Anybody Ever Make Their Own Skip Chains?

[Philbert]

Full Comp chain has one space between each cutter (Left and Right).
Skip chain has 2 spaces between each cutter (Left and Right).
Semi-Skip chain has one space between each cutter pair (Left and Right), then an additional space between the next pair.

(illustration from TriLink Catalog)

So if a guy had lots of full comp chain, and wanted a skip chain, he could cut off every third cutter, creating a Semi-Sorta-Skip chain, right?

Example: 32" bar has 105DL = 52 or 53 cutters, so he would need to cut off about 17 cutters with a Dremel tool cut off blade. A lot easier than breaking and spinning the loop a gazillion times.

Anybody ever do this? Any thoughts?

I know that it can be done, just thought I would check in and see if I can learn from anyone else's experience.

Philbert

 

[Deets066]

Full Comp chain has one space between each cutter (Left and Right).
Skip chain has 2 spaces between each cutter (Left and Right).
Semi-Skip chain has one space between each cutter pair (Left and Right), then an additional space between the next pair.
View attachment 83443
(illustration from TriLink Catalog)

So if a guy had lots of full comp chain, and wanted a skip chain, he could cut off every third cutter, creating a Semi-Sorta-Skip chain, right?
View attachment 83449
Example: 32" bar has 105DL = 52 or 53 cutters, so he would need to cut off about 17 cutters with a Dremel tool cut off blade. A lot easier than breaking and spinning the loop a gazillion times.

Anybody ever do this? Any thoughts?

I know that it can be done, just thought I would check in and see if I can learn from anyone else's experience.

Philbert

Yes I've made semi skip, just as you said. Cut every third cutter off

 

[Philbert]

Yes I've made semi skip, just as you said. Cut every third cutter off

How it work?

How did it compare to the store bought versions?

Thanks.

Philbert

 

[Deets066]

Seemed to work well. Never did a direct comparison to store bought semi skip.

I was doing a lot of stumping at the time so it was less teeth to sharpen and cleared chips better than full comp when the tip of the bar is buried

 

[Philbert]

Cut 'em off with a Dremel?

Philbert

 

[Deets066]

Cut 'em off with a Dremel?

Philbert

6" grinder with a cutoff wheel

 

[CR888]

As you are aware, one cannot convert full comp chain into skip in the traditional sense without disassembling the chain completely. Obviously its a LOT of work and not really worth the hassle. So then the next best option is 'Cowboy' skip or 'Redneck' skip where you take off every third cutter and end up with a 'sorta-skip' style chain. I've done it a few times in the past when I have had a bunch of F/C chain I got cheap & the final product cuts/performs well. I used a thin cutoff wheel and then smoothed of rough edges with a round drum shape stone in my die grinder. I have not made any for a while and kinda feel what's the point of removing cutters and shortening a the chains cutting life. But...if you do one or two chains just to give you a skip option it will serve you well. It does mean the gap or dead space between cutters is greater than regular skip, there will be a 33% increase in space between cutters (possible issues) but the you have a left & right simultaneously. It ends up increasing chain speed and doing exactly what skip does but its not the ideal solution. Get a half used chain & give it a go, put it in wood and see for yourself.

 

[Philbert]

'Cowboy Skip'! I like that!

Yeah, (as you may be aware) I may have access to a few salvaged chains . . . I also have a new-to-me 79cc saw that I want to run a 32" bar on. Ordered a 'real' skippy chain, and will try making a 'Cowboy Skip' chain for it, to try side-by-side.

Thanks for the input!

Philbert

 

[jakethesnake]

I've made some randoms when teeth break off. Sequence can get weird

 

[stihl livin]

'Cowboy Skip'! I like that!

Yeah, (as you may be aware) I may have access to a few salvaged chains . . . I also have a new-to-me 79cc saw that I want to run a 32" bar on. Ordered a 'real' skippy chain, and will try making a 'Cowboy Skip' chain for it, to try side-by-side.

Thanks for the input!

Philbert

So tell more on this new to you big saw please. The one time I did cut with you I recall you had saws the in 45-55cc range but that was a long time ago at scotts

 

[Philbert]

So tell more on this new to you big saw please.

Just trying to fill out the '3 saw plan'. For me that now means 40cc, 53cc, and 79cc (gas). I can now take a harder look at any 'project saws' I have and decide if I really need them.

Philbert

 

[CR888]

I run full comp on my Solo 681 with 32" b/c in Aussie hardwoods and it does it pretty well on most species. Its much slower than the vids I see in the US. I think a 79cc German engineered wood eating beast designed by Solo's best would have no issues with 30" in US woods. But skip is fun, fast and less taxing on the saw. A lot of what I cut will ALL sink like concrete in water, so more cutters to divide up the work means more work between sharpening. I think you will enjoy you new saw Phil, they are quite impressive to say the least.

 

[Wilhelm]

I've made a sorta-skip 36" 115DL loop!
But I left the side plates standing to function as scoring teeth.
The loop works very well.

I have ground the top plates back with a small angle grinder and grinding wheel.
I went slow at it to prevent overheating.

I should have pictures of my sorta-skip loop on my desktop PC (I'm on my tablet PC now).

EDIT:
The loop cuts smooth and straight, noodles very well too!

 

[Wilhelm]

My sorta-skip with scoring plate/teeth:

 

[Philbert]

Interesting variation Wilhelm. I know of people who do that when making custom ripping chains, but did not think about it for this.

Also reminiscent of 'scratcher' chain.

Thanks for the pictures! I was wondering if you left the depth gauges in place, and how you sharpened.

Philbert

 

[junkman]

Wont you end up with 2 of the same side cutters in a row cutting up a full comp chain ? My off the roll semi skip has right left all the way around .If look at my semi skip it is pairs of rh and lh then a space then rh lh again .

 

[Wilhelm]

Interesting variation Wilhelm. I know of people who do that when making custom ripping chains, but did not think about it for this.

Also reminiscent of 'scratcher' chain.

Thanks for the pictures! I was wondering if you left the depth gauges in place, and how you sharpened.

Philbert

I sharpen/file the loop the same as a regular full comp loop, meaning that the scoring teeth also get a file stroke or two.
When the time comes to lower the rakers I'll lower them all equally.

I made this loop like this because everybody was suggesting that a long bar buried in wood will not have enough chip clearing capabilities, so I decided to alter one of my two 115DL loops. I left the side plates generally to help carry the chips out of the cut, if it had proven ineffective I'd have cut them off completely afterwards.
In my area skip chain is practically non-existent, so I made my own to try and compare it to a full comp loop of the same length.
It turned out good!

Wont you end up with 2 of the same side cutters in a row cutting up a full comp chain ? My off the roll semi skip has right left all the way around .If look at my semi skip it is pairs of rh and lh then a space then rh lh again .View attachment 83695 View attachment 83696 View attachment 83697 View attachment 83698

Yes, cutting off every third tooth of a full comp chain will result in a unconventional tooth alignment - left/right/CUT/right/left/CUT/left/right/CUT ...

Honestly, I don't see nor have any problem with that on my custom loop.
The chain speed on modern saws is so high (up to and over 20 meters per second!) that the double left and double right cutters even themselves out in the cut.
In the end there is still the exact same count of both left and right cutters which will ensure a straight and smooth cut.

 

[Philbert]

Wont you end up with 2 of the same side cutters in a row cutting up a full comp chain ?

Yes. Yes you would. This is clearly an improvised, 'kludge' approach. The question is how much would it matter in a practical sense, or would it create any unique hazards?

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

In my area skip chain is practically non-existent . . .

I noticed recently that Oregon does not list any skip tooth chains in the European version of their 'Maintenance and Safety Manual', while the US version does.

Yes, cutting off every third tooth of a full comp chain will result in a unconventional tooth alignment - left/right/CUT/right/left/CUT/left/right/CUT ...

Sounds like dance instructions!

Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

I noticed recently that Oregon does not list any skip tooth chains in the European version of their 'Maintenance and Safety Manual', while the US version does.


Sounds like dance instructions!

Philbert

Nope, we don't know what skip chain is for here in Europe!

Tango at 20 m/sec and a ~120 dB tune at ~13k rpm.

Sounds like a good dance to me.