Making and Repairing Chain

I finally got some free time to try out my new chain breaker and spinner. This was the job i had in mind when i bought it.



I had a brand new 28" skip that got thrown the first time I used it, and a couple of the drivers were bent. I also had 4 32" chains that I picked up along with the bar in a trade - 2 skip, 2 full comp. I use the 28" bar in my Alaskan mill, so that's the size I could really use a couple extra chains for. So, I shortened one of the 32" skip, and used the extra links to repair the damaged 28".

I ground the heads off the first few rivets I planned to punch. They definitely come out a lot easier that way.

You want to lay the chain flat over the correct slot in anvil, and center the punch. Then apply a slow steady amount of pressure, making sure everything stays aligned, until the rivet is pressed through. You need to break both sides of the tie strap where you plan to separate the chain. I had several bad drivers marked here.



You need presets and tie straps to mend the chain. I ended up using 4 of them on the repaired chain.



You center the new rivet on the spinner anvil, and tighten down the take up side. Then apply even pressure to the take up handle while spinning the crank, until the rivet is correctly flattened. It took me about 3/4 of a turn with the take up handle.

 

Very cool
Added fun thing to do with your saws.

Should bring the cost of chains for you way down.

Did you buy any rolls of chain yet, what types you gonna try out. ?

Always wondered with a 100' reel, rivets & the connector links, how much a 20" 72 drive link chain would cost.
Never broke a chain but have had a few times it would be nice to change out a few cutters after a rock or metal strike.

Looks pretty straight forward.
Good thread !

 

I have a 25' reel of Oregon JGX on the way - I paid $100 for 410 DL. It comes with a set of the connectors and tie straps, but they can be found separately pretty cheap too.

I also found a deal on a 50" Cannon bar, for a BIG milling setup to slab up the trunk of that big Walnut over at my sister's house. Nobody carries the 141DL chains for it, but they'd probably cost around $70-80 to have one made. Ill get 2 out of that reel, and ill only be a few DL shy of a 3rd.

Repairing this chain, and making one of the 32" into a more useable length,
I saved myself the cost of 2 28" chains - a good $70-80 right there.

It would have been cheaper per DL to get 100', but I just didn't see myself needing that much in the near future.

 

Looks good Shawn Curry nice write up, and good pics!

I might have to look into a set up, between Father-in-law and I, we could save a ton on new chains.

 

2 Tips for ya,

Put a drop of oil on the rivet when you spin it, goes easier and spins with less resistance.

You need to get it set, but don't over due it. All it takes is a little tweek and it is too tight and has to be punched back out. Running a chain with a rivet too tight can cause it to break due to excessive heat and stresss as it goes around. As you have already found, it will take the same amount of rotation on the spinner handle each time.

BTW you don't need to grind the rivets before hand, just make sure it's centered and if it doesn't go, stop it's not centered.

 

I considered writing about the mistakes I made, but the original post was getting wordy, so I figured I'd wait and post about it later if there was any interest.

I over-tightened the second connector I did, and had to punch it back out. You want them to be tight enough where there is very little side-to-side "play" in the link, but still loose enough to allow the link to operate freely. I was not operating the take-up handle properly - I applied way too much pressure, trying to use it to "smash" the rivet down. That's not what you want to do - you want to let the crank to do the work, and apply an even amount of pressure to the take up handle. As the spinner is doing it's thing, and the rivet is flattening, you'll feel the take up handle "loosen up". By applying an even amount of pressure, you take up the slack, and you can begin to get a "feel" for when you've achieved the correct tightness: somewhere around 3/4 of a turn, the take-up handle began to require a little more pressure to turn it any farther. That's about when you want to stop.

It's true you don't *need* to grind the heads, but then it becomes very important to have the punch perfectly centered. I managed to slightly deform a couple of the holes in the driver links on the ones I didn't grind, and then I needed to remove those too. I didn't have any problems with the ones that I did grind. It easily takes 5-10 times as much force to press out an unground rivet. This sort of question seems to come down to a personal preference, and I think I'll be joining the "grind first" camp.

 

I think I did the math before. Dont you only save a few dollars say on a 20" loop over buying the same chain on sale?

 

22 loops with some left over. I used to have $10.22 in a loop when oregon was $225 to my door.

 

I am sure oregon chain has gone up. But the last sale I saw oregon chain was $13.99 a 20" loop. This was logger chain.com and was like 6 months ago.

Then you have to have the breaker/spinner. Even if you ignore the cost of it you still have the time. Its cool to be able to make a size u need but I think id rather just bulk order sizes I need on sale and keep on hand.

Even being cheap go no more chains a year that I use I will just pay the extra few dollars a chain.

 

Yea
So what's your point ?

Don't we really only need 1 chainsaw & one chain ?
Like my golf, fishing, biking ... hobbies, not about $$.

 

My hobby is more on the using the saw collecting and fixing them and not making chain side.

Yea I guess some guys are more into their chains than me. Sure you can hand sharpen them better than a grinder but not me right now. I can do pretty good on the grinder and there sharp enough for me...plus they start dulling the second they hit the wood. Its faster the way I do it and time is important to me as I never have enough of it for anything.

 

Making and repairing your own chains and doing so for others is priceless. Being able to do it on the spot at moments notice is so nice.

 

I can see that cut4. Its nice to have what we need to fix things on the spot. Thats why I try to keep stuff around the house to fix stuff. I guess I dont rip that many cutters off?

If I put a chain in the dirt or something I just grab another chain. Which I know has nothing to do with making chains. I guess if I was knocking cutters off loops left and right or rocking lots of chains it would bee good since you dont have to then trash that chain.

 

Also my cost was showing the $15 shipping cost. Dont forget to add the $5-$6 shipping to the $13.99 loop. Thats why when I buy loops I try to get the 5 in the box so it only adds $1 to $1.20 a loop. But if you only order 1 or 2 add that to your loop cost.

 

One of my loggers ordered 50 or 100 at that price. I think they only charged him like $10 at that price. I jumped it with him on a few loops. I think they cost him like $14.20 a loop or something.

But Yea your right most of us would not order 50 loops so it would add like $1.00-1.50 per loop

 

From what I've seen, reels usually go on sale at the same time as loops. The current prices at loggerchain have it about $50 cheaper to buy the reel over the 22 chains. Now, 22 chains would probably last me at least 10 years, so you're right - the savings isn't much. For me it's about convenience, and not wasting what I currently have on hand. I have a few 20" loops that are Husqvarna lengths, but I no longer own any saws that take them. Now I can use them. Aside from the chain for the 50" bar, I shouldn't need to buy any more chain for a few years. That fact should save me a few $$.

 

I just priced chain from a member at his store on my site right here in Ohio that was on sale. $235 100ft plus shipping. Just so you all know when shopping prices.

I just had a 116DL Oregon 72 JGX made up and sent to me by the same member. $26 to my door. Hard to beat service like that and that cost was

 

I have several firewood cutters that come in and buy 72dl 4-5 loops at a time sometimes. Then drop off the same for a resharpen. So it is nice to be self efficient.

 

Like I said at least I sharpen (grind) my own. I try to have 3 sharp with me at all times. I probably dont have a dozen serviceable 20" loops but I only burn 3 cords a year and usually get my truck and small 4x8 trailer loaded without swapping a chain...if I dont put it in the dirt (which I rarely do).

I did however put a brand new loop of that opegon LGX in the dirt on like the third cut on some 20"+ wood a few months back :-( It promptly came off and went back in the box for the ride home , and a fresh ground loop went back on the saw to finish.

 

These guys I am talking about only get them resharpened after several ( many ) of their own hand filings have them all out of wack. That way everything is trued back up.

Just so folks know what I was meaning earlier.