Making low kickback into real saw chain....

[alpinecrick]

I have about 8 loops of Oregon low kickback chain that have come with various saws I've picked up. I hate to leave these chains laying around just soaking up my oil..........

Have any of you guys ground those big bumpers down and used the chain? Did it create pestilence, 7 years bad luck, or nuclear winter?
How far did you grind down the bumpers?


Casey

 

[heimannm]

I'm watching and waiting...

You see, I picked up two loops of the Carlton version very reasonably priced but without being aware of what I was getting.

Now what?

Mark

 

[farmer]

I have done it with no problems. You don't have to grind it completely away to make it work like it should.

 

[alpinecrick]

I have done it with no problems. You don't have to grind it completely away to make it work like it should.

What did you use to grind it?

I messed with the Dremel and that was taking forever. So I took the chain off and held it pinched in my hand on the bench grinder and that went a bit faster.


Casey

 

[PA Plumber]

Normally, "those big bumpers" don't even need touched for a few grindings.

I just leave them until they have to be lowered. Then take them off, or just keep taking them down as the tooth wears down.

I save those chains for nasty conditions. Recently had some debris take a few teeth off an RMC3 chain. Just pitched it and moved on.

 

[farmer]

A 4" angle grinder works good. A bench grinder is dangerous with the steady-rest and the wheel guard on it. Your fingers can get dragged in between the rest or the guard. I have one without either on it and it works OK too.

 

[brages]

Can you use the cut-off wheel on the dremel instead of grinding?

I bought a few PM1 chains off of a guy... I thought I was getting PMC3. I'm thinking of trying to cut off the bumpers on one to see how well it works...

 

[alpinecrick]

A 4" angle grinder works good. A bench grinder is dangerous with the steady-rest and the wheel guard on it. Your fingers can get dragged in between the rest or the guard. I have one without either on it and it works OK too.

Yeah, I have the rest and cover off of my coarse wheeel side of the grinder for that very reason.


Casey

 

[nmurph]

cut-off wheel on a 4.5in angle grinder with the chain held between my teeth and my eyes closed.

 

[farmer]

Looks like your tired of using the shift key too.

 

[hanniedog]

Call me chicken, I use pliers to hold the link and grind it about flush. Just use a regular bench grinder.

 

[blsnelling]

I removed them off of one chain with the raker grinding wheel.

 

[nmurph]

PLEASE think twice about doing this with a bench grinder. when worked as a jeweler i had gold necklaces that i was polishing be grabbed and wrapped around the spindle. i would have leather finger wraps on each index finger and only an inch exposed at the time to try to limit the "grab" of the buffing wheel. i remember destroying two, one of which was an antique Italian necklace. it seems to me it was 18k. it's tough to tell a customer that you destroyed an irreplaceable item. oh yeah, it hurt like H3ll when it slapped me three or four times before i could jerk my hands away.
i know that saw chain is stiffer and less likely to wrap, but one time, one wrap could send you for stitches for a very nasty cut.

 

[John Ellison]

I had a couple of them that I had got with new saws and figured that they should be put to some use. A 4'' angle grinder and I eyeballed them because my raker guage would not fit on them. My eyeballs were not calibrated right because they were rough as heck until they got down to where I could use a file and guage on them.

 

[alpinecrick]

cut-off wheel on a 4.5in angle grinder with the chain held between my teeth and my eyes closed.

But I have no teeth and only one eye........:Eye:




Casey

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

I did it on my Makita 520i

I did it on my Makita 520i with the bench grinder. I started out with a file but didn't want to spend the rest of my day filing! I folded the chain back on both sides of the link that I wanted to grind off. Went very well. No grabbing... however, I've used the bench grinder for years and have had the hard knocks lessons. I still have all 8 fingers and two thumbs.

That chain is just about ready to be replaced..... I'll probably keep it for the dirty cutting.

Dan

 

[alpinecrick]

I had a couple of them that I had got with new saws and figured that they should be put to some use. A 4'' angle grinder and I eyeballed them because my raker guage would not fit on them. My eyeballs were not calibrated right because they were rough as heck until they got down to where I could use a file and guage on them.

That's what I'm worried about--I just finished grinding the bumpers down to almost nothing.........we'll see how it works.


Casey

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Did you also take off the rakers?

That's what I'm worried about--I just finished grinding the bumpers down to almost nothing.........we'll see how it works.


Casey

You ground the "bumpers" off of the safety chain. Did you also take off the rakers? Aren't the rakers what controls how much of a bit the tooth takes?

Dan

 

[farmer]

I fold it back like that too. I also have used a bench grinder for 50 years and had my share of scares so am very carefull.

 

[nmurph]

But I have no teeth and only one eye........:Eye:




Casey

well, borrow some teeth and find you favorite shooter marble, preferrably one that matches your other eye.