Reaming

davidwyby

Desert Beaver
Joined
Apr 25, 2022
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El Centro, CA (East of Sandy Eggo)
Been working on my tension/compression bucking, if in thought more than practice. I use round filed chain and have had a hard time reaming, getting pinched too much. It just occurred to me that one of the benefits of square filed chain is that it side cuts better, and maybe that works better for reaming as well. What say ye?

Any other input and advice appreciated.

Thanks, Merry Christmas!
 
The one sure thing I really liked about grinding square chain, over hand filing it, is the fact that you can dress the stone to get a full sharp on the side plate. Which, incidentally, removes a large portion of the gullet, too. And that makes cleaning the gullet super quick and EZ.

A full sharp on the side plate makes for a sweet cutting square chain. Not only when reaming, but also when shaving or cleaning the corner of a diagonal cut. No skipping at all.
 
I wonder if too sharp and grabby of a side plate makes reaming more difficult and kickback more likely. I had a bad experience with a new round Stihl RS chain, where I had a very hard time advancing a cut if the tip was anywhere near in the cut. It would just climb out of the cut via the sides, not the very tip.

I think for reaming, you don't want an aggressive firewood chain, and continually try to advance the cut to avoid the saw climbing up into a pinch. One reason I don't like the squishy AV on new saws, is they can move a lot and kick and pinch before you have a chance to counter it.


I'm still a beginner when it comes to reaming.
 
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Tucker, a long ago member, taught us a trick that goes with, or eliminated the need for, reaming.

Start your top-bind bucking on top, progressing until the kerf is starting to close, ever so little. Cut a wood wedge from the end of the log. Let it fall into the kerf, lightly tapping it in the kerf with the bottom of the chain/ bar. Resume bucking, reaming in, as needed.
 
If it's pinching your not reaming it enough, the saw should be cutting its own room as you go. As your cutting, watch the kerf, as soon as it makes any movement to close start your back and forth. You don't even need to go all the way thru or out, even doing at least half the diameter will allow it to settle but leave enough wood so you won't pinch as quickly, mess around a bit with it and you'll get it. Basically more in and out than down, because it's the back and forth that makes your room for you, once it starts moving you don't have much more to go until it settles. Then when they touch on top you can go all the way thru again and finish the cut, and the saw will cut room for itself as you go. If it's tight, ream it some more. Reaming really changed how i cut stuff, a definite before and after moment, and easily worth the cost for gftw alone. Thx @gf beranek!
 
You need enough diameter to close the kerf and hold that position while you open the kerf below or above the closure (assuming you are cutting approximately horizontal). So at a minimum twice the bar dimension from top to bottom, about like Kave says.

But I'd think a good bit more is easier, because smaller diameter wood is lighter and thus less likely to assume a static position under bind, as a heavier log would.

In the end, I don't know. But I cannot recall reaming much of anything less than 20-24 inches, myself.
 
Just start cutting down, and the moment you think it might be starting to close up start reaming. Once it settles and touches at the top you're good and can simply finish the cut. Once you get the hang of it you'll never go back, hands down the quickest and easiest way to buck stuff. Often you don't even need to roll it to finish, a huge advantage, and you'll eliminate most cutting upwards which is a pain to do with a bigger saw. You don't have to be completely buried either, lead with the tip a bit as you're coming down and then you'll only need to ream the close side, which you can do with your bar pulled out more so you're less likely to get pinched because less of the bar is in the kerf. You can often get away by simply nibbling the sides too to let it settle, and then plunge cut your kerf back open once it's done moving, I'll do that more on smaller stuff since it's easier to get stuck doing smaller stuff because it'll move more. If it ever starts feeling tight ream sideways a bit rather than down, I'm not above even plunge cutting right next to the kerf to give myself more room since I'm not a logger who cares about the wood I'm cutting up.
 
I think my VP runs Husqvarna. That would explain why he thinks he can get away with reaming before the top of the bar is buried. His saw is vibrating and jiggling around so much that his kerf is probably half an inch wide!

A real saw will bind on the bar in small stuff because it's cutting the size kerf it says on the box. This is the territory of relief cuts and micro notches. Or underbucking if possible.

Plungebucking is viable only on stuff big enough to be reamed, or ever so slightly smaller. It can be faster though.

But if you insist on running some old shitesaw, in offbrand orange, sometimes you suffer.
 
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