First try at square filing

IMO, it's the skill needed to sharpen it with the [expensive] files. Much easier to learn round filing, plus you have all these guides and 10-in-ones, lol. And the grinders are 1k vs. much less for the round style.

It's faster.

 

Welp, not sure now. A pretty well respected member on ope said it was discontinued. A different member looked it up and it’s still there.

So idk

 

I see why some folks say that about longevity. If I were to square grind a chain with the wheel thickness as it was delivered, it would go like he!! but not last long. I’ve thinned down my wheel so I can tilt the tooth down into it more without the bottom hitting the tie straps.

 

Hey!
That 2nd vid is at my place lol

 

That is counter intuitive to me...

 

That's what makes this site so wonderful. Also what brothers and sisters are for.
Sure wish we could have made it to the GTG this year and met you, see Kevin again. Wish I could meet Jason too.

 

That was good! My laugh for the day! Catching up on this thread.

 

Jason what is the roughness on that chain?

 

That is a pretty sight i have to admit! Always fun to cut and watch big chips spit out.

 

Do you guys know the secret to keep your wife/SO happy?


If so please tell me!

 

X2. I love what i learn and sharing what i know as well. Square grind "scares" me. I have CAD and if i try it i will like it. Dont wanna know what it will cost to convert my saws to SG or lean to sharpen that way.

 

Still working on that one...

 

The cost of the files. A little time...

Seems like a cheap modification to get some serious performance gains...

 

OK, thanks for checking.

 

We know, Grasshopper...cost you much it will, to learn our secrets...
A JEDI warrior you must become...

 

That and it's kind of fun to learn and experiment. I enjoy developing a new skill or interest from time to time. Some adventures pan out to be better, and and some don't. But in this case, I think I am hooked on square filing my chains.

 

On the Oregon square grind chain...
72CJ = Full skip 3/8" pitch, .050 gauge
72CK = Semi-skip 3/8" pitch, .050 gauge
72CL = Full comp 3/8" pitch, .050 gauge.

 

Round? With a round filed sideplate, imagine the letter C traveling down that end grain. Not all fibers get severed, some get torn as they try to slide to the left most part of that semicircle. M.Lee showed me once by stopping round chain mid-cut and breaking off the piece that was cut (a thin cookie). You could physically see this in action. The straight sideplate of square ground/filed doesn’t do that. Imagine a half circular guillotine with a bunch of straw. Some of this stalks will try to gather towards the center/highest portion of blade. Hard to explain, hope I’m getting you there. When he was showing me, we compared the end of the log from round to square and you can see and feel a smoother surface. This was also felt right away when I ran my first squared chain (at the PA gtg in ‘15). I have a bunch of pics at home on the laptop of end grain I’ll share when I get home. I think this might not be felt by someone not really in tune with their saw and chain. But as the vids show, it does cut faster.

EDIT: crap! Viewing with my phone I didn’t realize you were referring to the pic! It was a chain that came on a roached saw I bought. I “saved” it but it had some rust. That was after a soak and rehab. Hopefully it’ll clean up after being run. Anyway, did ya like my long explanation above?

 

+1!! Hopefully that secret is shared when it’s learned.

 

I don't know if it's discontinued or not, but yesterday, I went to the one Stihl dealer that still had a partial roll of the .063 RSLF in stock. He told me that the only reason he had it at was a fluke to start with, in ordering, and he didn't normally keep it. So, I had him make up two more loops for my 28" bar and since I have a 32" Lightweight bar on order, I had him make up a couple of loops for it, also.

They don't keep any RSLF for .050, either. I thought that 33 RSF 84 for my 24" bars was a form of square file and it was initially sold to me for that, but I also found out, for sure, that it's just full chisel round file chain. The first salesmen told me wrong, and I didn't know any better. But I must admit it's good chain. I sharpened my 261 which has a loop of this RSF Full Skip on it, and just stayed round file on it, and it's a cutting son of a gun. I may convert it to square file, one of these days, but as good as it cuts, I may not, either.

Anyway, in this part of the world, it looks like if I want real square grind factory, in the future, it will be mail order, from Bailey's or somewhere, as no one locally handles it as far as I know.