Anyone use a surface grinder to get a finer point on their chain?

[CanadianCarGuy]

I have been getting more and more inconsistent chains lately, some chains have nearly every single tooth on a 34" 3/8 73JGX different. Whether it is a tooth sitting slightly higher than others, rounded corners, bent teeth, or the worst, a rounded edge more like a chipper or semi chisel chain. I grind on a razor sharp II with 4X magnification lamp and 4X glasses together so I tend to notice these things sooner than most. I tried switching to STIHL 35 RSF or whatever it is called and same thing after the third tooth things started changing. So then it dawned on me, why not run the chain under a surface grinder with magnetic table to make each tooth cut the exact same width and create a more precise point at the same time. There is nothing more annoying than having to run a crappy chain that jumps and vibrates right from the get go because a tooth or raker is crooked I end up cutting problem teeth or rakers off completely. Just wondering if anyone has done it and is it worth it?

 

[Metals406]

I've never heard of grinding the top -- but stoning the side evens things out.

If the teeth are that different in height, a guy would almost have to mitigate that with grinding your teeth different lengths.

Long time no see, you still cut'n the big wood?

 

[CanadianCarGuy]

Yeah that is what I meant, machining the sides of the tooth for a perfect corner, not just whatever comes out of the factory that day. Frankly I am surprised that is not part of the manufacturing process, if you are gonna call it chisel chain, might as well be sharp. Some of the points are so badly blunted that you gotta get past the first third of the chain before you have a decent corner again. I am particular on my chains, I try and get the points fine as possible, don't last as long, but I don't get paid running the same chain all week, I get paid for production. I don't do the corner to corner thing anymore on the grinder because of the variance in teeth, now I reset all the angles and do kind of a super beak. That way each tooth is guaranteed to have a point. Also running 9 and 10 pin sprockets depending on the hardness or elevation of the wood, seems to be all down low by sea level and soft as cardboard.

 

[CanadianCarGuy]

Oh yeah, and still in big wood the odd time, but been a lot of second growth lately. Just finished a block in Victoria Lake, by Port Alice with a few big ugly cedars, seems guys have forgotten how cut the big ones down. I never heard of using a 42" bar on cedars under 12 feet till this block come up. Anyways I let my old trainee cut a 14 foot cedar down, and one of my mentors had a true 17 foot cedar on a steep sidehill, that one we used a 63" with an old 084 on it. You know they're big when your tape (60 foot) don't go all the way around the base.

 

[Metals406]

That's some healthy sized wood! Imagine if it was that big and not over ripe -- & solid all the way through!

Them big rotten bastards scare me, & I don't even cut'em.

Post a pic of this 'super beak' thing you're doing. I'll go get a link for ya -- fer the cheap diamond stones I order fer stoning.

 

[Metals406]

I use these, the course side takes away material fast!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000TY15AQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1391371648&sr=8-3

 

[CanadianCarGuy]

You are using these stones on your chains? How are you getting the cutters the same? I'll try and get some pics Monday, I don't have any here right now.

 

[Metals406]

You are using these stones on your chains? How are you getting the cutters the same? I'll try and get some pics Monday, I don't have any here right now.

Yeah, you use your grinder and grind the chain, then put it on a bar in a vice on your bench. Lightly stone two teeth at a time, and eyeball the gap between the tooth and the stone and make them all the same -- then do the other side. If you don't get carried away, you don't lose a lot of chrome -- which reduces tooth life. But, I've experimented with it and cut firewood with stoned chain, and it's not a deal breaker for longevity. It makes it cut super smooth too, very creamy.

Sounds like you're a sharpness-nazi like me anyway, and would change out your chain if it got wood-dull anyway.

I've been noticing a trend for you guys spinning bigger rims up there in BC too. So I totally understand having your chain setup perfect so it can handle those bigger rims.

You should fab a stand like the one below, they're handy!

 

[CanadianCarGuy]

I used to have a similar setup with a bench vise 28" bar and an old tip with weight welded on for doing my rakers, looks like this guy is doing the same thing. I quit using a raker gauge a few years ago, just go by eye now (No it is not precise as using a gauge, just can't find an aggressive enough gauge to use, I like low rakers). I tried taking a pic of an old wore out chain, but I can't get the camera to focus without being blurry.

 

[mdavlee]

I use a whetstone and do as many cutter as possible at a time. Mostly I did race chains that way. Put your other hand or something solid light colored behind the chain and the phone will focus on it.

 

[CanadianCarGuy]

Went to the hardware store and got a 7" course flat stone tried a couple with the chain laying on a flat surface, didn't like it, need to be more precise. I would really like a strong electromagnetic table to hold the chain more secure. Might have to get another rig made up with an older shorter bar on a stand. I was thinking of converting an old lawnmower blade grinder into a surface grinder. Keep the grinder stationary and have a magnetic table that moves. My friend just happens to own an engine machine shop he might even have an old surface grinder kicking around...

 

[mdavlee]

I have a nice chain vise that homelite410 made now but did do it on a bar just tension it up real tight.

 

[CanadianCarGuy]

I did rig up a bar in a vise just now, but the stone is cheap leaves grooves in it after a few passes and it broke after bout the tenth pass. I did get a super fine point on one tooth, I can definitely see potential here with a better setup. I am gonna go see my friend and get a nice stand made up with a tensioner on tomorrow.

 

[mdavlee]

If you can find a large diamond stone it will last a lot longer.

 

[Metals406]

I would love a 12" diamond stone, but the 6" ones I linked earlier are cheap, and do two teeth at a time which is plenty to make it work.

Mike is right, having the chain tensioned works enough for stoning, I always support the opposite side with my hand too. I have one of the custom vices from Homelite410 just as Mike does, and they're sweet. Perfect for chain work and freeing up the hand usually used for support.

 

[CanadianCarGuy]

Here are some pics of the beak I do on my chain. I just drop the corner of the stone down low and move the tooth further up the stone. I get a better finer point like this.

 

[CanadianCarGuy]

I got a couple more pics, if you don't think that the chain is sharp check out the nick on my finger while unwrapping a chain. I wrap em up in towels so the points don't rub together.

 

[CanadianCarGuy]

That is my beak that do, you can see on the last bottem left pic that the corner of the tooth is round when it should be a sharper point. This is an older husky chain, some of the newer Oregon chains have even more rounded corners lately.

Oh yeah, in case you know are wondering what is different look at the line on the inside of the tooth. It normally goes from the point to the inside corner of the tooth. That is where the saying corner to corner comes from for you non grinder people. I like to drop that line way down and get that point higher up on the stone where I can get a nice fine fine point.

If you have real sharp chain you get little cuts every where just from handling it. You really gotta be careful, I have cut myself nearly to the bone dropping a chain while wrapping it up in a towel. I even cut my cat a few months, it rubbing on my leg and I dropped a chain on the poor bugger.

 

[mdavlee]

That is more like what I do for a chain that's meant for racing.

 

[Metals406]

I figured that's what you were talking about when you were saying you made a point. I've inadvertently done it hand filing square and missed the corner. My concern with a large beak like that would be, it would want to beat over way quicker sticking out all on it's own like that.