4seasons
ArboristSite Guru
I've been wearing the search feature out for 2 days and just can't find what I'm looking for. I know it has to be here but there is so much info that I just can't seem to sort it out enough to find what I am looking for.
I am going to do a little milling with the McCulloch Lumber Maker. I tried some freehand with some pretty sorry results. I am using a Sachs-Dolmar 116si with 20in bar 3/8 chisel chain and 7 tooth drive sprocket. Milling freehand was slow and made very rough cuts and was easy to bog the saw down. I have both Dremel sharpening kit and Oregon file guide and some extra chain that I don't mind messing up. I thought about just changing some angles to try out but before I go in blind I wanted to have a starting point. I found one site that said square file for milling but I have never square filed before. Another site said file 0 degree top angle with a 55 degree hook angle. I can't find a clear definition of hook angle with a picture to even know what this refers to. I have only filed with the file angled 23 to 30 degrees from the bar and with 0 to 10 degrees horizontal tilt depending on what the chain calls for.
So I have 3 questions
1. Could someone please explain hook angle preferably with pictures?
2. What is the best angles to use to mill fast, straight, rough cuts?
3. Does anyone make a 6 tooth drive sprocket for my saw? I know it would loose chain speed but I am more concerned with bogging down with the bar buried in the cut. Is this even something I need to worry about or will changing the chain angles solve this problem?
I case it matters I am milling yellow pine in 12 foot logs that square out between 12 x 12 and 18 x 18 into 2 x 8's, 1 x 8's and 2 x 4's. I have also thought about just making 2 x 8's a little big then running them through my table saw to get 1 x 8's and 2 x 4's.
I am going to do a little milling with the McCulloch Lumber Maker. I tried some freehand with some pretty sorry results. I am using a Sachs-Dolmar 116si with 20in bar 3/8 chisel chain and 7 tooth drive sprocket. Milling freehand was slow and made very rough cuts and was easy to bog the saw down. I have both Dremel sharpening kit and Oregon file guide and some extra chain that I don't mind messing up. I thought about just changing some angles to try out but before I go in blind I wanted to have a starting point. I found one site that said square file for milling but I have never square filed before. Another site said file 0 degree top angle with a 55 degree hook angle. I can't find a clear definition of hook angle with a picture to even know what this refers to. I have only filed with the file angled 23 to 30 degrees from the bar and with 0 to 10 degrees horizontal tilt depending on what the chain calls for.
So I have 3 questions
1. Could someone please explain hook angle preferably with pictures?
2. What is the best angles to use to mill fast, straight, rough cuts?
3. Does anyone make a 6 tooth drive sprocket for my saw? I know it would loose chain speed but I am more concerned with bogging down with the bar buried in the cut. Is this even something I need to worry about or will changing the chain angles solve this problem?
I case it matters I am milling yellow pine in 12 foot logs that square out between 12 x 12 and 18 x 18 into 2 x 8's, 1 x 8's and 2 x 4's. I have also thought about just making 2 x 8's a little big then running them through my table saw to get 1 x 8's and 2 x 4's.