Chain Gang......

Well gents, I slabbed up a very hard log of Sakura today, (it is the Japanese ornamental Cherry) using my now running Husky 185CD and my homemade chainsaw mill.....



The saw has good power, it just seemed to want to rip through the log, no bogging down or anything, but I'm wondering about the chain....



It seems to me the sawdust is on the powdery side, not the chunks side.

How much slack should I have in the chain? (hardnose bar)

What am I doing wrong here?

Cheers!

Can't really tell from the pics., but that looks like a 25-30 angle on the cutter. Sharpen it to 10. Also remove the top (just grind away the side) of every 5-10th cutter leaving a vertical spike. This really helps clear out the junk. Check your rakers - they should be 25-30 thou down.


Was this wood dry or green? If it's green, you shouldn't be getting dust with the right chain.


Hey, let me know what you find inside the Zelkova when you slab it. I have a few (Serrated Zelkova) in my property, and they are used as sidewalk trees in Seattle (Green Zelkova). Often just chopped up for firewood or put though the chipper by the city, but that's another story..., and I can get some decent logs now and then.

Chain slack - less then what you have now. It should just touch the bottom of the bar.

The chain is a cross cut chain, I'm looking at getting a ripping chain. But maybe I'll just convert this one, as the crosscut chain is easy to find.

The wood was/is VERY green, freaking heavy even just the slabs.

I'll do a re-grind on the chain tomorrow.

When you say 25 to 30 thou below, you mean thousands of an inch?

My feeler gauges are all metric, I'll have to figure that out

The Zelkova is VERY coveted here, they call it Keiyaki.

I can't wait to get hold of some!!

Cheers!

That would be 0.6 to 0.75 mm and lakeside gave good advice also

Rotax

yes, thousandths of an inch. Just use one of the standard raker measuring tools - they are already set up. If you've been sharpening chains without knocking down the rakers, then that might explain the dust.

I lived in Tokyo for two years in the early 80's (in Shinagawa) and was a "Bucho" at Taito (that little video game company headquartered near the Prince and New Otani) ...). Worked for them for about 8 years in total. I know well your frustration with dealing with the system.

I don't have any kind of a sharpening guide, I've not been able to locate one here, and I've tried... :bang:

I live up in Shinjuku, not far from Shinagawa. We run a liquor shop, my wife is Japanese.

I've been here over 15 years now...

I'll work on that chain, thanks for the info guys!!

Free beers if you come by the Dungeon!

Cheers!

Just order some depth gauges from one of our sponsers, get the .025 .030 .035 and .040 yes in thousandths they're pretty cheep.

Also you wont get the same kind of chips as you would crosscutting.

Rotax Robert

Stu in Tokyo said:

I don't have any kind of a sharpening guide, I've not been able to locate one here, and I've tried... :bang:

I live up in Shinjuku, not far from Shinagawa. We run a liquor shop, my wife is Japanese.

I've been here over 15 years now...

I'll work on that chain, thanks for the info guys!!

Free beers if you come by the Dungeon!

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Tough to sharpen a chain correctly without a depth guage... You might be able to fabricate something in the short term, or, you'll be spending a lot of time with a straight edge and feeler gauge... On a chain grinder its easy - once set up you just make all rakers the same.

Maybe you need to take a train ride up into the mountains and search out a real saw shop! If they sell file, they must sell depth guages...

Maybe you need to take a train ride up into the mountains and search out a real saw shop! If they sell file, they must sell depth guages...

Click to expand...

Lots of places sell saws, a few sell files, some even sell chains, heck, about one in five sell chain oil, but no one sells a sharpening guage......

I should put an order in with my kids who are in Canada now for the Christmas break at their Grandparents house.

Must have them up in Kelowna....

Cheers!

Hi Stu,

I have been following your threads the last few days. I myself mill with two different older Huskys, a 65 and a 180s. Parts are challenging at times here in Canada let alone Japan. From my experience, the quality of your board finish is good for a cross cut chain, however, if you refile to ten degrees or less as suggested by others, the finish will be much improved. Your chain looks a little slack even for a hardnose. The chain also looks dry. Is it getting hot? Can you increase the oil output?

Cheers Mike

Hi Mike

I asked if anyone knows if the chain lube can be increased, but the jury is still out...

Cheers!

Stu, don't you sleep? you've been up all night (in Japan)

Hi Stu,

Your saw is similar to my 180s. The oiler is adjustable by swapping two screws that are on the oil pump. Attached is the link to the IPL. The two screws are numbered #21 and #22. I hope this works. http://weborder.husqvarna.com/order_static/doc/usa/1976/I76000/I7600006.pdf

Mike

what kind of chain is that in the pics? I've never seen one with the leading edge at a 45 degree angle. I am used to the oregon LG 3/8 chisel chain. What does ripper chain look like?

Lakeside53 said:

Stu, don't you sleep? you've been up all night (in Japan)

Click to expand...

I'll sleep when I'm dead!!

I don't get much sleep, most nights 4 to 5 hours.

Cheers!

Freakingstang said:

what kind of chain is that in the pics? I've never seen one with the leading edge at a 45 degree angle. I am used to the oregon LG 3/8 chisel chain. What does ripper chain look like?

Click to expand...

The angle is closer, WAS closer to 30, but now it is closer to 10.

I spent some time in the Dungeon this morning before going to the wood lot, and refiled the chain, as well as removing the cutter every 5th tooth.

Now the saw goes through logs even better!

I know the filing could be better with a guide, so I'll have to get one, but the difference was noticeable.

The chain did get dull again, and I ran out of time, got to sell some beer!

Thanks guys!

Some pics........


Where I was working.

The kind of piled things up on me, so I had to make some adjustments to my game plan.

First I cut up some smaller stuff....


I then wanted to cut that big Oak that is on top of the pile, so I got rid of the junk around it and then I started to slab it in place.....




That old Oak is HARD wood..........

.........but I got it done!!



Lots more to do, but I ran out of time today....

Back at it Monday!!



The old Husky ran fine today, but now I got to sharpen the chain again!

Cheers!

casey v said:

Hi Stu,

Your saw is similar to my 180s. The oiler is adjustable by swapping two screws that are on the oil pump. Attached is the link to the IPL. The two screws are numbered #21 and #22. I hope this works. http://weborder.husqvarna.com/order_static/doc/usa/1976/I76000/I7600006.pdf

Mike

Click to expand...

It is oiling fine now.......helps if you fill up the oil from time to time....:bang:

I bet you are making the neighbors happy... probably muttering "baka geijin..."