Getting started in chain grinding

I use my HF calipers just to make sure the left and right are the same size. I don't really care what the size is, so the accuracy of the caliper doesn't bother me...

 

I am not saying you can not get it to be faster by hand filing. But it was sharper than those at the time and there was hand filers there. My point was that a grinder can do a good job without hand filing.
If you want to hand file be my guest but I like using a grinder.

 

Mag Craft i know what you are saying....both methods are great, it depends on the operator....

I like both methods...a lot of the times when a guys says he likes/uses a grinder people instantly Assume he doesn’t know how to hand file or doesn’t want/like to, it’s just not the case...

Guys I know it sounds crazy but you can hand file and grind, you DO NOT have to pick just one method!!!!

 

Yep I started by square filing round ground chisel before I got my grinder.

 

I was just trying to be humorous by saying it would have been faster filed.

 

It is best to have them all the same length, for optimum performance. If you have a cutter that has been sharpened way more than the ones in front of it, you can't set the depth gauge properly for that cutter, the depth gauge will be too high if you use a traditional depth gauge tool. With the depth gauge too high the damaged cutter is not going to be doing much work. If you have several shorter cutters on one side it will affect performance, but the chain will still cut okay.

I've never understood sharpening the damaged cutter and then leaving the rest longer. What do you do when the damaged cutter has been sharpened back to the point it is wore out and the other cutters are still in good shape?

I have a chain that I have ground 3 times and the depth gauges have not needed anything.

 

I get what you're saying. But it's hard for many people to justify grinding away 1/4 of the chain to get it sharp again. You have to remember....the same guy who brought you that chain was still cutting with it up until he took it off. He's gonna go out and rock it again and continue cutting with it. 90% of firewooders just want a chain that will cut for a season's worth of heat. They'd rather get 70% worth of the chain's ability for 8 sharpenings than 80% for 4 sharpenings.

Fwiw, the fastest race chains I've seen were filed by a member on this forum and the cutters varied by more than 1/16" on consecutive teeth.

 

What about just not sharpening all of the damage out of the cutter, just sharpen it back the same as the good cutters? Would that be any different than grinding it way back? Either way it would not be doing much good?

I must be OCD. When I grind a chain I try to get the cutters within .0010.'' When I filed, I tried to get them all the same.

 

I pick the most common length and take off enough so that the wheel profiles the tooth. On the shorter ones I lean the wheel over enough to touch the cutter, maybe removing 1/4 or 1/2 as much. That tooth is still sharper than it was. And in a couple more trips to the grinder it'll be more similar in length to the others.

Gotta feel out your audience, though, for sure. If the guy doesn't care about buying chain more often, then by all means, make them all cut.

 

For what it is worth, here is what I've found. I run full house chain on all my saws even on the 3 and 4 ft bars. I made up a raker grinder that grinds the factory radii and contours for Picco and RS.










Before



After.
Having the contour on a smooth transistion does make the saw cut smoother in my experience. especially when plunge cutting. I've found the same when your teeth are all the same length wise with sharpening. My theory is if your cutters are all different sizes, the chain has to pull up in spots to grab the same chip size. or it'll be cutting smaller, finer chips. It would be more of a factor on a longer bar. It can be a plus as in my mind, it would basically take less HP to spin the chain as you, in theory, would be making it a sort of skip chain. Thoughts?

I did the Raker/depth gauge fixture as an experiment and was surprised at the difference it makes. Just playing around in the shop and WAY overkill I know but it was interesting.

 

I disagree. What method or guide do you use? I use the progressive style like this

Each raker or depth gauge is individually set for each cutter. I hit metal twice on the mill and hit the same side both times. I had pretty short cutters on the left and almost full on the right (119dl). After comprehensive filing to remove the damage, then raker adjustments I was cutting fine again both times. That chain would cut straight when cross cutting too.

 

^^^How does that style work?

I use one like this.

STIHL CHAINSAW FILING GAUGE TOOL NEW FOR MANY SAWS # 1110 893 4000 | eBay

I also have a tread depth gauge I can use.

 

NEW Compact Digital Tire Pressure Gauge Tread Depth Indicator Car Indicator | eBay

 

Are FOP really progressive depth raker generators?

 

Not my pic.

So the shorter the cutter gets, the more the right side of the plate is lowered as it sits on it. Raker pokes up through and you flat file it smooth. One side is "hard" wood, other is for soft. I believe it's 25 and 35 thou.

 

Well you were probably correct with your statement. I think Khntr85 summed it up pretty good.

 

I have done many chains that had 1-really bad cutter and the rest of the chain was ok....I always fix the 1-bad cutter, then do the rest of the Chain....I NEVER grind away all oth the good cutters back to the length of the 1-single bad cutter....it’s simply a waste....1-short cutters will not effect the whole Chains performance.....

Hell thinkig back I have completely ground off a bent cutter and it you couldn’t tell a difference....

 

You suck!
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Truly impressive Kevin. Us mortals grind the rakers, You grind the wheel.

 

With one of those worthless diamonds no less!

 

Those are full complement Kevin. I dont know that Ive even seen full house in person, would be cool though!I like that surface grinder setup too btw.

Fullhouse Chainsaw Chain 1/4" <---- some full house 1/4 pitch, not sure what guys use it for.