Does anyone square-file for firewood?

[046]

one loop will not do it ... to give square chain a fair shake.
IMHO... you should purchase at least 6 loops of new square chain.

the least bit of dirt will dull your more fragile square chain. change it out when chain goes the least bit dull. some hand touch up square successfully.

if you find out square is not for you... simply file or grind your now dull square chain to round. the chain is exactly the same... grind on tooth is the only difference.

again... price of a square grinder is right at $1,000... so that knocks out most folks. theres' suppose to be a square chain jig coming out... but don't hold your breath... it's been threatening to come out for over a year.

it takes me 15-20 minutes per chain to hand file. no way I've got the patience or time to do say 6-8 chains a wack. had given up on square chains until I found my simington 450 square grinder

The only loop I have tried is semi-skip, and it cut smoothly, but slowly.
I re-sharpened it round, and gained speed. The only thing that makes sense is that it must be dull right off the roll. It looked good tho....

Maybe I need to try a "really sharp" loop someday. Then I will know better.

Until then I will "ground round" and make hamburger... (pun intended)

 

[Nuzzy]

I will say without a doubt, my favorite chain I've cut with was RSLFK, followed closely by RSLK. Sadly once they finally dulled I was left with having to round file them

I'd really like to get some goofy files and start to learn square filling, but it hasn't happened yet.

 

[Metals406]

Square all the way...

But as said many times before... Semi-chisel is better for dirty wood. I just make sure my firewood is clean, cause I don't want to run semi.

 

[Zodiac45]

I was under the assumption that any full chisel chain could be ground round or square. Semi chisel chain should only be ground round.

To answer the OP I have never used square grind for firewood. For what I cut, square would seem to 'fragile'. I spend enough time now sharpening chains with 3 of us cutting, I don't know if I would get any saw time keeping the chains sharp on the boys' saws. They just recently graduated to chisel cutters and it seems as if I am starting all over again with them, at times.

Square can be round ground(after dulled) and is done quite allot since square is "sometimes" cheaper too buy. But not the other way round due too the amount of material you'd need to remove too get it square again. It could be done but you'd be wasting allot of tooth.

 

[Crofter]

You really dont need to take much off a sharp round filed chisel tooth to get a much faster cutting chain by converting to square. Just match the existing top plate angle and bring the inside corner up to the existing corner and forget about removing all traces of the original round sharpening for the first go.

Below is a new round filed cutter that has been given just a few strokes with a square file and you can still see almost all of the original round ground profile. Getting the material out of the inside of the cutter corner is the first big gain.
If you leave the original outlines pretty much alone like this it keeps you from getting all out of whack with your angles so is one way of getting your feet wet with square filing without getting in trouble. The goofy file works even easier in this respect since it is rounded on the edge that sharpens the side of the cutter.

Those teeth look like they would be fiercely grabby but viewed from the other side they have the same hook as a round ground or filed chain and they behave very well. The goofy filed one would be likely faster than a factory square grind.

 

[Metals406]

You really dont need to take much off a sharp round filed chisel tooth to get a much faster cutting chain by converting to square. Just match the existing top plate angle and bring the inside corner up to the existing corner and forget about removing all traces of the original round sharpening for the first go.

Below is a new round filed cutter that has been given just a few strokes with a square file and you can still see almost all of the original round ground profile. Getting the material out of the inside of the cutter corner is the first big gain.
If you leave the original outlines pretty much alone like this it keeps you from getting all out of whack with your angles so is one way of getting your feet wet with square filing without getting in trouble. The goofy file works even easier in this respect since it is rounded on the edge that sharpens the side of the cutter.

Those teeth look like they would be fiercely grabby but viewed from the other side they have the same hook as a round ground or filed chain and they behave very well. The goofy filed one would be likely faster than a factory square grind.

+1 Run the round ground out of the box until it's dull... Then do like you do, and just resharpen... You don't have to get rid of the round profile at first. Converting round to square in neither hard, nor wasteful IMO.

 

[Austin1]

I am going with the Square group! I do buck up my tree where I drop it though and it is clean wood. But if I am cutting beside a busy gravel/ dirt road. I do find I have to touch up the chain and rather use lgx or carton chisel round. I cut clean wood compared to most. I will never run Semi chisel except in my Little saw's as they don't have a true chisel in 3/8 low pro

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Seems like a person cutting hardwoods would be filing down the cutters quicker trying to keep the point in shape. I guess it would be a trade-off of speed against cutter longevity and sharpening time.

Zodiac45, for the reasons you mentioned, we certainly agree that it wouldn't be feasible to switch grinds back and forth on the same loop to try it out. I think any chisel cutter could be ground either square or round. The fact that some chains are more suited to square filing makes them a better candidate.

 

[redprospector]

I went to a round file summer before last, while working muddy log's on the landing. Didn't work out too well for me.
Now if you back me in a corner and make me cut firewood with a saw (I've got a processor now ), it will be with square chain. Everything I have is square ground, it's just easier to maintain when everything is the same.

For those who don't use square ground because it's too hard to file, or it takes too long to file. Keep filing square. When you figure it out, and file for quite a while you'll be able to touch up a square chain about as fast as you can a round chain. The first thing to learn is when to file, if you have to take more than 3 strokes per tooth, you waited too long.
I hand filed my square chains for a little over 18 years before I got a grinder, it can be done.

Andy

 

[Zodiac45]

You really dont need to take much off a sharp round filed chisel tooth to get a much faster cutting chain by converting to square. Just match the existing top plate angle and bring the inside corner up to the existing corner and forget about removing all traces of the original round sharpening for the first go.

Below is a new round filed cutter that has been given just a few strokes with a square file and you can still see almost all of the original round ground profile. Getting the material out of the inside of the cutter corner is the first big gain.
If you leave the original outlines pretty much alone like this it keeps you from getting all out of whack with your angles so is one way of getting your feet wet with square filing without getting in trouble. The goofy file works even easier in this respect since it is rounded on the edge that sharpens the side of the cutter.

Those teeth look like they would be fiercely grabby but viewed from the other side they have the same hook as a round ground or filed chain and they behave very well. The goofy filed one would be likely faster than a factory square grind.

Good post. I wasn't looking at it that way and though you'd have too remove the gullet all together too get back too square. I'll give it a try.

 

[danimal]

I have square filed, big deal in my books.
72 lgx and 72 jgx is all I run anymore, cut w/a save edge 13/64th. Touch up after every tank, **** cuts like a razor. Huge chips N fast. Quick job w/ that file. All I cut is firewood.need to cut 10-20% faster? Get a bigger saw N cut da rakers down further.

 

[svk]

I use square sometimes.

I can hand file to make a semi dull square chain cut better unless it's rocked pretty well. I know a guy with a silvey and his chains cut very well. He did up my chains when I rocked them.