Chainsaw grinder questions, tips, tricks, and pics!!!!

[Khntr85]

You might want to pose this in the 'Milling' forum. They actually use them. Otherwise, I would just be quoting you stock angles from the catalogs.

Philbert

Thank you philbert as always.... I actually remember @Brush Ape told me the angles for ripping chain after I posted that!!!!

 

[Khntr85]

My ripping chains are at 10* normally but I have been trying out 5* lately just to see the difference.

And do you always use semi-chisel chain.....


Also are the 5-15 degree angles a lot easier on the saw that the regular chain angles...

 

[Philbert]

. . . mine are all Granberg Milling Chains, . . .

Just a note that the Granberg milling chains are 'different' than conventional chains, aside from the angles:
https://granberg.com/chains/

Although, I would switch the terms that they use, Granberg ripping chains have 'scoring' and 'clearing' cutters. One of these looks like a conventional tooth; the other looks like a tooth with the top plate ground off. A local saw shop makes these for certain customers, on request, by grinding off the top plates on half of the teeth.


Philbert

 

[wiersy111]

For ripping chain I bought one 25" Carlton ripping chain and a 36" Granberg chain. It didn't take long to figure out that I liked the Granberg far better than the Carlton. The 5*-15* makes a smoother/ cleaner cut than a standard 30*-35* chain. Many other factors like speed and pressure also affect the roughness of the cut. For normal chains I have a mix of semi chisel and full chisel chains.

Here is a blurb about Granberg chain right from their site:
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Granberg ripping saw chain is made up of one set (2) scoring cutters and one set (2) clearing cutters. While there are many companies that sell chain for milling, no other company offers ripping chain that features our specific modifications to the top plate. Our process shaves off approximately half of the tooth lengthwise on the first and second cutter links of each 4 link group. By this method, each tooth takes only ¼ of the kerf, takes less feeding pressure than conventional chain, cuts faster, smoother, and takes less power than conventional full tooth (cross cut) chain. **Order by drive link quantity.** We loop every chain unless otherwise requested, so they are ready to use out of the box. There is a $3 loop charge added to every chain.

 

[wiersy111]

Just a note that the Granberg milling chains are 'different' than conventional chains, aside from the angles:
https://granberg.com/chains/

Although, I would switch the terms that they use, Granberg ripping chains have 'scoring' and 'clearing' cutters. One of these looks like a conventional tooth; the other looks like a tooth with the top plate ground off. A local saw shop makes these for certain customers, on request, by grinding off the top plates on half of the teeth.
View attachment 54559

Philbert

I would have beat you to it but the damn phone rang!!!

 

[Khntr85]

Just a note that the Granberg milling chains are 'different' than conventional chains, aside from the angles:
https://granberg.com/chains/

Although, I would switch the terms that they use, Granberg ripping chains have 'scoring' and 'clearing' cutters. One of these looks like a conventional tooth; the other looks like a tooth with the top plate ground off. A local saw shop makes these for certain customers, on request, by grinding off the top plates on half of the teeth.
View attachment 54559

Philbert

As always thanks philbert!!!!

Yes those chains are very strange looking indeed.....I was just thinking about making a ripping chain out of a 20" 3/8 loop and see if it would noodle/rip big pieces of would in half easier than a regular chain....

Of course I can always use the chain to try my hand at milling sometime too!!!!

 

[Khntr85]

@wiersy111 do you think it would be worth it for me to make a ripping chain for cutting big logs in half or quarters just to be able to lift them????

 

[paragonbuilder]

@wiersy111 do you think it would be worth it for me to make a ripping chain for cutting big logs in half or quarters just to be able to lift them????

If you are just cutting firewood, it makes no difference. I did some tests a while back. The reason for the 10 deg top plate is to get a smoother finish on the cut, less tearing of fibers so less planing needed.

Now that granburg chain... I can't say, never seen that before.

 

[wiersy111]

@wiersy111 do you think it would be worth it for me to make a ripping chain for cutting big logs in half or quarters just to be able to lift them????

If it's just firewood there is no reason to use a ripping chain. Like paragonbuilder said the 10*top plate is smoother cut. Ripping chain is not recommended for cross cutting, it increases the chance of kick backs.

 

[Khntr85]

If it's just firewood there is no reason to use a ripping chain. Like paragonbuilder said the 10*top plate is smoother cut. Ripping chain is not recommended for cross cutting, it increases the chance of kick backs.

I never planned to use the ripping chain for actual "bucking".....I wanted to make a ripping chain strictly for "ripping" huge chunks down to manageable pieces, and for some future milling when I get my ms660 I just acquired rebuilt.....

 

[Khntr85]

If you are just cutting firewood, it makes no difference. I did some tests a while back. The reason for the 10 deg top plate is to get a smoother finish on the cut, less tearing of fibers so less planing needed.

Now that granburg chain... I can't say, never seen that before.

Ok I got ya....I will eventually make a ripping chain for the 660 I am rebuilding as soon as the parts arrive....


Sorry to get a little off topic guys!!!

 

[Philbert]

.....I wanted to make a ripping chain strictly for "ripping" huge chunks down to manageable pieces, and for some future milling when I get my ms660 I just acquired rebuilt.....

Yes those chains are very strange looking indeed.....I was just thinking about making a ripping chain out of a 20" 3/8 loop and see if it would noodle/rip big pieces of would in half easier than a regular chain.... Of course I can always use the chain to try my hand at milling sometime too!

A regular chain works fine for 'noodling' (technically 'parallel grain ripping'), where very little end grain is encountered - hence, the long 'noodles'.

The milling / ripping chains are designed to cut the end grain ('cross grain ripping').



As a fellow 'chain geek' I encourage you to try them all! Even to take a Dremel cut off wheel and make a Granberg style ripping chain!

Philbert

 

[Khntr85]

A regular chain works fine for 'noodling' (technically 'parallel grain ripping'), where very little end grain is encountered - hence, the long 'noodles'.

The milling / ripping chains are designed to cut the end grain ('cross grain ripping').

View attachment 54694

As a fellow 'chain geek' I encourage you to try them all! Even to take a Dremel cut off wheel and make a Granberg style ripping chain!

Philbert

Lol, thanks for the encouragement....with time, I will try to "make one of each", just to see if I can....

Oh by the way philbert, since I got paid $50 for those chains I did recently, my GAD made me order a 1/8 CBN wheel from diamond wheel brand.... I just got it the other day....they are great!!!!!

Now if I can just get time to finish this ms660 rebuild!!!!

 

[Khntr85]

So now I have the 3/16 and 1/8 CBN wheels....


I dont know if I was "dressing" the 1/8 stone wheel to hard or what, but I can tell that they would tend to wear out with a decent amount of use....

Don't get me wrong the stone wheels will put a fine edge on a chain, the CBN are just awesome!!!!

 

[Philbert]

Mail me the stone ones . . . I will see that they get used!

Philbert

 

[Khntr85]

I will say that you can take advantage of the fact that you can dress the wheel profile how ever you want it.....

I did a little experimenting with the wheel shape myself....when I dressed the wheel for a chisel chain, I profiled the bottom of the wheel a little more square than round.....I know for a fact it produced great results because it was my chain.....

@Philbert have you or any other of you guys played with the wheel profile shape any????

If so what did you do and what were your results??????

 

[Philbert]

I usually stick with the half round profile. I see where you could modify that a bit to try and match the radius of a different diameter file, but have never tried dressing for more of a square grind.

Philbert

 

[Khntr85]

I have always wondered why people haven't tried To make a "square profiled" stone wheel for the Oregon/Stihl/Tecomec type grinders.....

Unless I am totally missing something it seems like a guy could get a square ground chain out of one of these type of grinders if you just got the profile of the wheel just right....

Of course the silvey/simington square grinders seem to have the grinder head come straight into the tooth.....maybe you could drop the grinder head lower on the Oregon type grinders to help simulate this action.....

 

[Philbert]

I have always wondered why people haven't tried To make a "square profiled" stone wheel for the Oregon/Stihl/Tecomec type grinders......

A lot of guys have tried. This has been discussed many times in these forums.

The presentation of the tooth to the grinding wheel is important to get the kinds of angles obtained with the square grinders (or files). It's not just the flat edges.

You might be able to disassemble an Oregon style grinder, and build a square grinder out of the parts, if you have the ability to fabricate some additional pieces. You could model it after one of the Silvey models, or maybe come up with a fresh design. Do this affordably, and a bunch of guys on these sites would be interested in buying one from you!

Note that the wheel profiling and dressing is much more precise, and less forgiving, on the square grinders, which is why they typically also have mounted, diamond dressing stones, to shape the edges consistently.

Philbert

 

[greendohn]

Anyone familiar with the Foley 308 grinder? Have a chance to pick one up for $200. It appears to be in great shape just not sure what it's worth and if they're any good??

I've gotta' Foley, had it for so long I can't remember the model #...it's a very well built unit, BUT, it is not "symetric". That's saying you gotta set it up for leftt/right each time.
have had it probably near 20 years with no troubles.