/8ths and .404:

One on left for rakers, The Oregon for .325.

 

[Red97]

Thank you guys.

I can file enough to get me through the day cutting. But I only cut a few months a year. Less than 10 cord mostly.

Sharp to me is out of the box stihl RS. Can you get those kind of results from a good grind?

 

[Canadian farm boy]

Thank you guys.

I can file enough to get me through the day cutting. But I only cut a few months a year. Less than 10 cord mostly.

Sharp to me is out of the box stihl RS. Can you get those kind of results from a good grind?

Better if your good. Takes some practice. Gotta really know your grinder, your saw and what you want your chain to do

 

[Firewood Bandit]

Thank you guys.

Sharp to me is out of the box stihl RS. Can you get those kind of results from a good grind?

Yes

 

[Red97]

Does anybody have a diagram explaining the angles?

53/30/10

Is the 53 the side plate angle, 30 top plate, what is the 10?

Thank you for the help

 

[Canadian farm boy]

10* refers to the vise tilt

 

[psuiewalsh]

I have a maxx grinder that I mainly use for abused or rocked chains. I usually grind 60/30/0 or 60/25/0. I tried the tilt on the vise but could not notice any difference. One item I have noticed is I have to reset the tooth stop when switching side to side to keep the same cutter length. It could be the way I dress the wheel or play in the mechanism. I have swapped out to the 1/4" wheel for rakers but I prefer to hand file them with the husky depth gauge on a bar

 

[Canadian farm boy]

I have a maxx grinder that I mainly use for abused or rocked chains. I usually grind 60/30/0 or 60/25/0. I tried the tilt on the vise but could not notice any difference. One item I have noticed is I have to reset the tooth stop when switching side to side to keep the same cutter length. It could be the way I dress the wheel or play in the mechanism. I have swapped out to the 1/4" wheel for rakers but I prefer to hand file them with the husky depth gauge on a bar

When I first started using my grinder I also found that left and right cutters were different sizes. What I found was that my vise had to be centered. All my chains are 50 gauge. I centered the vise up for my gauge and now my cutters are usually within a few thou. When I sharpen chains of a different gauge I always start with the RH cutters and then adjust the tooth stop as required for the LH cutters.

 

[Canadian farm boy]

Now that I think of it the tip of my tooth stop has a curved profile. I wonder if I was to file it flat if this would help or at least make it easier to adjust

 

[Red97]

Just picked this up today. Only thing I'm not liking is the vice.

 

[Moparmyway]

Just picked this up today. Only thing I'm not liking is the vice.

What is it about the vise that you dont like ?

 

[Red97]

What is it about the vise that you dont like ?

Seems like you have to really crank the lock to hold. Just the vibration from the start up will wiggle the cutters if the handle is reefer down tight.

 

[Moparmyway]

Seems like you have to really crank the lock to hold. Just the vibration from the start up will wiggle the cutters if the handle is reefer down tight.

Did you adjust the rails for the gauge of your drivers ?