New to Arboristsite and Milling

[dreid]

I've been lurking for awhile and have done some milling (Eastern White Pine) using a Husky 372 and an Alaskan Mill. Very fun and very addictive. My question is how do other Alaskan Millers sharpen your ripping chains? My chain (from Bailey's) seemed to bog down after a few slabs of EWP. Is there a special angled grinder that you use? Any advice and ideas would be much appreciated.

Dave in NH

 

[dustytools]

Hi dreid and welcome. I bought one of the clamp on attachments that clamp to your bar. I have had pretty good luck with it. Im still learning how to sharpen properly but this seems to work pretty good for me. Its not a grinder type just a file guide but you can still set it to the desired filing angle. Good luck.

 

[Trigger-Time]

I've been lurking for awhile and have done some milling (Eastern White Pine) using a Husky 372 and an Alaskan Mill. Very fun and very addictive. My question is how do other Alaskan Millers sharpen your ripping chains? My chain (from Bailey's) seemed to bog down after a few slabs of EWP. Is there a special angled grinder that you use? Any advice and ideas would be much appreciated.

Dave in NH

Welcome to AS,
On your chain I also use the bar clamp on type guide. I have never
cut or milled any pine of any kind so I won't be any help their. But
was the bark very dirty, dirt will dull a chain very fast.

 

[TedChristiansen]

Dave,

I use a Pferd file - see this page:
http://www.logosol.com/webb/custome...?go=webshop/chainsawbars.htm&menue=powerheads

It files both the tooth and the depth gauge at the same time. It works well.

Ted

 

[aquan8tor]

I use an oregon clamp-on filing guide, and a stump vise.

Bailey's has the granberg version; same angle ability but a little cheaper than what I paid;

http://store.baileys-online.com/cgi-bin/baileys/31?mv_session_id=MQIBC7tJ&product_sku=15200

They also have the stump vise for cheap:

http://store.baileys-online.com/cgi-bin/baileys/1218?mv_session_id=MQIBC7tJ&product_sku=15246

I don't think that you can come anywhere close to their precision with just a "regular" filing guide---the kind that clamp onto the file itself.

Bailey's chain is filed to 10 deg. Some people do 5, 10 works great for me.

You might want to try soaking your chains in turpentine after milling. I've never milled any pine, but I know how sappy it can be when fresh cut. That might slow you down. As someone already said, the bark plays a large part in how quickly your chain loses its edge.

 

[aquan8tor]

Dave,

I use a Pferd file - see this page:
http://www.logosol.com/webb/custome...?go=webshop/chainsawbars.htm&menue=powerheads

It files both the tooth and the depth gauge at the same time. It works well.

Ted

Ted, I'm curious how much the guide takes off the rakers ?? Interesting idea, and probably easier than using a flat file with the other guide. I just worry about taking too much off at one time; I like being able to adjust them exactly. Do you use it for filing ripping chains?

 

[woodshop]

My question is how do other Alaskan Millers sharpen your ripping chains? My chain (from Bailey's) seemed to bog down after a few slabs of EWP. Is there a special angled grinder that you use?

No special grinder Dave, I just set my MAXX grinder to 10 degrees and crank it out. As was said... you need to stay out of dirty bark if you can, especially sand. Even then, milling seems to dull my chains faster than standard crosscutting, and milling with a dull chain is torture not only for you, but your saw also.

 

[stonykill]

welcome dreid, I mill a lot of pine with my alaskans. Its my feeling and experience that its the bark on pine that kills the chain. My chains stay sharper longer milling Birch than milling pine. When milling pine, I mill the logs into cants, and set them aside, change chains, then mill lumber. I sharpen my chains on a bench mounted grinder( forget the name brand) set at 10 degrees and never sharpen with a file on the saw, simply because I am not good at that. I find it faster just to switch out chains. Its the system thats worked out best for me.

 

[woodshop]

...and never sharpen with a file on the saw...I find it faster just to switch out chains

Same here lately. When I'm milling, I want to mill. I used to hand file everything, and was pretty good at it. But milling time is too precious to be filing a 36 inch chain, especially this time of year when it gets dark early. So I bought large loops of chain and a grinder and now I roll my own. I take several sharp chains into the woods for each of my saws. When one needs sharpening, I pop another fresh one on. Only time I sharpen in the woods is when I rock a chain, pop another on and manage to trash that one too... when I run out of spare chains I file.

 

[TedChristiansen]

aquan8tor,

Yes, I use the Pferd filing guide for filing ripping chains. It is also what Logosol recommends. As long as you use it properly, then it maintains the depth gauges at .025", as recommended by the chain manufacturer.

It is also pretty quick to. I can sharpen a 24" chain in under 5 minutes.

Ted

 

[dreid]

Thanks for all the replies. I ended up ordering the clamp-on guide from Bailey's.

Dave in NH