I don't stop fileing till I can see or feel a burr all along the top edge of the top plate, but I'm a bit heavy handed, it works fer me.
Hand filing chain
- Thread starter Boomer 87
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
To get the manufacturer's recommended cutting bevel angles, you need to need to use the correct diameter file, and hold it at the correct height.
That's one of the things that file guides do for you - hold it at the correct height.
If you choose to intentionally hold the file at a different height to obtain a different bevel angle, that is fine. But if you free-hand file you are unlikely to get consistent results, unless you have a lot of skill.
Philbert
And with a lot of rolling over of the top plat and corner it makes placing the file at the correct hight even harder. This is why I recommend this guide to beginners, it helps teach you where and how to hold a file, as it's still partially freehand.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
p61 western
ArboristSite Guru
The chain I was working on has c2 on the drivers and a s on the depth gauges. Are you familiar with this chain?
p61 western
ArboristSite Guru
Which guide?
Most major brands will also have a name stamped on them somewhere (STIHL, Oregon, Carlton, '000', Husq, Archer, etc.).
Photos help.
Philbert
thefarmboy21
ArboristSite Operative
How bout getting us a close up pic of what a sharp cutter should look like. And maybe the filing specs you use, to get those nice long noodley chips.
I didn't think anybody would believe that so I didn't say it.
SkipD
ArboristSite Member
The long chips can only be made when cutting along the grain of a log. There's no way that I can think of to produce them in a pure crosscut situation with typical wood types.
Boomer 87
Addicted to ArboristSite
I had to get a sliver from a die grinder out of my eye, then doctor had to go in with a "die grinder" and clean the rust ring off my eye!!! Not a good deal
I don't want anyone to blow a gasket, but these were made using low-kickback, PowerSharp chain, crosscutting on silver maple!!!
Some will depend on the wood - green wood will bend as the chip passes the cutting edges and curls around the gullet, or passes under the top plate. Dry wood (and some species) are more likely to snap into smaller pieces, which are actually easier for the chain to clear. As noted, with noodling, you are cutting along the grain, so the chips are less likely to break at the grain lines.
Key thing is you want sharp cutting edges/bevels on both the top plate and side plate and a way to clear the chips. Worn chains with shorter cutters (larger gullets) and skip tooth chains can carry more chips. Smoother, polished edges seem to cut more than tear.
This illustration from Madsen's (and USFS, probably originally from Oregon) shows how a cutter works. If you pick up and examine your chips, you can try and see if you are cutting or tearing the wood fibers with the side plate cutting edges; how thick the chips are (depth gauge settings); if they snap easily at the grain lines (how green or dry); how long they are (chip clearance); etc. I like to go around at GTGs and pick up handfuls of chips from the guys whose saws seem to be cutting really well to look at - does not mean that those edges will last long, but gives you an idea of what they can look like. Performance based testing!
Philbert
'Noodles' (also with PowerSharp chain
Philbert
Philbert
gasket blown!
The flat guide that fastens to the file.
Phil is correct and pointed out what I eluded to before. The corner of the tooth grabs the wood and starts cutting, than the top plate lifts the wood up. At that point the tooth rocks back, the depth gauges bottoms out a chip breaks off and the process repeats. If the tooth continues cutting too long the chips clog the chain and kerf it also can overload the saw. Yes some types of wood will cut this way, but it's not necessary efficient. Keep in chain tension also effects how a chain cuts.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
The role of the side plate cutting edge is often overlooked / underrated / Rodney Dangerfield'ed. Many say that it has the hardest job when crosscutting, because it has to cut/chop through the wood fibers. If there is too much 'hook', the entry of the side plate cutting edge is delayed until after the top plate has started pulling the fibers up. The 'self-feeding' feeling is the saw pulling itself into the wood, instead of cutting through it effortlessly (like a a light sabre!).
With enough power, the chain can self-feed and still cut efficiently. But on a smaller powerhead, or with too much 'hook', the same chain will try to tear the wood instead of cutting it cleanly.
As Andy notes, the 'depth gauge' controls the depth of the cut. Calling it a 'raker' is a misnomer, because the top plate is what really rakes out the chips, after the side plates have cut the fibers.
(I hope that Old Guy has at least one more gasket to blow!)
Philbert
With enough power, the chain can self-feed and still cut efficiently. But on a smaller powerhead, or with too much 'hook', the same chain will try to tear the wood instead of cutting it cleanly.
As Andy notes, the 'depth gauge' controls the depth of the cut. Calling it a 'raker' is a misnomer, because the top plate is what really rakes out the chips, after the side plates have cut the fibers.
(I hope that Old Guy has at least one more gasket to blow!)
Philbert
