Thread: Full Chisel vs Semi Chisel?

You will cookie cut faster with Chisel Chain, you will cut more wood faster with Semi-chisel as you don't/won't have to stop nearly as often to sharpen and it stays sharper longer, although it is slower/duller to begin with when compared to Chisel.

Think of Semi Chisel as a big round wave on a line graph with lower peaks and higher valleys. Where as, chisel is more peaky with higher highs and lower lows.

Or another way is semi-chisel is a man and chisel is a woman, it has its points, but its emotional, with associated highs and lows. The semi is just steady, always trying to work without the drama, headache and fuss.

Or chisel is faster and slower, Semi-chisel is in the middle always working.

Sam

Lol

Originally Posted by Slamm

You will cookie cut faster with Chisel Chain, you will cut more wood faster with Semi-chisel as you don't/won't have to stop nearly as often to sharpen and it stays sharper longer, although it is slower/duller to begin with when compared to Chisel.

Think of Semi Chisel as a big round wave on a line graph with lower peaks and higher valleys. Where as, chisel is more peaky with higher highs and lower lows.

Or another way is semi-chisel is a man and chisel is a woman, it has its points, but its emotional, with associated highs and lows. The semi is just steady, always trying to work without the drama, headache and fuss.

Or chisel is faster and slower, Semi-chisel is in the middle always working.

Sam

Well, seems like your body should be suffering now.

So the semi-chisel must stand around farting, bragging, and spitting whilst the chisel is out working and getting things done?

Let me think, emotionally and I do have a headache...coffee hasn't kicked in yet...hmmm. Don't the real PRO FALLERS use the square file chisel girly chain then? In fact, that chain is so like women that it is more efficient and gets the cut done in less time...

I too am a semi chisel fan. 30 years ago i found when the tip of the chisel got rounded a little the saw wouldn't cut good so i switched to semi. I still use some chisel i just watch what i cut with it. Now if i did cutting like the chainsaw racers do with clean pretty wood on a rack it would be chisel all the way...Bob

I mostly use chisel, as most of my wood is clean and green, and seldom is skidded.

Originally Posted by slowp

So the semi-chisel must stand around farting, bragging, and spitting whilst the chisel is out making me a sandwhich.

J/K of course. You have to remember I am the man in my house. I wear the pants! I also wash the pants and iron them and repair them.

Actually, they both cut wood pretty good.

Originally Posted by J.W Younger

I noticed something cutting mostly clean wood with sc that I never seen happen with chisel, the top plate going concave from the chips honing away the softer metal underneath.

What I think that you are seeing (and you must have good eyes to see it!) is the hollow grind on the underside of the top plate, and on the side plate, from the shaped/profiled grinder wheel.

Originally Posted by sunfish

Actually, they both cut wood pretty good.

That's the key - keeping them properly sharpened! I most always would prefer having a sharp whatever, to a dull whatever-else.

Philbert

Originally Posted by Philbert

What I think that you are seeing (and you must have good eyes to see it!) is the hollow grind on the underside of the top plate, and on the side plate, from the shaped/profiled grinder wheel.





That's the key - keeping them properly sharpened! I most always would prefer having a sharp whatever, to a dull whatever-else.

Philbert

No, its not. What I was refering too you can see lookin down not underneath the top plate and this is not in any way to put you down but spend more tIme learning and less time teaching.
As for the hollow grind, you get that from a round file as well as a properly shaped wheel,and it may be that this contributes to the self sharpening lost with square profiles. In other words it may not be that square goes dull faster but that it does not self sharpen as well, in any case when the point is pushed down on chisel it stops cutting, period.

Originally Posted by J.W Younger

No, its not. What I was refering too you can see lookin down not underneath the top plate and this is not in any way to put you down but spend more tIme learning and less time teaching.

the top plate going concave from the chips honing away the softer metal underneath.

.

Take it easy - You need to describe this better. Are you saying that when you look down at a cutter from the top the flat edge becomes concave? I have only seen this when the cutter hits something.

Philbert

Originally Posted by Philbert

.

Take it easy - You need to describe this better. Are you saying that when you look down at a cutter from the top the flat edge becomes concave? I have only seen this when the cutter hits something.

Philbert

I am taking it easy and have no malice towards you , but even tho i'm old there many things i havent seen.

I cut dirty little trees for firewood with semi-chisel chain, because filing my chain every fill up is a waste of time. I have to drive a long(140 miles round trip)ways get access to firewood on USFS land. I do not want to spend time sharpening my chain or switching out to another one. That is MY system that work for ME. Heck I would love to cut with square filed chain. But I would last about one good sized tree before all the grit and gunk would dull it out.

I am getting a feeling that this is more of time efficiency discussion then a full chisel vs. semi-chisel.

If I could go on to and cut the nice big white furs in my back yard in national forest land. The trees get alot more rain and are "cleaner" then pinon pine & juniper that I for firewood. That few more inches of rain, plus different type of dirt. Keeps the nasty crud off the trees that eats square and round chisel chains. Be happy if you live where you get lots of rain to keep your trees nice "clean"!

My .02

Mike

No point in making a science out of this - just try the options yourself, if you are in doubt!

I do cut mostly clean wood that hasn't been skidded. I do cut some that has been skidded and I don't really notice square getting dull faster than round filed chains. They both seem to go atleast 2 tanks and some have went 6 before it was wood dull.

Originally Posted by SawTroll

No point in making a science out of this - just try the options yourself, if you are in doubt!

Yep, thats the only real answer. There are so many variables in wood, cutting methods, experience and just plain preferences that the best thing is to experiment with the different chains and see what works best for you.