Semi-skip chain angle

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
The first cutting contractor that I cut for on Prince of Wales Island, Jess Hull. From Morton was a firm believer in a little beak. Jess has prolly fell as much timber as any man alive on planet earth. Jim Byron would give him a run for his money but not many other men would. Neither was the fastest man I've watched cut timber. But they both were consistentlytop cutters on their crews. For decades. And that's being up against top Alaska bushlers.

Anyway. For years I ran 404 . 52 AK and a few hundred feet of 52 AJ that's what I learned to chisel file on and to grind on . Having a beak on made it a little rough on a hard hemlock stump but it fed REAL good in red cedar. Pretty quick on the limbs too.
And you never want top beak. Never. . Hoggin out the inside of the cutters is something you don't want to get too carried away with. Jack Jodry showed me that trick. Another top bushler for a lot of years.
 
I will take down the gullet for about 3 licks, hog out the inside about 3 or 4 licks then finish off the cutting edge with about 3 licks.
I dress the stone pretty thick for the side. Cuts down on how many times I need to do gullets when I'm grinding.

If I'm going to be cutting some real soft wet timber, I thin the outside of the rider. It let's the cutter go a little wider without having to change my grind.
 
You can get better angles than factory easily. Don't worry about nicking the tie straps. I've never broken a chain even on a 3120 when I've nicked the tie straps. A little side beak is way better than too high.

Trx I think you're fine on the angles. I run more aggressive than most for hardwood. I'm not at home right now to get more pictures but I'm almost at a 30 degree top plate. Side angle is about 5 degrees. Rakers for me never go below .030" as in hardwoods it's too much for a 70cc saw.

Roberte I'm glad the chain is working for you.

I love testing different things out on chain. I like it more than porting the saws. I'll look and see if I have any more pictures to post for you guys.

If you used 30 & 5, then I will roll with that. I have been using 30 & 10 for years. Anyway good job.
 
Brian how close are you running the chain holder to the stone? That will change the top plate angle to steeper as you get closer to the stone.
 
For about as many different cutters as there is on a crew you will see different ways of the fine points on putting up a sharp chain. The way I do it is just my way. Mine won't win any competitions but it works real good for me.

Isn't that the truth. I do what I do and it works for me.
I usually end up fixing some of associates "hand filing" Omg.
 
Super informative Tramp. Amazing stuff. Thanks so much for the trade secrets. Some of this stuff just never gets handed down, ya know?....
 
Yeah, locally here tons of legends abound about loggers from Darington. I wish there were still more going on out that way so that a lowly arborist like myself could actually get the chance to get broken in proper!

Darn Spotted Owl... :msp_mad:
 
Brian how close are you running the chain holder to the stone? That will change the top plate angle to steeper as you get closer to the stone.


I took some pics of my grinder setup will have to post tomaro,my phones not posting them for some reason
 
st

seems like the steeper i dress the top angle of the stone the tooth top angle changes some closer to factory grind ,i haven't messed too much changing dressing angles so not 100% on this

Ya, the balance of top plate angle and the face of the top plate's angle.
A steeper dresser angle for the top of the stone will give you steeper face angle and more top plate angle.
A shallow angle on the top dresser will a shallower face angle and will give less angle on the top plate..
But, moving the chain holder forward or back changes the angles also.
I can't remember on the RS II if the chain holders move or if the motor does. But I think its the chain holders.
Like Sam, I make index marks on my dressers BEFORE I move them.
 
Last edited:
I think from what I'm seeing you're farther away from the stone. I slide the whole thing up to where underneath there's about a 1/4" between the stone and the block the slide is bolted to. That will give you more top plate angle if you're looking for more without changing anything else.
 
I think from what I'm seeing you're farther away from the stone. I slide the whole thing up to where underneath there's about a 1/4" between the stone and the block the slide is bolted to. That will give you more top plate angle if you're looking for more without changing anything else.

i will try that see what it does
 

Latest posts

Back
Top