Is oak hard on chains?

[saw dog]

Watch the amount of hook on the tooth, to much hook in frozen wood dulls rapidly. Lowering the rackers enough to to get a bight in frozen wood is a must, if the chain isn,t getting a bight it will dull prematurly just spinning in ice impragnated oak.

 

[Sheldon Cooper]

I also tried grinding my chain with a .404 width wheel to see if there was a difference in cutting. I don't know if it helped or made things worse in that oak using a .375 chain. It did open up the gullet of the chain quite a bit.

 

[jonas302]

Probably just me but I would never give up on Oak for firewood Forget about that electric grinder get a file in your pocket and sharpen whenever necessary a stump vise will help in the field you will get the hang of it fast enough even if it isn't perfect

If nothing else get a carbide chain from Baileys or take an Axe and knock the bark off where it is dirty

 

[rtrsam]

I also tried grinding my chain with a .404 width wheel to see if there was a difference in cutting. I don't know if it helped or made things worse in that oak using a .375 chain. It did open up the gullet of the chain quite a bit.

.404 versus .375 refers to the pitch of the chain, the distance between the drive links. It has nothing to do necessarilly with the thickness of the wheel or its performance on your chains.

I've taught people to hand file chains and always tell them, if you can't recognize a sharp tooth, you'll never be able to sharpen a chain. Same applies to using a grinder, if you con't know to the tiniest detail what a sharp tooth looks like, you'll never be successful at sharpening a chain with a grinder. The fact that a new (or different) wheel "opened up the gullet" of your chain probably just means the new wheel was slightly larger diameter (not thickness) than the weel you took off, therefor it reached a little deeper into the gullet.

Regardless of the brand chain you use, Oregon produces a pretty good reference manual (OREGON Maintenance Manual) with images to show what sharp teeth look like, as well as a description of spme pf the damage that might happen to your teeth that could cause difficulties in sharpening.

Frozen or thawed, hard or soft, a properly sharpened chain will cut a lot of wood before it gets dull. If your freshly ground or files chain does not cut long before getting dull, it was (a) not sharpened correctly, or (b) there is other stuff than wood getting cut (sand, dirt, rocks in the bark or wood).

 

[flyboy553]

About the only wood I cut is oak. In fact, I am sure it is over 10 years since I have cut anything other than oak. Mostly red oak, some burr oak and pin oak. If I cut any green oak, it has been blown down. By far, the majority of what I cut is either standing dead or down and dead oak.

I guess I just don't know what it is like to cut anything else! I touch my chain up about every other tank of gas. Some times, if I keep it out of the dirty bark and the dirt, I can cut nearly half a day without touching the chain up. I use Stihl semi-chisel as much as I can, but if I have to put a different chain on, it is Stihl full chisel.

I cleaned out a wind break between 2- 100 acre fields a couple yrs ago that was pure he** on chains though. When you walk up to the windbreak and that area is 3 or 4 feet higher than the fields, you know you have some nasty cutting coming up!

Ted

 

[J.W Younger]

Best I can tell oak thats dullin chain with no metal or rocks in it has dirt grown in it fer whatever reason. Thats why we have semi chisel. Purty much the same fer hickory and all of it..Near the ground its all likely to have dirt in it cept for some of the slick bark stuff. Deal with it best you can, git wood under it before you drop it and don.t drag it if you don't have too.

 

[sunfish]

I cut mostly dead Oak, standing, or blow downs and a lot of it.

I much prefer semi chisel. Stays sharp longer and is easier to sharpen with a file. No grinder here!

 

[Hedgerow]

I cut mostly dead Oak, standing, or blow downs and a lot of it.

I much prefer semi chisel. Stays sharp longer and is easier to sharpen with a file. No grinder here!

After hours of cussing at my grinder, I have found a use for it... Cleaning up angles, and making the next hand filing more productive... I can also sharpen half a dozen of my brother in law's trench digging / fence cutting / rock carving chains while off the bar. Other than that, that grinder really is a POS...
I too am gravitating toward the semi chisel for real production work... I can just get more mileage out of it between touch ups...

 

[J.W Younger]

After hours of cussing at my grinder, I have found a use for it... Cleaning up angles, and making the next hand filing more productive... I can also sharpen half a dozen of my brother in law's trench digging / fence cutting / rock carving chains while off the bar. Other than that, that grinder really is a POS...
I too am gravitating toward the semi chisel for real production work... I can just get more mileage out of it between touch ups...

Like you seen I file square, it takes longer, about as long per side as both sides round. If the side plate is near verticle and the angles are @ 45 top and side the point is well supported and pretty durable. As long as one saw is set up with semi for the flush cuts, hollow sections and other dirty stuff the chisel holds up well ,longs you don't trench it or hit something. No way it'd work in that yellow stuff you cut tho, but I'd stihl trade you my oak and hickory for it

 

[Hedgerow]

Like you seen I file square, it takes longer, about as long per side as both sides round. If the side plate is near verticle and the angles are @ 45 top and side the point is well supported and pretty durable. As long as one saw is set up with semi for the flush cuts, hollow sections and other dirty stuff the chisel holds up well ,longs you don't trench it or hit something. No way it'd work in that yellow stuff you cut tho, but I'd stihl trade you my oak and hickory for it

I loved how smooth that square filed stuff was you had at the GTG... I got a hot 028 wood boss that sure could use one filed up for a 16" .325 to play with J.W..
Trade for some Hedge???
:msp_rolleyes:

 

[J.W Younger]

I loved how smooth that square filed stuff was you had at the GTG... I got a hot 028 wood boss that sure could use one filed up for a 16" .325 to play with J.W..
Trade for some Hedge???
:msp_rolleyes:

done deal...
We'll giterdun then.

 

[Hedgerow]

done deal...
We'll giterdun then.

Make it extra sharp... I gotta kick Sunfish's butt... :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[J.W Younger]

I'll try and do u up a 67link fore the next gtg. Strickly fer play tho. Think I got a purty good handle on just how narrow u can git away with after fubarin a couple

 

[Misfit138]

I cut up an oak on Friday... It was green and not frozen... When I get into dry, dead oak you can sure feel how much harder it is to cut....

I have the same experience with Oak. Around here there's lots of it. When cutting green, the water literally sprays out of the wood and cutting is much easier.
Dry Oak has always chewed up my chains.

 

[Hedgerow]

Want hard??? This is hard... :hmm3grin2orange:

[video=youtube;qY6jrrs8r_8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY6jrrs8r_8&list=UUfB03KVhJRBISPufMa8F7GA&index=26&feature=plcp[/video]

 

[Misfit138]

Osage Orange? Mulberry?

 

[Hedgerow]

Osage Orange? Mulberry?

Yup, it's a big Hedge post... And that's a vicious 372 Stumpy had just ported... Hank Chinaski got that one...

 

[sunfish]

Make it extra sharp... I gotta kick Sunfish's butt... :hmm3grin2orange:

You and Stumpy both better come up with something HOT to beat the old 346xp. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Hedgerow]

You and Stumpy both better come up with something HOT to beat the old 346xp. :hmm3grin2orange:

Workin on it... And if I don't, we can sit around the fire and drown my sorrows...:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[sunfish]

Workin on it... And if I don't, we can sit around the fire and drown my sorrows...:hmm3grin2orange:

With a fine bourbon or three... :msp_thumbup: