FOUND IT square filed chain

[davidwyby]

I wanna learn/go fast!

3/8" .050" 24" would be the best for me I think.

 

[Pincher]

If you wanna try a loop, order a 72cj084g from home depot.

 

[walkdog]

I find Stihl RSLK to be a pretty wicked chain if I feel like running square ground. If your local dealers don’t carry it, there are usually a couple sellers with reasonably priced loops on eBay.

Starting to get decent results resharpening my square loops with Save Edge double bevel files, but my round filed RS chains are still probably faster, and I can file those more than twice as fast...

 

[davidwyby]

Hmmm...don't I want full comp if I'm trying to go fast? Say 8 pin on 395? @Pincher

And that's real interesting on the round RS. I'd like to see your filin'. @walkdog

Thanks!

 

[mdavlee]

Stihl RSK was the best stihl chain I tried for speed but their chrome is hell on files. Oregon stuff before the EXL was good. I even had some Carlton that turned out nice.

 

[walkdog]

@davidwyby I think @Pincher’s suggestion was aimed at giving you a better option to learn on - softer cutters, and fewer of them to struggle with.

I don’t do anything too fancy with the round file, whether I have full or semi chisel, I just clean up the gullet and put a little more hook in it than it comes with, being careful to stop short of a beak. Set the depth gauges a gentle stroke or two lower than the file guide lets me. With a powerful saw and a bar on the shorter side, works great for me.

Bear in mind my goal is not to race, rather to get more command during felling cuts and the occasional moments I find myself liberating large dynamic pieces at height.

 

[davidwyby]

Gotcha. That is what I have been trying. This one I also experimented with a diamond “stone” on a dremel. Fine, smooth edge and saves the fingers. I had it on my 6100 and now on my 2252. The depth gauges are about .030-.035” with a swipe off the side to expose more of the side of the cutter. Little aggressive for the 2252 maybe, especially in wood of size (I have only tried it this once in small stuff) but on the 6100 I was impressed with how fast it went through hard eucalyptus.

 

[davidwyby]

Stihl RSK was the best stihl chain I tried for speed but their chrome is hell on files. Oregon stuff before the EXL was good. I even had some Carlton that turned out nice.

I have a variety of oregon stuff but hadn’t paid much attention to the “model numbers”. Just full chisel and non safety. Always cut well for me out of the box.

What do you not like about the EXL?
Thanks

 

[mdavlee]

I have a variety of oregon stuff but hadn’t paid much attention to the “model numbers”. Just full chisel and non safety. Always cut well for me out of the box.

What do you not like about the EXL?
Thanks

I’ve never tried the EXL actually to comment on its performance or gullet depth and width. The K chassis in stihl was their best.

 

[chiselbit]

Hey David, 84 Drivers? Ive got a loop of Oregon CJ72 that still has some life left in it. I’ll grind it and send it to you. Run it until it gets wood dull and then try to file it same as my grind. Shoot me an address. Dan

 

[cuinrearview]

This thread needs some @dall

 

[Pincher]

Hmmm...don't I want full comp if I'm trying to go fast? Say 8 pin on 395?

This would be an affordable, convenient way of getting a factory square ground chisel chain in your hands. Practice filing on your loops of full comp.

 

[davidwyby]

I edited my OP to say "go fast" like I should have. It sounds like square won't work well for the hard dirty wood I have here, so I guess what I'm really looking for is some "play chain".

 

[Lightning Performance]

I edited my OP to say "go fast" like I should have. It sounds like square won't work well for the hard dirty wood I have here, so I guess what I'm really looking for is some "play chain".

Hard and dirty is not for fast chains.
They like soft and wet like you do.

The square cutter will last longer imo.

I bought a square converted from round chain off of @mdavlee years ago. It was noticeably faster than round off the roll or filed. Might still have that loop somewhere.
He sent me a 7" square file with it.
It would go three tanks till dull in my 361 vs two tanks on round. It takes longer to sharpen but you will get better at it over time.

I'm liking square for, as stated here, liberating, chunks coming down the spar of dead a mfer that looks sketchy. I want my back cut done now... right fugging now not in two more seconds.

Mostly working with dead hardwoods so no mistakes or you can be dead real quick. Wrapping rope or nylon straps above and below the cut gives you a clue it needs to happen very quickly.

 

[davidwyby]

Yeh, just looking to play at cants to make videos for y'all to chuckle at. ;-)

 

[mdavlee]

Yeh, just looking to play at cants to make videos for y'all to chuckle at. ;-)

There should be a few people to hook you up with a good ground chain. I probably have a 84 dl loop somewhere filed but I’d never find it for a few weeks

 

[davidwyby]

Yep, looks like I’ve got some PMS. I mean PMs. Multiple private messages.

 

[Cooper264]

I dont know much at all about square ground chain other than the fact that it is square, and you guys say it will work best in soft woods, and I do a lot of cleanup from pine trees. Sooo. Can I put a square file chain on like a 201t? Or do they not do good on short bars or 3/8 lp?

 

[chiselbit]

Ok David, I’ve got your chain ready to go. It ain’t no racer, just a work chain. I’d advise trying it out first in some soft wood if there is such a thing there. Your soft wood probably has petrified scorpions and *s-word in it.

 

[davidwyby]

I have a bit of pine stashed ;-) and I think @Socalmisfit might have a bit more. Hopefully a GTG will work out.

few more pines standing dead around town. Though dead southern yellow pine isn’t exactly Doug fir...