Noodling chain death

why does noodling seem to dull my saw blade in one tank????? Hows it so different from regular cutting

 

I have more of a problem with the long strands of wood clogging up my bar n chain...

 

My saw moves them great but the dull saw so quickly is killing me

 

Good question

 

I have never noticed the teeth on the CHAIN getting dull noodling any faster than cross-cutting. My guess is the CHAIN is coming into contact with some abrasive material, like dirt on the ends of the log.

 

it has to do with the properties of the wood. trees are designed to grow tall and be strong vertically and support a lot of weight. just take a small piece of wood and try to crush it with a pair of pliers. if you run the grain horizontal its fairly easy to crush but if you stand the grain vertically then try to crush it, it is much stronger.

in a way its kind of awe inspiring how it can be so strong one way and be easy to cut another way.

 

Great question. Ive done a boatload of noodling lately and the same is true. Clean wood too. What Felter said makes sense to me although i never really gave it much thought.

 

Wood crushing has nothing to do with it IMHO, and to be honest doesn't make any sense, as you're cutting the fibers not compressing them. It all comes down to abrasive material, guys having issues are likely cutting logs that have some contamination on the ends or in the bark. Rip cutting is actually easier cutting.

 

It seems I’ve kinda noticed that also. Never gave it a lot of thought but seems like it always occurred on large rounds from low on the trunk that had a fork to it or a large branch coming off so figured it was like going through a huge knot.

 

Maybe it just requires a sharper chain to noodle?
I’ve noticed after a few rounds I think the chain is getting dull. Switch to bucking and it seems all imagination.
Seems to run hotter noodling also.
We are asking the chain to cut in a direction it’s not specifically designed for.

Anyone ever noodle with a ripping chain? Just wondering how that works.

 

If your depth gauges are not set correctly, or a little lower than normal, the chain won't noodle well. My guess this is part of the issue as well. There is no reason why rip cutting should effect the chain. If The chain doesn't self feed you have issues.

 

Ive noticed how hot it was when i swapped out the chains. Never used a ripping chain either. Does ripping chain cut from the end of the log and not the edge? Ive cut logs that way and the sawdust is powdery.

 

I did a boatload of noodling on a recent cutting (see my thread Norwegian Noodles Anyone?) I used two saws and was switching back and forth between both after a tank full of gas and changing chains. One cut i went through a little "tree compost" in a crotch...bad idea. Dull right away and i knew better.

 

There is usually dirt in those crotches.

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Yep, I’ve noticed it too. I figured that I am having the chain do something it isn’t designed to do but it’s a small price to pay because I didn’t want to or couldn’t life the big rounds.

 

Yes to dirt, metal, etc. Noodling usually involves using the full bar for a fairly long cut. Lots of surface area contact. The noodles/chips may build up in the clutch area and slow ya down. There are ways around that, though.

If I avoid dirt and metal, my chains usually last as long as traditional bucking before needing a touch-up. Some junk gets buried and I dont see it until it’s too late... then it’s time for a water break and possibly new chain.

Typically wood that requires noodling is twisted, knotty, etc. This same wood slows traditional cross-cutting, too.

 

I noticed on my Stihl 028 with an RS chain that it definitely did not perform very well when noodling a 15" round of red ash. I gave the round to a friend who wants to make a guitar and he borrowed his neighbor's Ryobi 40v electric chainsaw......and it didn't even cut 2cm into the wood lmfao.

Anyways I made 4 cuts with the stihl and there was a lot of fine sawdust. I just sharpened the chain and made sure the rakers were at .025". I'm thinking if I ever need to do a lot of noodling I should consider a ripping chain. Anyone have any recommendations for a .325 pitch .063 gauge 74 dl ripping chain? I don't think Stihl makes one.

 

Did you stand the log on end and cut down into it? Or lay it on it’s side and cut down into it?

 

I am no expert on it, but I wouldn't think you would get fine sawdust unless you were cutting the round down from the end of the round. And according to some youtube people, you should not split a round by coming down from the end because they say you will, their words: "burn your saw up" which I assumed they meant (burn your chain up).
I have done quite a bit of noodling lately, which I guess that is where the expression "noodling" comes from, because I always cut from the side of the round, never the end, and I always get long noodles or long shavings in other words. I kind of rock my saw back and forth a little, not always staying flat in the cut, and I can tell that sometimes my saw does pull down maybe a little more, and that is where I will sea saw it back and forth a little to clean out my chain and let the rev's get back up. But I am not really seeing my chain getting dull quicker, but I am usually noodling after I have done a lot of bucking, so my saw is already getting a little down on the last sharpening job, but it doesn't seem to be causing my saw to get duller any faster then regular cross cutting would have. However, I can tell it does work the saw harder. I wouldn't want to do much noodling with a small saw, but to be honest, I have not tried it with a small saw.

 

Yeah I stood it on the end because that's where he had marked the sizes. After reading your posts it would seem that I should have started the cut and make a mark on the end and then turned the log on its side and continue that way. Needless to say, I haven't done much noodling. Thanks for the tips!