Chain Cutter Glint

I've been meaning to try this for some time, especially seeing as I now have the photographic setup to do this.

We have heard talk of glint, the remaining blunt edge along the edge of a cutter that is often still there even after sharpening, and people with either good eyes or really crappy chains can easily see it - like this.


This chain came with an old saw that was given to me. The cutter points were also in bad shape - like this. Gullet looks real classy too!


Now here is a brand new cutter and it too still has a small amount of glint and is a reason why it is worth just touching up a new chain.


Here is one of my square ground chains. Not too bad on the point but lotsa glint (well blunt actually) on the other side of the cutter.


Here is one of my ripping chains. As well as some glint this cutter has a small chip knocked out of it. If you look closely it has several smaller chips knocked out - this could just be the chrome plating breaking away or knocks during poor storage.

Cutters part 2

Here's another pic of my ripping chain, not too bad but still a bit of glint. I usually use a pair of head magnifiers when I sharpen in the shed but not in the field. I think this one was field sharpened.



I think I might have to be a bit more careful about how I store my chains.

Finally here's a pic of how these pictures were taken. Home made macro camera and lighting stand.


Live video preview and remote camera operation via laptop - image stored directly on laptop - it sure is a fun bit-o-kit to drive. Original pics are huge (15 Mp) so had to shrink them considerably to fit on here - can probably blow them up even a little more on the macro stand but image becomes harder to get sharply in focus.

Nice pics...and a nicer stand! I have a similar set up at work, but I use film at work.

Excellent macro work, and an excellent visual of the concept. Well done!

edisto said:

Nice pics...and a nicer stand! I have a similar set up at work, but I use film at work.

Excellent macro work, and an excellent visual of the concept. Well done!

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Cheers edisto. I used film on a macro stand when teaching photography many moons ago - all good stuff. The live video preview on the laptop including depth of field is really nice - shows exactly what you are going to see.
These were all shot aperture preferred, F32, 2 - 25 second exposure at asa 200, 100m (160 mm equivalent) Canon Macro Lens. At those shutter speeds image sharpness is probably vibe limited - I need to experiment a bit more.

Here's a close up of the camera bracket mount of the stand. I pretty well made everything except those 3 knobs.


Now you might well ask - what the heck does this have to do with Chainsaws!!!
Well, if you look closely at the upright stand you will see it's made from the same type of Unistrut rail I make my CS mill rails out of!

Nice thread, I need to catch up with the digital age.
I uncovered my darkroom equipment and cameras the other day, been in a
box since the 80's, I miss all of that.
Had a nice bellows and some macro lenses, was a lot of fun.

Cool pics.

I wish that I could take pictures that close with my cam. Those are some very detailed images.

What camera and lens are you using? I can see it's a Canon. I use a 40D with 24-105 F4 L IS lens.

blsnelling said:

What camera and lens are you using? I can see it's a Canon. I use a 40D with 24-105 F4 L IS lens.

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Those cutter shots were taken with my 50D using a 100 mm F2.8 Macro. I also have a 20D and a 17 to 85 mm kit lens. That 24-105 F4 is a very nice lens.

My main photographic interest is panoramic photography. Like this 20D 360º 18 photo-composite.

BobL said:

Here's a close up of the camera bracket mount of the stand. I pretty well made everything except those 3 knobs.

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You definitely do some fine fabbin'!

I'm a Nikon/Nikkor man myself...still waiting for the "digital age" to make my lensess cheaper! If I'm getting serious about macro, I use the Rolleiflex that my wife salvaged from the trash where she worked, and for my microscopes I even have a camera that uses 4" x 5" sheets.

Back to the topic at hand, there is an excellent book on sharpening by Leonard Lee (The Complete Guide to Sharpening) that makes use of similarly excellent photography and, in some cases, electron micrography to illustrate the principles of sharpening.

I think you've done an outstanding job of demonstrating the "glint" principle, and I hope my camera talk does not detract from that!

BobL said:

Those cutter shots were taken with my 50D using a 100 mm F2.8 Macro. I also have a 20D and a 17 to 85 mm kit lens. That 24-105 F4 is a very nice lens.

My main photographic interest is panoramic photography. Like this 20D 360º 18 photo-composite.

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Very nice!!!

What software package did you use to take the shots

Excellent stuff Bob.
I tried to rep you but apparently I have to spread it around a bit more. Must have been giving you too much
That's a great setup. One of my grand plans (although I don't have the right camera gear) was to make a 72DL chain up containing 18DL each of Stihl/Windsor/Oregon/Carlton then get stuck right into a grubby log until the chain doesn't cut. I was then going to get macro images of every cutter edge and superimpose the different cutter images (from same brand) on top of one another to give an idea of the hardest wearing brand (me thinks Carlton ). This would give only 4 images.
Looks like I'll leave that job to you now Bob :hmm3grin2orange:

Well I think it would work anyway

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Seems quite a few of us like photography...






Nikon D2Xs, Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8




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Rodgermac said:

What software package did you use to take the shots

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The water pool panorama was stitched with Apple's Quicktime VR Authoring Studio but I use a range of other software as well. This 180º 6 x 15 Mp composite is done with Photoshop.

The full version of this photo is around 60 Mp.

Although I have an accurate panoramic tripod head I take most of them hand held. The key thing when taking these indoors is for the photographer not to stand in one spot and rotate the camera around them but the other way around.

I also have a roll colour printer so I can print these out. Like this 270º 13 x 5 Mp picture composite shot with a point and click camera.

Made that frame too.

And to stay on a woody theme here's one taken inside the canopy of a street tree out front of our house. It's 360º 12 image composite.


I make vertical ones as well - like this.

Bob That's is truely impressive work. I'm just getting started. I've purchased the Canon Rebel XTi and am truely impressed with the shots I'm able to take. I guess I should have asked the question a little differently because I wanted to know what software you used to connect the camera to the laptop to take the shots? I've searched and seen there are dozens out there but want someone with experiences recommendation.

nice work Bob. i love photography, i just kinda suck at it(lol). on your chain cutters it appears on some of them that they have no hook is that just an illusian from the pictures?

Rodgermac said:

Bob That's is truely impressive work. I'm just getting started. I've purchased the Canon Rebel XTi and am truely impressed with the shots I'm able to take. I guess I should have asked the question a little differently because I wanted to know what software you used to connect the camera to the laptop to take the shots? I've searched and seen there are dozens out there but want someone with experiences recommendation.

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Thanks RM. I guess I have had plenty of practice - bought my first serious film camera in 1974. Taught photography for a couple of years and started with the digitals when they first came out maybe 12 years ago.

Anyway - regards the camera-laptop software, I just use the ones that came on the CD with the cameras. Both the 20D and 50D have this software. I don't know about the Rebel.

discounthunter said:

nice work Bob. i love photography, i just kinda suck at it(lol).

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Thanks DH.

on your chain cutters it appears on some of them that they have no hook is that just an illusian from the pictures?

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Yeah it's just the angle of the pics but the 10º top plate ripping/milling chain always look like it has less hook than a standard chain.

are you shooting in RAW format since you get 15MB files?
anyway that's some nice work

BobL said:

Anyway - regards the camera-laptop software, I just use the ones that came
on the CD with the cameras. Both the 20D and 50D have this software. I don't know about the Rebel.

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the computer control software is also included with the canon rebel T1i or as it's also called, the 500D

I'm waiting for my payment so i can buy my first DSLR i decided to get the 500D but i don't get the money before 12. October.. Can't wait