Sharpening tips?

[canadianclimber]

Hey,

Is there a certain part of the chain that is responsible for cutting when doing the 45degree cut on your face cuts? Hope that makes sense.

I've never been the best at sharpening. For flat striaght cuts my saw is mowing through logs and throw nice big chips. When I go to do the 45 degree down cut it feels like dull. Maybe the rakers need more attention. Brought down more, possible.

Any tips would be great. Feel free to direct me elsewhere if this has been discussed.

 

[lxskllr]

How much slower? The 45° will go slower because you're between a crosscut and a rip. It's also a long cut for the horizontal distance covered.

 

[SeanKroll]

Pictures of your chains will help.

 

[canadianclimber]

How much slower? The 45° will go slower because you're between a crosscut and a rip. It's also a long cut for the horizontal distance covered.

Rough estimate of 25% slower. Makes sense about the longer cut. Never thought of that.

 

[lxskllr]

25% seems about right to me, with the way I sharpen, but I'd rather hear the pros comment.

 

[Merle Nelson]

That's normal. Frustrating, but normal.

 

[canadianclimber]

Glad to hear a few other opinions.

 

[SeanKroll]

45⁰ is commonly overkill.
Better overkill than underkill.

The steeper the face, the worse the cutting in relation to the grain as well as increased cross- sectional area.

 

[canadianclimber]

45⁰ is commonly overkill.
Better overkill than underkill.

The steeper the face, the worse the cutting in relation to the grain as well as increased cross- sectional area.

I will play with a shallower face cut. Good advice

 

[stikine]

It would be interesting to see what kind of chain you are using ie. chipper, semi-chisel, chisel and whether or not you are using some sort of safety chain.

 

[gf beranek]

How many times have I heard this question,"Why does my chain not cut well? Generally speaking a glance at the chain tells the story.

All chain, well practically all chain, is primarily designed and sharpened specifically for cross-cutting "wood"!

In the big picture, round or square chain isn't the issue here. With either type of chain if the cutters are dull they are not going to cross-cut wood efficiently. and most noticeably when engaged in the midst of making a big diagonal or rip cut. Even sharp it's going to cut slower. Bug dust instead of chips. Get use to it.

First and foremost you must have a sharp chain!

A dull chain can actually get hot enough to start smoking, and even bake the pitch and sap of the wood onto the straps and cutters. Looking like a gooy glaze covering the chain. Super gross to sharpen after that. Ruin a chain and file.

Add insult to injury a dull chain will wear the bar out prematurely, and you be cutting swoops and swales before you know it. Binding in the cut. Cut so bad you can not match up your cuts to fall a little 12 inch sapling, let alone buck it.

Dull chain, worn bar? ... hey, you be struggling, and be menace to yourself and society.

The bottom line is, every morning a sawyer must always start with a good hot cup, and then go to the field fresh as a daisy, with a good sharp chain and bar. Yeah, and always have a couple of back-ups just to be sure, and the next thing you know you'll be cutting wood in heaven.

 

[lxskllr]

The bottom line is, every morning a sawyer must always start with a good hot cup, and then go to the field fresh as a daisy, with a good sharp chain and bar.

and five minutes later I'm sitting on my ass sharpening the saw cause I stuck in dirt or hit a rock or something :^D

 

[gf beranek]

Ruin a good day every time.

 

[Bermy]

90* to grain, big chips
45* to grain, dust
Parallel to grain, noodles
Same chain, well.sharpened.

 

[stig]

That's normal. Frustrating, but normal.

Nothing frustrating in it.
It is what it is.

 

[SeanKroll]

That's because you're using metric degrees!

 

[Raj]

That's because you're using metric degrees!

Millirads!

 

[davidwyby]

Hey,

Is there a certain part of the chain that is responsible for cutting when doing the 45degree cut on your face cuts? Hope that makes sense.

I've never been the best at sharpening. For flat striaght cuts my saw is mowing through logs and throw nice big chips. When I go to do the 45 degree down cut it feels like dull. Maybe the rakers need more attention. Brought down more, possible.

Any tips would be great. Feel free to direct me elsewhere if this has been discussed.

When I’m doing residential work where falling accuracy is more important than saving out wood in a saw log, I cut a gapped birds mouth. A little angle on the bottom, a little on the top. That way neither cut is very slow. I do the gap to increase hinge flex/hold as most of what I cut is brittle.

 

[pete mctree]

Sharp chain, dressed bar and drive sprocket in good condition. The latter is often overlooked and the vibration, and damage to a chain is not to be underestimated .

 

[SkwerI]

Sharp chain, dressed bar and drive sprocket in good condition. The latter is often overlooked and the vibration, and damage to a chain is not to be underestimated .

Yes, sprockets are critical. You can lose up to 50% of your cutting power from a worn sprocket. So many cutters just keep slapping new chains on without ever looking at anything else.

 

[Magnus]

Sharp tooth is the most important.
Angles are not important unless it can cut.

File is the best friend you have so keeping it clean and sharp is most important. Most times I get to talking about this they don't have the tool fit for job at hand.

Turn file after first stroke prevent crap from filling gullet up.
Wipe of file after each tooth.
No running file backwards in tooth, no vibrating strokes.
If file perform less than before it is often in need of cleaning.

This helps to get a bit more results.

There is no limits to how well it can perform unless you set the limit.

 

[Bart]

Millirads - is that a radioactive chain?

 

[lxskllr]

Millirads - is that a radioactive chain?

Milliradian - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Bart]

Making me doubt my cognition. Made me do an old man brain fart check

Radiation Unit Conversion Chart - Potential Radiation Exposure in Military Operations - NCBI Bookshelf

for fun look up stare-radians, to do with optics field of view