iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

newbie question

Started by knowslittle, January 09, 2010, 09:21:28 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

knowslittle

  Another newbie here asking yet another newbie-type question. Thanks for your patience.

  Have my first log work project coming up (hopefully), and from all I've read, I need to use a chipper type of chain.

  Tried my local Stihl dealer and one of the advertisers here, and both seem to not know anything about chipper chains, but seem to want to sell me semi-chisel chains.

Are these one and the same?

  If not, any advise on where to get chipper chains  (Stihl MS260 pro)

Appreciate your knowledge and time!
Bob

Rocky_J

If you're talking to a Stihl dealer, tell him you want the RM chain instead of the RS chain. Sometimes you have to speak to them in their own language. ;)

Kevin

Chipper and semi chisel would be the same.

If you are cutting clean standing trees and bucking them in the snow chisel chain would be good.
Chipper chain if you are bucking dirty logs that have been skidded through a little dirt.

peppone

I think they are same chains called with different words.
you're invited to visit my forum all about chainsaws:
http://lamotosega.forumattivo.com/forum.htm
saluti
peppone

jander3

For log building...cutting notches, grooves, etc. use chipper or semi-chisel chain.   Chisel or full-chisel chain is too aggressive.  Some log builders, after they gain experience, use full chisel chain because it cuts faster.  I don't mind using full-chisel chain on lateral grooves, but for notching I stick with chipper chain.

Stihl Chain

.325 pitch = 23RM, 25RM, or 26RM

3/8 pitch = 33RM, 35RM, or 36RM

Oregon, Carlton, and Bailey's also make suitable chipper chains (send PM if you need the numbers for these brands).

All saws come with full chisel chain or, these days, safety chain.  That is all the shops I use seem to be familiar with.  My shop had no clue on things like square ground, chipper, or skip chain.  But they have the book.  When I need chain, we look it up and they order what I need. 


knowslittle

Thank you for all your help.  Sure does clear it up.
   Another queston if you don't mind.
  I need to plunge cut a mortise about 1/2" x 4" x 14" deep into the bottom of Lodgpole posts for knife plates, and again I do not have a clue as to which chain would be best and safest.
   Also, would a Stihl MS260 pro have enough h.p. to pull this off, or do I need to up-size for this feat? 
  I do have access to a new Makita 90cc unit, very reasonable price, but if the smaller Stihl would work, I'll save the money.
   Again, any direction here is much needed and appreciated.
Thanks again gentlemen.

John Mc

Personally, I haven't found plunge cutting (or in chainsaw terms, bore cutting) to eat up a lot of power. When you think about it, it's only cutting about 4" of wood (the dimension from the top to the bottom of the bar. I bore cut myself a chainsaw bar scabbard from a piece of 2x6 using a 41cc Jonsered homeowner saw. Went almost 16" deep with no troubles or strain at all. (Great practice for accuracy in bore cuts, trying to keep it centered in a 2x6.)

The tough part I would think is getting the 1/2" dimension. Doing a second plunge cut right next to the first to widen the slot is going to be tough, especially as you get deeper into the cut. It may want to slide over into the first cut. Keeping your chain good and sharp for this may help a bit ??

John Mc
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

knowslittle

Thanks John for the tip, I'll give that some practice time.  Appreciate it. Agreed, the 1/2' thickness may be the problem, but perhaps w/ lotsa practice time.

John Mc

No Problem. I just thought of another thing, which you may already know: You probably don't want to use safety chain (the kind with the bumper links between each cutting tooth) to do a bore cut. It's tough to get that to bore well, and sometimes takes a lot of pressure to get it to bore at all. I'd guess a nice sharp full-chisel chain would be your best bet for the bore cut, though others hear may have a better idea. (It can be done with either a chisel or a semi-chisel chain. I'm thinking the chisel chain might be easier to keep on track for the second bore to widen things out to 1/2" -- though I may be all wet on that.)

Have you done any bore cutting before? If not we can probably give you some tips on doing it safely. Getting it started properly is probably the touchiest part. Once it's established in the bore, you're a bit protected by the bar being enclosed in the pocket.

A couple of other things: (1) don't assume that because a chain is brand new that it is properly sharpened. It may be functional, bit I'm finding a good number of new chains that need a bit of adjustment right out of the box. (2) Don't assume that just because a store says they sharpen chains, that they know how to do it well. I've run into a couple of hardware store flunkies that knew how to run things through the grinder, but didn't get very good results (which is what prompted me to learn to sharpen myself).
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

knowslittle

  John- thank you.  Very good advice.  No, I haven't done this mortice thing w/ a chainsaw, by trade I'm a carpenter, but chainsaws are something loud/oily  and scary.

  I would like to hear about starting out the initial cut, although someone at one time on the other board ran thru it awhile ago , I'd like to hear any/all input.

  I've looked into gettng the bar slotted  by a machinest, and sandwiching the bar between 2 pieces of hardwood, then entering the bar/plywood arrangement  into a square box attached to the butt end of the post, ,and using this setup as a sort of guide.  This sandwich would slide down the bar, using the slot, and also limit the depth of cut.  A  shim attached to one side of the wood on the bar (or attached to the jig on the post) would allow me to make one cut, remove the shim, and drop the bar down to effect a 1/2" thick mortise.  Don't know.

  Really haven't used a chainsaw in some time, perhaps 20-30 years, so your feedback is important and appreciated.

Bob

John Mc

Bob -

The first thing I'd do is get some practice in just cutting firewood and generally getting used to the saw again. If you've used one in the past, it will probably come back to you, but getting a good feel for the various forces on the bar, and learning to get a feel for where the tip of your bar is when you can't see it should help a bit.

Another thought: I don't know if there are any timber frame (post & beam) companies in your area. They are always cutting notches for mortise and tenon joints, and may have tools to do exactly what you need very accurately. Of course, getting the poles to them, or getting them to the poles may be another problem...

I can't help you much on the jig to hold the saw... but remember, by the time you are getting 14" deep, it's not going to take much "wobble" for your half inch dimension to turn into 1/4" or for the two cuts to diverge into two separate channels (I'm assuming it's going to take two separate plunge cuts to get your 1/2" dimension, and that you can't get your part to fit in the width of a single bore cut). When I made my 2x6 bar scabbard, I was able to free-hand the bore cut and stay in the center of the 2" dimension while boring in from the end grain (at least as far as I could tell... the saw never came out the side of the 2x6. I was fairly new to chainsawing at the time, but had been practicing bore cuts as part of my tree felling process.

More later if I can dig up some good write-ups or YouTube videos of bore cutting.

John
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

knowslittle

John- thanks again for your expertise.  I think I'd best build the jig and try the plunge cut quite a few times to see just how accurate it/I  will be.
  Hopefully with a sharp chain and some practice it will work.
  Haven't heard yet if I have the job, but I'll let you know how it all comes out, and thank you once again for your time.
 
Bob

Thank You Sponsors!