Clapped-out EXL chain revival:

[mainer_in_ak]

Figured I'd share my filing technique on used-up EXL. My reasoning: extremely tight budget in my tree service company. I can't even use fancy light bars. All I seem to use is powercut & versacut bars. Only rarely will I get a specialty bar. I run EXL .050 on almost everything.

I own a large swath of Alaska birch and sell birch firewood, do milling jobs in remote locations, clear cutting, thinning, and road cuts mostly.

Also can't justify Stihl stuff, I run almost all echo stuff. I have done jobs all over interior Alaska. Just finished up a beetle-kill spruce thinning down on the Kenai peninsula as well.

Anyhow, getting the most out of yer chains obviously puts more profit in yer pocket, eh? With the trendy stuff with the youtube copy-cat-drama-queens like "baby c" making its rounds, figured I'd post up something more practical.

EXL slows down a bit towards the end of chain life. With the cutter so far gone, a normal file for 3/8 is obviously too large. So I switch out to a file for 3/8 low profile. To start with, out of habit, the junk in the gullet is always filed out.

Few more things: Later tonight, I'll post up cut times of this chain against new EXL. My appologies that there are slight file marks on the tie straps, but I honestly really don't give a fk. There is no "name" for this file job. Explaining this out in detail, is kinda crazy, because it all happens in less than 5 minutes of files strokes on an 84 dl chain!:

1: hit the cutter with a 3/8 lp file. Use light strokes, these smaller files are frail:

2. Reprofile the raker resting the front of the raker-file downward, guiding against the opposite drivelink. This leaves the top "tip" of the raker slightly exposed, but gives a nice gentle "ramp" on the raker, without changing raker depth.

3. Bevel both sides of the newly-profiled raker. This is a big one! Less friction, less heat. I've actually gained 100-200 rpms in the cut, just by turning that raker into a dull "knife edge". It also allows the sides of worn cutters to bite a little better.:

4. Finally, adjust the raker depth to your saw, in your wood. My CS 620pw in Alaska birch/white or black spruce, and smooth bore cutting, my rakers are slightly below a typical raker guage:

Comparison to new EXL:

 

[hacskaroly]

Figured I'd share my filing technique on used-up EXL. My reasoning: extremely tight budget in my tree service company.

My appologies that there are slight file marks on the tie straps, but I honestly really don't give a fk. There is no "name" for this file job.

Good information, most of my chain is from the short sections/rejects I bought from work as scrap metal. Its not uncommon to have several master links on a loop just to get enough to go around!

Chains are expensive, I had many customers who would when their chain became dull, toss it out and get a new one, it wasn't "worth their time" to resharpen it...I think it was more of an excuse that they didn't want to take the time to learn how to sharpen it, they gave it a few swipes with the Stihl 2-n-1 and said "forget this".

Tie straps get hit, I typically use a .404 file on my 3/8 and then scale down files as I get to the rear end of the cutter. I have nicked a few tie straps, if I feel I have gone too far or if one has broken, I can pop it out and put in a new master link and tie strap.

How many old timers are out there that still have a boatload of old chains they are not willing to throw away, they are at the very end of the cutters (possibly with a cutter or two broken off), but the chain is still useful. I always told people when they were going to throw a chain away that was spent, to hold onto it and use it when they knew they were going to be in the dirt, that way they can jack up the jacked-up chain and save their good chains for the cleaner/out of the dirt wood.

 

[Wilhelm]

"Used up"?!
That loop is just breaking in!

 

[mainer_in_ak]

With a CS 620pw, I tested this worn-out chain against new EXL in 16" diameter Alaska birch. The worn chain was 1-2 seconds faster than new EXL, every cut.

The chain was used last season to free-hand milling spruce boards, building 9 dog houses in a remote location. Was also used to do a paid clear-cut. It is just about stretched to the end of tension adjustment. The drivelinks needed filing, they were damaged. The bottom of the straps are mushroomed over as well.