Thread: Northern Hyd grinder, making it work (pics)

ok, so stupid questions.

i am supposed to run it at 10 degrees tilt for my 3/8 chain. So, I put the base gizmo lined up on the notch. Is this 10 degrees?????

how do you guys line up the cutting edge side to side? The stupid little spring loaded chain stop gizmo keeps loosening its nuts, so it moves in and out, and is inconsistent as all heck. mark the chain guide, and line it up wiht a rivet???

i've never used a chain grinder, so pardon if questions are dumb.

I purchased one of these grinders as well, also my first experience with a chain grinder. The outside lines are the 10° marks. Not all 3/8 chain uses the 10° tilt, look at the guide provided in the manual or the manufactures documentation for your chain. You may also want to get the Oregon manual for their 511a grinder, this grinder is a copy of it, their manual is far better and is available in PDF format on their website.

For a quick fix on the chain stop I put some tread tape, the thin Teflon stuff you put on pipe fittings, a few wraps of that stuff and it will tighten it up enough so it doesn't vibrate around anymore and is still easily adjustable. You will have to move it a little bit to keep it centered properly when switching from one side of the chain to the other.

I have had a good time with this grinder, once setup properly and you get a few chains done it becomes very fast and easy to use and will keep your chains sharper and more consistent, it really helped straighten out some older hand filed chains.


P.S. I have been able to find all the grind angles for all manufactures of chain except Stihl, if anybody knows where I can find that info that would be great.

thanks! great idea on the teflon tape!

makes perfect sense now that you explain that......

so when I was using it, I was leaving the chain stop "centered". Then adjusting the gizmo that moves the chainstop for side to side.

wrong???

I have found out it is an operator preference. some even want 25 degrees for winter cutting. And the 10 degree is pretty evident by looking at how the grinder attacks the tooth.You can see that the tooth has a slight lean to it.by the way the grind tapers going out to the end of the tooth.(I found this out on the very first chain I ground wrong). But the next time I ran it through I corrected my mistake.(after someone told me to use the chart that came with the grinder).Gee read instructions? who would have thunk huh?

I found this Stihl .pdf file on chain sharpening.

http://www.stihllibrary.com/pdf/Shar...61301final.pdf

It does not go into specifics, but has some interesting info, especially on diagnosing various forms of chain & bar wear.

Originally Posted by Adam217

if anybody knows where I can find that info that would be great.

Too funny, I forgot that was there, I was looking for some up to date documentation from Stihl, that manual didn't list RSC chain.

As for centering the chain, I adjusted the center stopper bolt so that the vise bars look to have an even amount of bow to them while looking from above with it clamped tight, adjustments must be made while loose. I think you want to move the chain stop a little in or out depending on what side of the chain you are sharpening to center it behind the cutter.

Try the manual from this page http://www.oregonchain.com/accessories.htm , you want the "User Manual for 511A Bench Chain Grinder" . I goes through the setup process step by step.

Thanks A Lot !!
Good info here also !!

Originally Posted by Butch(OH)

When I pick up a tool (or anything else) made in China I expect that I will need to do some finish work that really should have been done at the factory.

Great post. My stepson dropped off one of these grinders today for me to figure out and mount in the basement. I'll use your tips to finish it.

Ok so how many of you guys with the 193020 chinese knock off get the razor sharp results? I have used mine now for about 3 months and am seriousley thinking of going back to hand filing. I have read alot on as today and plan on trying it again i have 6 chains in the shop i am going to hit today, and will put the 10 degree angle on them, however i have never had one of these chains cut my hand like they do when i file them.

I get acceptable results. My biggest problem is the adjustments when going from one side of the chain to the other. While the results are acceptable, they are not as good as when I take the chain to my local shop. I have never tried the 10 degree tilt thing. Neither does my local shop.

Originally Posted by ms310

Ok so how many of you guys with the 193020 chinese knock off get the razor sharp results? I have used mine now for about 3 months and am seriousley thinking of going back to hand filing. I have read alot on as today and plan on trying it again i have 6 chains in the shop i am going to hit today, and will put the 10 degree angle on them, however i have never had one of these chains cut my hand like they do when i file them.

Although I have never cut a finger on one cause I am not pushing a file into the tooth either. I have one guy that brings me 3 chains every few weeks. I charge him 3 bucks a chain.. he bought my grinder for me ages ago. LOL
I still file in the woods..

Originally Posted by ms310

Ok so how many of you guys with the 193020 chinese knock off get the razor sharp results? I have used mine now for about 3 months and am seriousley thinking of going back to hand filing. I have read alot on as today and plan on trying it again i have 6 chains in the shop i am going to hit today, and will put the 10 degree angle on them, however i have never had one of these chains cut my hand like they do when i file them.

Definitely not as sharp as hand filing. Pretty decent edge that last fairly long with the effort needed to get a chain sharp. I have a couple of folks I sharpen chains for and they seem happy enough.

I do most of my own chains on it, but have found that hand filing produces better result on my 3/8 when the tooth is nearly gone.

Knowing what I know now about the unit, it was a good investment.

I bought one of these grinders while it was on sale (~$85). Shortly after ordering it I found a Silvey square grinder of CL for peanuts, so the NH grinder is basically on mothballs. I should do these mods (nice job Butch!) and just use it on my little chains.

Wet 1 , you could do as one of the other members suggested and set it up with a flat wheel to do the rakers .