Raker tool

[Andyshine77]

Sorry to offend you my friend!....i am sure your tools are great!!...i did not know that learn to file without tools is the "wrong" way? but now i know!(thank you)....i better get some tools then!:msp_tongue:......oh my god.....what have i done!!?? for 25-30 years!!??:msp_scared:



Yes...tools are there for a reason!.....for those who dont know any better!,occational users....and even pro guy's who never get the right "feeling" in their hands....and for stihl, oregon and Husqvarna to sell some more useless stuff!



I guess you tune your carb by the factory settings as well? and not by your ear? the factory settings are there for a reason right?



some people just dont know what they are missing!:confuse:

Sir do you really think you can eyeball .010" or set every depth gauge to the same height, without some type of measuring device?? If you say yes, you're just plain. Well, I'll just leave it at that.

BTW. I've square filed by hand, round filing is child's play compared to square.

 

[the swede]

Well...andy .. perhaps i am plain! but yes i do eyeball my filing! both the rakers and teeth, i have allways done it that way!...if i get the rakers .010" or some other numbers i cant say...but i get it good enough!(ive done it for about 25 years)....do you really need the rakers to be 010"? ofcourse not! it all depends on the wood you cut and season...if the wood are frozen or not......i have been here for a while and i allways found you a pro guy.....but now i really wonder?:msp_confused:

if you think i'm a plain guy......i'm pretty sure there are a lot of "plain" guy's on this forum!

yes "sir" i do square filing as well.....by hand(belive it or not)...i dont give much for square chain.....yes they are sharp......for a couple of minutes! but if you live on cutting trees....forget square chains! they are for competition!...thats my opinion! they get dull way to fast!!

best greetings from the swede! (cheers)

 

[turnkey4099]

Yeah fellas I'm only a few months in so I'm just learning still. Lol. Just went over my chain and I gotta say its a pain in the butt trying to hold the guide down and use the file.

It helps if you file all the left hand ones from one side then all the right hand ones from the other side. That way depth gauge is resting against the filing guage - not so much slop that way.

Doing those depth gauges ranks right near the top of my "don't like" chores.

Harry K

 

[Andyshine77]

Swede if I had to guess, more than a few timber fellers would disagree with your statement on square filed chain.

 

[the swede]

Allright! just let them disagree! i dont care! i know for 100% that a round filed chain are more forgiving for dirt and general cutting! and are a better
choice! (for me) than a square chain! same goes with full chisel chain....great and fun to use in clean wood!...but gets dull way to easy in my opinion for use in a pro situation....well ok....in clean wood......you do as you want......but i will use semi-chisel chain and round files! but compared to you i'm just a "plain" guy....so what do i know about chainsaws,chains and filing?:msp_confused:

 

[J.Walker]

Can't really tell in your pics, but it should look like this. BTW it's depth gauge, not raker.:msp_wink:

I see that this oregon depth gauge is a .25 model.
Is it avalable in .30?


.

 

[Philbert]

I see that this oregon depth gauge is a .25 model. Is it avalable in .30?

I know that the Oregon END style depth gauges are available in a variety of depths. I have only seen this CENTER / SADDLE style in .025".

Philbert

 

[turnkey4099]

I know that the Oregon END style depth gauges are available in a variety of depths. I have only seen this CENTER / SADDLE style in .025".

Philbert

I have a Stihl center/saddle one which is .030. I don't see a part number on it. It also has the hooks on the end for cleaning the bar groove. Why people use all kinds of substitutes for cleaning that groove when the proper, easy to use tool is so cheap is beyong me.

Harry K

 

[Philbert]

Why people use all kinds of substitutes for cleaning that groove when the proper, easy to use tool is so cheap is beyong me.

??? Better than the tang end of a used Sawzall blade ???

Philbert

 

[turnkey4099]

??? Better than the tang end of a used Sawzall blade ???

Philbert

IMO, yes. Why not try one and see. At least you won't have two different tools to keep track of.
It is not a critical, brain surgeon task to clean that groove.

Harry K

 

[deepsouth]

??? Better than the tang end of a used Sawzall blade ???

Philbert

Better than a plastic cable tie, which won't scratch anything? I have a couple that are great for different bar gushes as they are snug fits (.050, or .058).

 

[lumberjack48]

I used to put up about 5,000 cds a yr, i used nothing but full chisel chain, filing all done by eye.

If i did use a raker gauge, the Carlton File-O-Plate is by far my choice, i always had one in my wallet. The first time i used one was in the early 70's.

 

[ncfarmboy]

I used to put up about 5,000 cds a yr, i used nothing but full chisel chain, filing all done by eye.

If i did use a raker gauge, the Carlton File-O-Plate is by far my choice, i always had one in my wallet. The first time i used one was in the early 70's.

Same for me. Got the plates for several diff. chain sizes. Am in the process of setting up an Oregon 511A with auto feed to do rakers. Don't know if it's going to work or not til I make time to get back on it.

Shep

 

[exSW]

I really do need to look into one of those. Trying to keep the saw from falling off the hood of the Wheel Horse while touching up a chain is somewhat less than ideal......

That's why I use my RED Cub Cadet(682)!And that Husky roller thingy confuses me(not hard to do).

 

[Philbert]

Bottom line is what works for you. If you file in the field and your chain is not cutting, eventhough the cutters are sharp, you can take a couple of strokes off the depth gauges and try again.

Phil ert

 

[w8ye]

I use the Oregon gage shown in the first post.

After studying it for a while, it doesn't matter if you have the whole tooth up through the slot or just the raker of the tooth.

I use the gage as a comparator to see how high my raker is and then remove the gage and give the raker my guess as to how many file strokes will make the raker where I want it. Then use the gage again to check if I'm where I want to be? A big saw can tolerate lower rakers than a small saw. If the rakers are so low as to feel them vibrate, you have gone way too far.

I keep up with the file strokes and make all the rakers the same unless there is a odd looking tooth. I try to keep all the teeth on a chain the same - the best I can. In spite of my efforts to keep the teeth the same with jigs and fixtures, the tooth lengths typically are only within .010" which is better than Oregon factory tolerances of about .020". The chains cut good.

 

[lefturnfreek]

Got em within .010 thou eh, I've run chains with a 1/4 in difference and they cut just fine

 

[Philbert]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.......... I've run chains with a 1/4 in difference and they cut just fine

????????????????

Most chains I run, the total height of the depth gauges is less than 1/4 inch.

Philbert

 

[Chris-PA]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????

Most chains I run, the total height of the depth gauges is less than 1/4 inch.

Philbert

Well I think he meant tooth length, but otherwise, same comment! I'm not sure the teeth on 91PX are 1/4" long!

 

[nstueve]

As long as we are on vises... I need to throw in a huge plug for Homelite410's chain vises. He's done an excelent job making a chain vise that grabs the top of the drive links to keep the chain properly secure. It also only needs to be finger tightened! They work great on rakers and making race chain! I don't have any pics handy though...

Here are some 'don't-have'-a-vise' approaches.
Bailey's - Stump Vise

C-clamp and block-O-wood

I found this one

I see that this oregon depth gauge is a .25 model.
Is it avalable in .30?

I think the guage on the husky guide has .25 and .30 (for hard/soft), and the husky guide makes an angled cut on the raker instead of flat too.