Dawgs and Alaskan mill

[Stonewoodiron]

I recently acquired a 395 XP for milling operations. The dawgs/bucking spikes cause a 2” loss of cutting capacity. I’d take them off but I would lose my chain catcher which I’m not willing to do. I’ll probably just grind/cut them down to a flat face for better capacity. Does this seem logical?Also, wanted to know what you guys have done if you’ve been in the situation. As always- thank you!

 

[buzz sawyer]

I removed them from my SP125c for milling.

 

[Stonewoodiron]

I removed them from my SP125c for milling.

Wow, big saw! Did they have any safety features integrated into them or was it just dawgs only?

 

[holeycow]

Maybe husqvarna makes thes for a 395? This one is for a 372.

"smooth bumper spikes"

 

[Stonewoodiron]

View attachment 888119
Maybe husqvarna makes thes for a 395? This one is for a 372.

"smooth bumper spikes"

Looking it up right now! Thanks!

 

[buzz sawyer]

Wow, big saw! Did they have any safety features integrated into them or was it just dawgs only?

Later ones had chain brakes. I built this one from spare parts. The clutch cover was designed for a chain brake but it never had one. I don't believe there is a chain catcher on it nor the older one I sold a few years ago.

 

[ammoaddict]

I would remove them for milling. I wouldn't grind them if it were mine. Nice saw BTW.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

 

[Stonewoodiron]

Thank you sir!

 

[Jasent]

Just make a chain catch and be done with it. Why deal with the loss of capacity and hang ups

 

[BlackCoffin]

I would just remove them. The bar is going to be in the wood and that’s your chain catch if you’re concerned about that at all, also facing away from you and you also have the frame of the mill around the ends of the bar. If that chain comes outside those things then it was destiny anyway!

 

[Stonewoodiron]

I would just remove them. The bar is going to be in the wood and that’s your chain catch if you’re concerned about that at all, also facing away from you and you also have the frame of the mill around the ends of the bar. If that chain comes outside those things then it was destiny anyway!

Thanks guys! Appreciate you all helping with the decisions. I’m new to this and don’t know what I don’t know, you know?! When dealing with something that can take your life in half a second- seek wisdom from many council.

 

[Oldtoolsnewproblems]

If it's hard to make a set of smooth dogs with a chain catch, I'd assume there's some easy place on the mill frame to add a leg to grab a chain on the run.

 

[BobL]

If the chain comes off when the bar is buried in the log it isn't going to go anywhere. I've had half a dozen do this including several breaks and its a non-event - although one time it jammed between teh bar and the wood and was difficult to get out.
The most dangerous place for the chain to come off is while starting the cut when the back of the bar is out of the log.
However, if you are using a conventional alaskan with full bar clamps the chain won't go outside of these clamps - the clamp bolts can make a mess of the chain although the on time this happened to me was on my home made small alaskan and the chain cut cut 1/4 way through the bolts as they were not tensile bolts.

But if you bolt your bar onto the mill at both ends (ie don't use bar clamps) then there is a small risk at the start of the cut.
This is why I use this arrangement.
The sprocket nose has a short tensile bolt through the middle of the stationary centre of the roller nose bearingand the clamp buts down on that bolt

 

[Oldtoolsnewproblems]

Now that you say that, I'll probably wrap my bar clamps in dense plastic or aluminum, in the hope of saving my chain if that happens, I would think it would minimize damage

 

[Stonewoodiron]

Now that you say that, I'll probably wrap my bar clamps in dense plastic or aluminum, in the hope of saving my chain if that happens, I would think it would minimize damage

Not sure if this is what you mean? (Pictures below) I put layers of electrical tape around them. Mostly because of banging the chain while taking the mill on and off.

 

[Oldtoolsnewproblems]

Yep, exactly that. I doubt tape is enough if it flung the chain, but it would protect it on and off. If you put aluminum or maybe copper tubing around those bars, if it slipped off while running you might ruin less cutters than if it was just steel. As I think the chain should stop faster in a soft post vs sliding over a hard steel post and damage more teeth, but it's just a guess

 

[BobL]

I doubt copper or plastic will do much.

Here what happened one time to my all Al mill
Bolt "A" was loose ( I'm pretty sure I just forgot to tighten it up) and the top part of the clamp (solid 1" square Al bar) swivelled and the chain took a few nibbles out of it.
No damage to chain.


My small mill has several types of nose clamps and can also have bar bolted to mill if the bar has a holes drilled in it.
Anyway, I loaned it (just the mill - no saw) and it came back with new bar clamps bolts.
Here's why. It's what happens when the bar bolts are not tightened up enough.
From teh looks it thinks it happened several times.

Apparently the chain was blunt but recoverable
Anyway I have done this once so I can't crow too loud. The best way around this is to ditch the bar clamps and bolt the bar to the mill, and on the inboard side use a GB Mill style mounting system.

 

[Oldtoolsnewproblems]

Yeah plastic seemed like a long shot, wouldn't help if it got it while running, but maybe aflung chain could have slowed down enough by the time it hit if you were lucky. I inly suggested copper tho because it's more available than alu is in some places. I'd go with alu every time, but that might not be an option for everyone

 

[Kanscruzer]

Now that you say that, I'll probably wrap my bar clamps in dense plastic or aluminum, in the hope of saving my chain if that happens, I would think it would minimize damage

Aluminum tube over bolt, loose , cheaper than a new chain or faster to sharpen afterwards

 

[Stonewoodiron]

Bob, you mentioned bolting the bar to the mill. Do you have any pics of the Granberg with the bar bolted to it? Curious about how and where you attached to the mill. Thanks!