Goofy Filing, Round Filing or Grinding

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Gypo Logger

Gypo Logger

Timber Baron
Joined
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Just did my first goofy filed chain. It took awhile to get the sideplate low and under the top plate.
When you think about it, you can attain the exact same angles with a grinder that you can with a goofy file if you use the thinner wheel, like for 325 chain.

I made some cuts with the goofy filed chain on a 385 with a 16" bar 8T and the chips were identical to the chips from the round filed chain. Can't tell if the chain is faster till I put it on the 359, but I left it in the bush on a stump.
I'll do some vids.
John

goofy.jpg
 
Yukonsawman said:
Just did my first goofy filed chain. It took awhile to get the sideplate low and under the top plate.
When you think about it, you can attain the exact same angles with a grinder that you can with a goofy file if you use the thinner wheel, like for 325 chain.

I made some cuts with the goofy filed chain on a 385 with a 16" bar 8T and the chips were identical to the chips from the round filed chain. Can't tell if the chain is faster till I put it on the 359, but I left it in the bush on a stump.
I'll do some vids.
John

goofy.jpg
Click to expand...

I still got that used starter rope Ill trade ya for that filing vise...
 
wigglesworth said:
I still got that used starter rope Ill trade ya for that filing vise...
Click to expand...

At least he can recycle the box of scored 290 pistons I am offering. :dizzy:

Looks like that chain is about ready for the recycling bin too. Or maybe it is that new style Canadian chain I have not seen yet.
 
If the file is correct and the angles is good the square will be much faster but slower to produce. The whole scheme of thing it really seems like a wash to me...
 
Yukonsawman said:
I tried to take pics of a cutter, but it looked duller than a hoe, so I didn't post any for fear of ridicule, lol, even though they look sharp to the naked eye and seem to cut ok.
John
Click to expand...

Why you no filin' sack of ............Just kidding. :hmm3grin2orange:
Any body that's willing to try, and willing to learn I'm willing to try to help. Heck, I've been doing it a long time and still have lots to learn.
A few years ago, when I first started trying to file race chains. I posted a pic, and was told it was the slowest looking race chain they'd ever seen.

Andy
 
Last edited:
redprospector said:
Why you no filin' sack of ............Just kidding. :hmm3grin2orange:
Any body that's willing to try, and willing to learn I'm willing to try to help. Heck, I've been doing it a long time and still have lots to learn.
A few years ago, when I first started trying to file race chains. I posted a pic, and was told it was the slowest looking race chain they'd ever seen.

Andy
Click to expand...

Lol. I think we may have somethig there with the goofy filing. I'll keep at it in the woods and see how it compares to round filing.
It seems to take awhile to lose the file marks that the round file left.
What sideplate angle is the best?
Thanks,
John
 
Yukonsawman said:
Lol. I think we may have somethig there with the goofy filing. I'll keep at it in the woods and see how it compares to round filing.
It seems to take awhile to lose the file marks that the round file left.
What sideplate angle is the best?
Thanks,
John
Click to expand...

The guy that taught me had me hold all angles of the file at about 45 degrees, and told me to adjust to what worked best for the wood I was cutting. I've settled into about a 40* angle of the file for everything. If you keep your top plate to about 22* to 25* and your corners matching, everything else just falls into place. Don't over think the angles. :cheers:

Andy
 
Yukonsawman said:
you can attain the exact same angles with a grinder that you can with a goofy file if you use the thinner wheel, like for 325 chain.
Click to expand...

I am going to try that. I have never liked goofy files because they're no easier to use than the chisel files, but if I can get near-Silvey chain performance from my NT grinder, count me in.
 
redprospector said:
The guy that taught me had me hold all angles of the file at about 45 degrees, and told me to adjust to what worked best for the wood I was cutting. I've settled into about a 40* angle of the file for everything. If you keep your top plate to about 22* to 25* and your corners matching, everything else just falls into place. Don't over think the angles. :cheers:

Andy
Click to expand...
So if I am understanding things with the goofy file the under the top plate angle will be the same as the sideplate angle, right? So all your angles are 40* including the top plate angle looking down on the cutter?
Thanks,
John
 
In my experience hand-filing chisel chain (limited though it be), if you line the file up to produce the proper working corner, the rest of the angles will also be correct. I think that's why I've never liked goofy files -- I can never tell when I've got the corner right. To do the same on a grinder, however -- I'm guessing that I'll ruin a couple of chains before I get it right, but that's a chance I'm more than willing to take.
 
madhatte said:
In my experience hand-filing chisel chain (limited though it be), if you line the file up to produce the proper working corner, the rest of the angles will also be correct. I think that's why I've never liked goofy files -- I can never tell when I've got the corner right. To do the same on a grinder, however -- I'm guessing that I'll ruin a couple of chains before I get it right, but that's a chance I'm more than willing to take.
Click to expand...

I'll have to order a 3/16" grinding wheel for the goofy grind.
The biggest advantage to the goofy file over the sq. file, is that it elliminates one angle. The sideplate angle being the most difficult to hold, for me anyway.
John
 
Seems weird to me. I've only ever paid attention to the corner, and let the angles fall where they may, so long as the corner is right. I would guess that I'm usually around 40 side/30 top/45 corner, but I've never measured. I'm kind of rarin' to go now with this grinder thing because I want to see how it actually works.
 
With a sq. chain I think the ideal side plate angle was 2* or less.
I modified a round grinder once to grind a semi sq., by tilting the wheel as far over as possible, however, the sideplate angle was the same as the cutter angle. The vids on here somewhere and some doubted that I had ground it.
It was pretty fast.
John
 
2 or less? Seriously? Can I see a picture? I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the geometry. I'm trying to imagine grinding into a blank cutter for the first time. I'm not seeing it... 40-50 makes more sense in my head.
 
madhatte said:
2 or less? Seriously? Can I see a picture? I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the geometry. I'm trying to imagine grinding into a blank cutter for the first time. I'm not seeing it... 40-50 makes more sense in my head.
Click to expand...

Here's a few pictures of chain I ground, note the slight beak and the slight forward slant of the side plate.
John

cutter4.jpg


DSC_0012.jpg


DSC_0009.jpg


DSC_0003.jpg


DSC_0287.jpg
 

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