Sharpening woes

[Grimmy]

So I'm what you'd call a weekend warrior. I cut for winter supply and that's about it. I do sharpen my own chains, and I've had some good luck, yet I've recently had some not so good luck. It's got me to thinking about how I'm sharpening. I been sharpening at 60 tilt, 25 twist on the holder, and I can move the holder to be on either side of the wheel (I think +10 and -10) I left at 0. I just started using my grinder to set my raker height. I will hand file on using the blue husky tool, and then matching my stone to that height and using the grinder to set the rest.

So what angles do you use? When doing the rakers, do you grind just one side, and then flip the chain over to do the other side, or does it matter? What do you set them for height?

This past weekend I was cutting some hack berry. I had 1 chain last 3 cuts and it was making dust. I'm thinking my chain was too aggressive and dulled itself, whereas if I would have had higher rakers it would have lasted longer. I'm thinking I need to go away from that tool and use a different one and stay at .025"

I've been sharpening this way for some time now, and the usual red elm and burr oak I cut, they work great. This other stuff though, well I'm unsure of what to do differently to be able to cut longer. Maybe my low kickback chain was in order for that stuff.

 

[jakethesnake]

Semi chisel is in order for that stuff low kickback in semi is fine if it's sharp I file so can't help you out much on angles

 

[Warped5]

So what angles do you use? When doing the rakers, do you grind just one side, and then flip the chain over to do the other side, or does it matter? What do you set them for height?

This past weekend I was cutting some hack berry. I had 1 chain last 3 cuts and it was making dust. I'm thinking my chain was too aggressive and dulled itself, whereas if I would have had higher rakers it would have lasted longer. I'm thinking I need to go away from that tool and use a different one and stay at .025"

For my chisel and semi-chisel, 30 and 60 and no lean. I was told by a couple guys here that there's no real point to the lean on chisel chain. Once that tooth point is compromised, game over.

Hackberry. Where are you cutting this? Windbreak or woods near open fields? Trees next to open fields tend to collect blown dirt in their bark and over time it adds up. I cut up a Shagbark Hickory once that actually threw sparks.

 

[Grimmy]

At the local grass airport, there's a city brush pile, and the bigger stuff they set off to the side. If I find something decent, I'll go cut it and save my timber stash. The point of my cutters was gone! A few teeth the point was in the middle, width wise when I changed it! I should have took pics, but well I didn't.

 

[Wolverine]

Any chance you could post a pic of what your cutter are lookin' like after you file?

 

[WKEND LUMBERJAK]

Tilt 55 twist 25 and +or-10 give it a try. set rakers about 20

 

[czar800]

For my chisel and semi-chisel, 30 and 60 and no lean.

What he said ^^^

 

[Frogfarmer]

30 and 60 with my rakers at .040. Makes for an aggressive chain and wears the bar tips if you are not careful.

 

[Homelite410]

60 and 25 for me. I have cut a lot of hackberry and not had that problem, however cutting dry ash I had the same problem with lpx. I couldn't get 5 cuts on a 24" log and it was making powder.

 

[Time's Standing Stihl]

I called oregon yesterday to confirm this Eric. You have to do +10 on one cutter and -10 on the other. ...

^^this is for the hydo 551462

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[Time's Standing Stihl]

I usually use 55/25 and rakers at 30

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[Grimmy]

I called oregon yesterday to confirm this Eric. You have to do +10 on one cutter and -10 on the other. ...

^^this is for the hydo 551462

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

Interesting. I might do that to a chain and see how much of a difference it makes. I've always left it at 0. I thought you'd move that if your wheel was getting small, but cbn's don't get smaller.

 

[Gunn]

If you're using vise tilt, its easy to remember if you think "right away". Right hand cutters you tilt the vise knob away. Left hand towards you.

 

[Grimmy]

Hopefully these pics go through. Hard to take close ups with my phone. I did try the 10 degree undercut on this chain. I never done that on previous chains and though they cut well. Maybe I'll have to change my ways.

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[WKEND LUMBERJAK]

Hopefully these pics go through. Hard to take close ups with my phone. I did try the 10 degree undercut on this chain. I never done that on previous chains and though they cut well. Maybe I'll have to change my ways.

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you will need to take less off of depth guages.

 

[CR888]

Setting preferred angles is one thing but it won't guarantee a good result. Dressing the wheel to a good shape is just as important if not more. Also setting your depth stopper correctly. Grinding still takes knowledge and skill for long term consistancy. Also when using the tilt on vice you may set the top plate angle at say 30° but as your vice is tilting it will end up at roughly 5-7° less resulting in an end result of 23°-25°. Like filing practice and a good eye are your friend.

 

[TravisJellison]

I set my grinder at 50, the vise at 30, +10 and -10 respectively... Depth gauges at .035 or .040, depends what saw I am using. I have set the vise at 35 a few times, cuts really good also.
These settings are for Stihl RS chain, ran on either a 461 or 661, mostly hardwoods.

The 362 0r 029 Super, all I change is the depth gauge settings, .025 or .030.

I have yet to use the grinder for the depth gauges, so I can't say one way or another if thats where your issue lies.

Could have just be dirty wood/bark, it happens.

I'd try another tree, see how those settings work, before giving up on them and changing anything.