Yes another Chain Question!

[Austin1]

I have really been thinking about getting a Chainsaw mill as Trees are free and lumber is expensive. I have the saw's for it and would use it as a exuse to get another just for the mill I will be doing small Lodge Poll Pine nothing bigger than 18'' and build a deck with my lumber, see I said lumber not wood, wood is for heating lol. I have tried a few different chains in cutting like I would if I was milling and again for me Square ground worked the best. Has anyone tried Square ground chain in a mill? I know you need clean wood no dirt that's not a problem for me.
I hand file and it takes awhile but I would always have at least three loops of chain. I know it is the best for bucking and making noodles and felling fast and smooth. I thought it left a very smooth cut when I cut down through a log.
What do ya think am I on to something with this idea?
I did do a search but could not find anything regarding Square ground Chain for milling?

 

[SilverBox]

It should work fine. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Austin1]

It should work fine. Let us know how it turns out.

I will it wont be till at least Sept this year as I am still putting away wood for next year and have to buy the mill.But I like my Square chain! But it is getting very hard to find in .058 so I will switch to .050

 

[BobL]

My experience with persisting with square ground in wide (36"+) Aussie hardwood for about 3 months is that it cuts like a demon for about a third of a slab and then about the same as round ground for the next third and then much slower for the rest of the slab. Because it cuts slower at the end of the slab the operator then tends to push harder which just wears the underside of the cutters and the bar and you end up using more fuel and oil. When cutting these slabs I touch up the chain after every wide slab, and every second or third slab in the narrower slabs.

In narrower slabs, square ground cuts faster (ie first slab fast) then second slab similar speed, third slab slower etc, so it still needs to be more sharpened more often than round ground. Also the dirtier the timber the quicker square ground goes blunt.

Because it is slower to file than round ground chain I gave up on using square ground and switched to full comp semi chisel round ground. I still touch up after every wide slab but I can now touch up a 136 link (42" bar) round ground file chain in about 7 minutes whereas the square ground takes me about 15 minutes. This is for pretty extreme cutting - a 4 m long hardwood log cut can still take as long as 25 minutes and two tanks of fuel.

In clean softwood, square ground it will last longer than in hardwoods depending on how clean the logs are, you will just have to try it for yourself.

 

[Austin1]

My experience with persisting with square ground in wide (36"+) Aussie hardwood for about 3 months is that it cuts like a demon for about a third of a slab and then about the same as round ground for the next third and then much slower for the rest of the slab. Because it cuts slower at the end of the slab the operator then tends to push harder which just wears the underside of the cutters and the bar and you end up using more fuel and oil. When cutting these slabs I touch up the chain after every wide slab, and every second or third slab in the narrower slabs.

In narrower slabs, square ground cuts faster (ie first slab fast) then second slab similar speed, third slab slower etc, so it still needs to be more sharpened more often than round ground. Also the dirtier the timber the quicker square ground goes blunt.

Because it is slower to file than round ground chain I gave up on using square ground and switched to full comp semi chisel round ground. I still touch up after every wide slab but I can now touch up a 136 link (42" bar) round ground file chain in about 7 minutes whereas the square ground takes me about 15 minutes. This is for pretty extreme cutting - a 4 m long hardwood log cut can still take as long as 25 minutes and two tanks of fuel.

In clean softwood, square ground it will last longer than in hardwoods depending on how clean the logs are, you will just have to try it for yourself.

Thanks for the info BobL! I wont be Cutting any Aussie Hard wood here maybe frozen woodI know the wood will be clean unless I hit a bullet I have a habit of doing that.I know what you mean about Square going dull fast I wont use it on Road side trees we are talking about trees that see a truck every 12 hours the dust from a gravel Dirt road will stick in the Bark over the years.

 

[smithie55]

Hey Austin welcome to the vortex,
After learning a lot about milling with a chainsaw mill (as a matter of fact this is where I learned how) from the guys on this site, I now make my own ripping chain. After some experimentation I now use Stihl 3/8-50 gage,
full comp., chisel, and grind it round, also to make the ripping chain I cut off half of the top plate of every 2 teeth. 10 degree grind on the full teeth and 15 to 20 degrees on the half teeth. According to my grinder I have about a 55 degree angle on face of the tooth.
Provided I don't get into any foreign matter in the wood, I can mill several logs before I have to change out the chain.
I get a smooth, fast cut, minimal stress on the saw, and decent gas mileage.
In fact I have plunged head long into this, to the point that I now buy chain by the 100' roll and bar oil by the 5 gal bucket.
Milling with a CSM is a great work out and one of the most gratifying things that I have ever done in my life.
You'll get hooked, plus you get to run your saw alot more.

 

[Austin1]

Hey Austin welcome to the vortex,
After learning a lot about milling with a chainsaw mill (as a matter of fact this is where I learned how) from the guys on this site, I now make my own ripping chain. After some experimentation I now use Stihl 3/8-50 gage,
full comp., chisel, and grind it round, also to make the ripping chain I cut off half of the top plate of every 2 teeth. 10 degree grind on the full teeth and 15 to 20 degrees on the half teeth. According to my grinder I have about a 55 degree angle on face of the tooth.
Provided I don't get into any foreign matter in the wood, I can mill several logs before I have to change out the chain.
I get a smooth, fast cut, minimal stress on the saw, and decent gas mileage.
In fact I have plunged head long into this, to the point that I now buy chain by the 100' roll and bar oil by the 5 gal bucket.
Milling with a CSM is a great work out and one of the most gratifying things that I have ever done in my life.
You'll get hooked, plus you get to run your saw alot more.

Only problem I don't have a grinder! yet:monkey: I do all my sharpening the old way by a file lol.

 

[BobL]

Only problem I don't have a grinder! yet:monkey: I do all my sharpening the old way by a file lol.

I have eady access to grinder but I convert all my chains by hand, even my 192 drive link full comp chains for my 5 ft bars. You'll get quicker and quicker at filing if you put in a bit of time into chain conversion.

 

[duffontap]

I have eady access to grinder but I convert all my chains by hand, even my 192 drive link full comp chains for my 5 ft bars. You'll get quicker and quicker at filing if you put in a bit of time into chain conversion.

Hey Bob,

Are you talking free-hand, or are you using a jig to control your angles? I do all my sharpening with a file (usually free-hand) but I sure couldn't correct or convert a chain without a jig.

J. D.

 

[BobL]

Hey Bob,

Are you talking free-hand, or are you using a jig to control your angles? I do all my sharpening with a file (usually free-hand) but I sure couldn't correct or convert a chain without a jig.

J. D.

Sorry - yeah when converting I usually use an Oregon file guide to get the angles right.