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

[Locust Cutter]

I may have to take some pics of my Maxx as well. Overall I really like it. A few complaints but nothing major, beyond the fact that the instructions are badly translated garbage. I was sharpening the teeth from the wrong side for a while, and finally figured that out. You always orient your chain so the working corner is away from the wheel, closest to you. I was doing it the other way so I could see the edge easier, but that left a burr I didn't like. Now that I'm orienting the chain properly, it's much better. I also threw away the 3/8" wheel for a Diamond Wheel Inc CBN wheel in 3/16" that I very much love. I will buy the corresponding one for 1/4"-.325" chain soon. I'm still trying to talk the off-base Commander into letting me buy a Simington, as I can file a pretty darn good round chain, and can now grind the same, taking VERY little off, but after trying square a bit, I love how smoothly it cuts, and how much easier bore cuts are.

Edited for clarity, and punctuation...

 

[BlackCoffin]

Can you explain further as to why you like the diamond wheel? I’ve been looking at them also.

 

[Locust Cutter]

It's CBN, not true diamond so a bit different, but it was made by Diamond Wheel Inc. Diamond would be for carbide chains. CBN is almost as hard, but doesn't load up like diamond. Honestly the list of reasons is pretty long.
1: It cuts far more smoothly for one. It's similar to using a more slow cutting/"finish grade" file vs a very rough or aggressive round file. If you've ever tried a Pferd File vs a Save Edge, you know what I mean.

2: It doesn't heat the tooth nearly as much, or as quickly as the bonded wheels do. The bonded wheels don't really absorb heat, transferring most of the friction heat into the tooth, which is why it's very easy to blue the leading edge, changing the temper. The CBN wheel (from Diamond wheel INC), absorbs much of the heat. If you're barely touching the cutters up, you may not notice much. If however, you're taking off a bit more not hogging it out, but enough to actually work it a bit), it's far more forgiving.

3: the CBN wheels don't wear nearly as quickly or as drastically as the bonded wheels do, all but eliminating the need for re-shaping. you might have to clean it, occasionally, but that's about it. Plus the mileage - given the number of chains I've sharpened with the wheel for 3/8" and .404", and its current condition, I'm guessing that it'll last at least 4-5x times as long as the various bonded wheels that I've seen (in my usage). It's a long-term const benefit, but that's more dollars towards another saw, gun, or bike.

4: The CBN wheels don't spark like the bonded wheels (see above) or possess the potential for coming apart like a bouncing betty. I like my eyeballs free of grinding wheel. Also, my MAXX has a head tilt angle indicator on the vertical base of the unit, precisely where the sparks, and resulting slag formation occurs from the bonded wheels grinding themselves down. The CBN doesn't do this, thus leaving my indicator unscathed and actually legible.

5. Consistency - Given that they don't wear anything like the bonded wheel, the CBN wheel makes more consistent grinds. Each time you re-shape, your re-adjusting the angles slightly, and you're reshaping somewhat differently. It may be within Yankee stadium, but I like having the same profile (within a thousandth or so) every time.

Lastly, and this is minor, but it matters. It seems a bit quieter. This may sound dumb, but I find the bonded wheels much louder, and higher pitched than the CBN. If my Wife or kids are trying to have a conversation with me while grinding, the CBN is doable. Not so much for the bonded ones.

Others results may vary, but that's what I've observed using both Oregon and Molmab wheels. I can't speak for the Dynasaw wheels, but I might try the dynasaw for .325, just to see how it compares to the Diamond Wheel Inc. You can get them off of Bailey's, and maybe Madsen's, but it's cheaper going direct to Diamond wheel by $20-30. Hopefully that wasn't too long winded!

 

[Chainsaw Addict]

I now use the Maxx grinder bought from Bailey's. Head swivels both left and right and also auto clamps. Really like this setup.

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Some pics

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[BlackCoffin]

That sir was the best review I’ve found on the internet for these, thank you much!

 

[Chainsaw Addict]

It's CBN, not true diamond so a bit different, but it was made by Diamond Wheel Inc. Diamond would be for carbide chains. CBN is almost as hard, but doesn't load up like diamond. Honestly the list of reasons is pretty long.
1: It cuts far more smoothly for one. It's similar to using a more slow cutting/"finish grade" file vs a very rough or aggressive round file. If you've ever tried a Pferd File vs a Save Edge, you know what I mean.

2: It doesn't heat the tooth nearly as much, or as quickly as the bonded wheels do. The bonded wheels don't really absorb heat, transferring most of the friction heat into the tooth, which is why it's very easy to blue the leading edge, changing the temper. The CBN wheel (from Diamond wheel INC), absorbs much of the heat. If you're barely touching the cutters up, you may not notice much. If however, you're taking off a bit more not hogging it out, but enough to actually work it a bit), it's far more forgiving.

3: the CBN wheels don't wear nearly as quickly or as drastically as the bonded wheels do, all but eliminating the need for re-shaping. you might have to clean it, occasionally, but that's about it. Plus the mileage - given the number of chains I've sharpened with the wheel for 3/4 and .404, and it's current condition, i'm guessing that it'll last at least 4-5x times as long as the various bonded wheels that I've seen. It's a long-term const benefit, but that's more dollars towards another saw, gun, or bike.

4: The CBN wheels don't spark like the bonded wheels (see above) or possess the potential for coming apart like a bouncing betty. I like my eyeballs free of grinding wheel. Also, my MAXX has a head tilt angle indicator on the vertical base of the unit, precisely where the sparks, and resulting slag formation occurs from the bonded wheels grinding themselves down. The CBN doesn't do this, thus leaving my indicator unscathed and actually legible.

5. Consistency - Given that they don't wear anything like the bonded wheel, the CBN wheel makes more consistent grinds. Each time you re-shape, your re-adjusting the angles slightly, and you're reshaping somewhat differently. It may be within Yankee stadium, but I like having the same profile (within a thousandth or so) every time.

Lastly, and this is minor, but it matters. It seems a bit quieter. This may sound dumb, but I find the bonded wheels much louder, and higher pitched than the CBN. If my Wife or kids are trying to have a conversation with me while grinding, the CBN is doable. Not so much for the bonded ones.

Others results may vary, but that's what I've observed using both Oregon and Molmab wheels. I can't speak for the Dynasaw wheels, but I might try the dynasaw for .325, just to see how it compares to the Diamond Wheel Inc. You can get them off of Bailey's, and maybe Madsen's, but it's cheaper going direct to Diamond wheel by $20-30. Hopefully that wasn't too long winded!

Very well said. To do it again, I wouldn't spend the money for a CBN 1/4" for .325 as I grind 3/8 10 to 1.

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[Chainsaw Addict]

Some pics

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You rotate head, flip chain, flip the grinding angle and flip to tooth stop. When I'm doing more than a few, I'll grind all right or left cutters on all chains then flip and do other side.
I rarely file in the field. Change chains and then sharpen all after dark.

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[Locust Cutter]

That sir was the best review I’ve found on the internet for these, thank you much!

Lol, I try not to be long-winded, but I find that details and context matters, especially when trying to determine whether or not the advice of others may actually apply to your own specific situation. I'd rather try to help anyone make the best possible decision **for their circumstances**, rather than simply plug one thing, flavor, brand, etc. I'm glad that I might have helped!!

Very well said. To do it again, I wouldn't spend the money for a CBN 1/4" for .325 as I grind 3/8 10 to 1.

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That was precisely why I bought it in the 3/16" wheel width. I can and occasionally do grind my 1/4, 3/8lp, and .325 chains, but they're all 18" or less, so unless I rock one, usually 2-5x strokes per tooth, and I'm good. My 3/8" and .404" chains see the harder lives, and dirtier wood on average, especially the stumping. They're also all 20-36" loops. I figure 1x Stump cut = 0.25-2x chains, depending on the size/type of the tree, FOD (Foreign Object Debris), dirt, etc. I only had the money for one good wheel at the time (bought it with the Maxx, along with 2 Molmabs and of course the crap wheels that came with the grinder), and so chose 3/16"

I chose the Diamond Wheel Inc over the Dinasaw brand, because it was roughly 1/2 the price, while only being 3-6x the price of the bonded wheels. I reasoned that if I got exactly the same mileage out of the DWI CBN as the equivalent cost of the bonded wheels, I was still money and time ahead (especially when you figure in shipping), let alone the safety perspective. I may still buy a dynasaw CBN slotted wheel (supposedly better cooling) to try, but it's almost going to have to make my breakfast in the morning to be good enough to justify the price difference between it and the DWI CBN. I'll buy another DWI in a heartbeat if I ever wear this one out.

 

[Locust Cutter]

You rotate head, flip chain, flip the grinding angle and flip to tooth stop. When I'm doing more than a few, I'll grind all right or left cutters on all chains then flip and do other side.
I rarely file in the field. Change chains and then sharpen all after dark.

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Me too! i find it's much faster to simply swap chains and keep trucking than french around sharpening a chain in the field. Usually if I hit something, it's not a 2-3 stroke fix...

I bought a plastic DeWalt (it was on sale at Lowes) two section heavy plastic toolbox for chainsaw/splitting tools. I generally carry 2-3x chains for however many saws are going out with me that day, spare bar nuts for the non-captive clutch covered saws as applicable, a few extra spark plugs and fuel filters, some assorted screnches, a Stihl depth gauge (also handy for cleaning out the bar channel), a raker file for fixing the drivers of a thrown chain, a bar rail dresser filing jig, a spare rope and handle, a tape measure, 200' of rope, assorted felling wedges, a Fiskars hatchet, an extra bottle of 2-stroke oil enough to make 4 gallons, assorted drive sprockets in case I get froggy going from a 7 to an 8-pin rim, a few spare air filters, and a few wrenches for clearing jams on my Super Split for when I occasionally get a sliver wedged in between the rail and the push block.

It stays on the truck and loads/unloads very quickly as needed, and keeps everything organized, clean and dry otherwise. You wouldn't believe how handy it is, and how long Dad and I cut, before we were smart enough to do this. A friend did something like this, and I thought that it was so stupidly simple, that it was genius (and I wasn't). The whole thing might weight 20-25lbs but it's always there. It gets loaded before the saws do. There also a small med kit with assorted bandages, and poison IVY cleanser...

 

[Philbert]

You rotate head, flip chain, flip the grinding angle and flip to tooth stop. When I'm doing more than a few, I'll grind all right or left cutters on all chains then flip and do other side.

I think there would be some muscle learning involved, for me, flipping the grinding head side-to-side, compared to the grinders that I am used to.

Philbert

 

[Locust Cutter]

I think there would be some muscle learning involved, for me, flipping the grinding head side-to-side, compared to the grinders that I am used to.

Philbert

There is, as you're essentially resetting all adjustments when you flip sides. That's wy I took to doing what @Chainsaw Addict said above, in sharpening all of the loops of the day on one side, then flipping to the other, and doing all of them on the other cutters. This works beautifully **IF** you're not varying your adjustments chain to chain for various reasons. With the wood I cut, I'm normally running the same adjustments whether chisel or semi, with a 25° carriage angle, 10° side angle, and between 55-60° head tilt. At that rate, the only changes loop to loop, are the cutter stop pawl, for average tooth length. I just barely touch it until I have a clean edge throughout the side plate, tops plate and working corner, and ensure that I'm getting the gullet to about 1-3 thousandths above the chain chassis. Unless I really rock some teeth (or barbed wire, spikes, bullets, etc) I can typically get about 20-30 grindings out of a chain. I still hand file the depth gauges though, as depending on the task/chain, my chisel loops are a bit lower and my semi-chisels are a bit higher, reserving them for Osage orange and/or really dirty/crappy/suspect wood.

 

[super3]

I'll buy another DWI in a heartbeat if I ever wear this one out.

I've had mine for 12 yrs now and have done several hundreds of chains. Still in good shape.
Diamond will strip and re plate but they are more than a new wheel sells for, Radiac Abrasives was cheaper.
I made a profiled raker wheel and had it plated at Radiac, Diamond wanted 3 times as much.

 

[Philbert]

Might have to try a Maxx if a good deal comes up on one, or if someone locally has one to try.

Philbert

 

[chipper1]

Might have to try a Maxx if a good deal comes up on one, or if someone locally has one to try.

Philbert

Maybe you could contact them and see if they can ship a demo unit out to you, then when it needs to go to the next guy they could send a shipper for that, they may not need to send shippers every time as they could offer the demo unit at a discount. Me thinking .

 

[chipper1]

I've had mine for 12 yrs now and have done several hundreds of chains. Still in good shape.
Diamond will strip and re plate but they are more than a new wheel sells for, Radiac Abrasives was cheaper.
I made a profiled raker wheel and had it plated at Radiac, Diamond wanted 3 times as much.

What's up Mike, hope all is well down there.
Any pictures of the CBN raker wheel, way to improvise.

 

[chipper1]

Lol, I try not to be long-winded, but...

Pretty sure that should be a meme!.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Might have to try a Maxx if a good deal comes up on one, or if someone locally has one to try.

Philbert

If yo already have a Super Jolly, or a 620, it might not be worth it (unless the old becomes a raker unit, or dedicated to smaller pitches), but that never stopped any one with CAD...

 

[Philbert]

If yo already have a Super Jolly, or a 620, it might not be worth it (unless the old becomes a raker unit, or dedicated to smaller pitches), but that never stopped any one with CAD...

I have . . . a few grinders . . . but always curious to try new ones. More like GAD!

A few complaints but nothing major, beyond the fact that the instructions are badly translated garbage.

Most grinder instructions &@#! Old software joke about most manuals being 'written by people who don't need them for people who can't use them'! I have seen grinder manuals that were clearly written by someone who never used one, and show the chains in backwards, among other things. Lots of poor translations and things crudely pasted from other documents / sources. Thankfully, the newer manuals are written using universal symbols, so that people can be equally confused in 64 different languages.

Philbert

 

[Locust Cutter]

I have . . . a few grinders . . . but always curious to try new ones. More like GAD!



Most grinder instructions &@#! Old software joke about most manuals being 'written by people who don't need them for people who can't use them'! I have seen grinder manuals that were clearly written by someone who never used one, and show the chains in backwards, among other things. Lots of poor translations and things crudely pasted from other documents / sources. Thankfully, the newer manuals are written using universal symbols, so that people can be equally confused in 64 different languages.

Philbert

Having been a part of, and party to the USAF Acquisition process, I laughed way too hard at that!!!

 

[Wendell]

There is, as you're essentially resetting all adjustments when you flip sides. That's wy I took to doing what @Chainsaw Addict said above, in sharpening all of the loops of the day on one side, then flipping to the other, and doing all of them on the other cutters. This works beautifully **IF** you're not varying your adjustments chain to chain for various reasons. With the wood I cut, I'm normally running the same adjustments whether chisel or semi, with a 25° carriage angle, 10° side angle, and between 55-60° head tilt. At that rate, the only changes loop to loop, are the cutter stop pawl, for average tooth length. I just barely touch it until I have a clean edge throughout the side plate, tops plate and working corner, and ensure that I'm getting the gullet to about 1-3 thousandths above the chain chassis. Unless I really rock some teeth (or barbed wire, spikes, bullets, etc) I can typically get about 20-30 grindings out of a chain. I still hand file the depth gauges though, as depending on the task/chain, my chisel loops are a bit lower and my semi-chisels are a bit higher, reserving them for Osage orange and/or really dirty/crappy/suspect wood.

Will you do house call training? [emoji41]

I can pay in scotch and cigars. [emoji3]