We will looks like it might be a little warm but we will improvise thanksenjoy montana! im jealous!
We will looks like it might be a little warm but we will improvise thanksenjoy montana! im jealous!
Nose oiler? “Pushing too hard” with that big saw brings some questions to mind. Chain oil is one.I bought a used one milled some live oak smoked a piston took it to a local saw shop replaced cylinder and piston. Then I got a pecan tree 11 1/2 foot trunk cut 2 slabs one day no problem the next day into my third slab smoked it again. Now I am trying to figure out way out of tune or pushing it too hard
10/4 I will do that tomorrow thanksIf you want to post aside on close up of couple of your chain cutters I can try and diagnose any chain probs.
If you want to post aside on close up of couple of your chain cutters I can try and diagnose any chain probs.
Oh crap I forgot about this I had a busy weekend I will do this when I get home to night I was using a chain from baily’s but I had made about 8 cuts with itI am glad to see you posting again.
Oh crap I forgot about this I had a busy weekend I will do this when I get home to night I was using a chain from baily’s but I had made about 8 cuts with it
I don’t know if this is what you need I am not a very good chain photographer
So I cut way more than 12’ on that chain . I was throwing chips. I do run a skip chain on my small saw and was thinking about buying one for this sawFirst of all, take everything Bob L says to the bank. If I say anything that contradicts him, strike waht I say.
However, I will say that Bob teaches Chainsaw sharpening 301. It can be difficult for average Joe Cutter (like me) to follow his lessons because they are a bit advanced. You might find a Sharpening 102 class more beneficial.
I don't know if you even use a raker guide at all. Below is my Husqvarna "field guide." (I'm a bit more advanced in my shop, but nowhere near Bob's level)
View attachment 868725
The flat surface is the raker guide. The notch at the front fits in behind a link. The two interior holes allow you a choice of filing down an aggressive raker reduction for softwood or a more gentle reduction for hardwood cross-cutting safety. Forget that in milling. You want aggressive to keep your chain pulled into the wood. Use the softwood notch. Is this "progressive raker setting?" No. But it's quazi-progressive in comparison with the flat guides that simply fit over the top of the cutters.
I truly field sharpen cutters or change chains every 8-12 ft cut in pecan or live oak. I generally drop the rakers on every third cutter filing.
Were talking 880, so power generally is not an issue.
1. Proper mill alignment. You need to be cutting 9/4' on both ends and at all 4 corners of the slab. Bad first cut multiplies your problem with each cut.
2. Sharp Chain with aggressive rakers.
3. Sufficient oil on that sharp chain.
4. Are you throwing chips or dust? It won't be like crosscutting, but you should not be throwing dust. It's harder to tell with a full tooth chain - easier on a skip tooth.
5. Cut down hill.
Skip chain advantage on big bars. Better chip/dust clearance and fewer cutters to file.So I cut way more than 12’ on that chain . I was throwing chips. I do run a skip chain on my small saw and was thinking about buying one for this saw
Yep those flat plates are definitely better than nothing but my method is not rocket science.The flat surface is the raker guide. The notch at the front fits in behind a link. The two interior holes allow you a choice of filing down an aggressive raker reduction for softwood or a more gentle reduction for hardwood cross-cutting safety. Forget that in milling. You want aggressive to keep your chain pulled into the wood. Use the softwood notch. Is this "progressive raker setting?" No. But it's quazi-progressive in comparison with the flat guides that simply fit over the top of the cutters.
I work on sqft of cut rates than length. Using full comp chain Aussie hardwood I file after about every 32sqft of cut. On softer wood I might go to 45sqft.I truly field sharpen cutters or change chains every 8-12 ft cut in pecan or live oak. I generally drop the rakers on every third cutter filing.
Never thought about square footage consideration - before. I will now.Yep those flat plates are definitely better than nothing but my method is not rocket science.
Put a steel ruler across the top of the cutters and measure a few of the raker depth with a feeler gauge. Then use digital callipers to measure the cutter gullet widths. if the raker depth is less than 1/10th of the gullet width the chains will not cut efficiently. Then file the raker down until it exceeds 1/10th of the gullet width. Although I do this, there's no need to do this on every raker, Maybe do it on 3-4 rakers and count how many file swipes of the raker are needed to achieve the 1/10th rule. Lets say you need 8 swipes on one raker, 7 on another and 10 on another. Then I would do 8 swipes on the remainder.
If one of the rakers is really low you can always take more swipes off the cutter - it doesn't matter if it shortens the cutter - read on
Up to a point this method means not worrying about getting all the cutters the same length. I stopped worrying about this back in 2009 and have had no problems. Cutters should be touched up to just removing edge glint. Longer cutters will blunt faster so will develop more edge glint which means next time you will swipe them a bit more to remove the glint and bring them back into line with the others. shorter cutters do the opposite. If I see a cutter is obviously too long I give it a couple of extra swipes.
When I sharpen in the the field don't measure the raker depths I just give the rakers 3 swipes every 3-4 cutter touch ups. Then at the end of the day back i my shop I will measure the raker and adjust accordingly.
I work on sqft of cut rates than length. Using full comp chain Aussie hardwood I file after about every 32sqft of cut. On softer wood I might go to 45sqft.
I could cut a bit more area but this means pushing the mill harder and because I'm not fit this just tires me out too quickly.
RE: skip chain.
Swings and round abouts. While skip chain has fewer cutters and hence is theoretically faster to sharpen, each cutter does more work so goes blunt faster so it needs to be sharpened more often . Remember on a full comp chain only every 3rd or 4th cutter is making a full depth cut during any one pass.
Yep same for me, on bigger logs I found its not worth pulling the mill of the cut to sharpen teh chain - better to start off with a freshly sharpened chain.Never thought about square footage consideration - before. I will now.
Our live oak has a Janka hardness of 2,680 lbf - comparable to your stuff. I milled 36" x 9' and HAD to sharpen on every cut. That's 27 sq feet, so your 32sqft rule of thumb estimate looks to work. Two cuts without sharpening just didn't work for me. Too much work after about the halfway point - too much temptation to seesaw.
Yeah that makes senseYep same for me, on bigger logs I found its not worth pulling the millet of the cut to sharpen teh chain - better to start off with a freshly sharpened chain.
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