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What is the cats meow for sharpening gimicks now days?

Started by banksiana, January 28, 2011, 08:40:49 AM

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banksiana

I have a load of sugar maple coming, frozen sugar maple, that I will be cutting into firewood in the next few weeks.  I can't seem to keep my chain sharp when cutting sugar maple in the winter.  Should I look into a fancy sharpening tool or stick with good new files?

Al_Smith

Not to worry ,it will thaw out or at least it always has in the past .

Kevin


Saw Dr.

Try the Husqvarna kit with the little roller bracket that goes over the chain.  That seems to be very well recieved by those not wanting to freehand.  If you are using safety chain, make sure you are lowering the safety links as well as the drags.   
I don't try to explain to others why I play with chainsaws.  For those who already know, no explanation is needed.  For those who do not, no explanation is POSSIBLE!

Super 250

banksiana

I have an older Husky I think it is a 246?  I know, it is a little small but it is what I have.   I don't really want to buy a new saw, I know this one inside and out, it is paid for, fits well in my ATV rack for timber cruising needs. 

tyb525

I use the blue Pferd file guide from baileys. It holds the raker file at the same time so you don't have to guess at the raker height.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

lumberjack48

That's those dam Ants dragging dirt up in to all the cracks, [frozen dirt] like Al says it will thaw out. There isn't much you can do about it on till it thaws out on less you want to sharpen after every cut.

If your running a full chisel chain you'll be lucky to make one cut, as soon as that little point is gone your done.

When i new i was going to be cutting dirty wood i put a round tooth chain on, you can cut about 3 times longer before filing, not as fast but less filing.

I carried a file in my pocket, as soon as the edge was gone, i would touch it up, take about 2 to 3 minutes, like the Dr, says make sure to keep the safety links even with the rakers on a safety chain. [ about 30 tho ]

I would stick with good files.








 
Third generation logger, owner operator, 30 yrs felling experience with pole skidder. I got my neck broke back in 89, left me a quad. The wife kept the job going up to 96.

Al_Smith

It may sound hard to believe but I've only experianced frozen wood once in my life time and that two years ago in frozen solid late cut oak .It was about ten below or so at the time .I threw everything I had at that stuff including a 125 Mac with a razor sharp skip tooth  chisel . I'd have stood a better chance of cutting concrete .

Sugar maple by it's very nature holds a lot of water so you'd just well sit by the fire until it thaws .It won't burn worth a hoot anyway full of water .

lumberjack48

I cut White Oak, Red Oak. H Maple, S Maple down to -40 never had a problem on less it was dirty. Frozen wood will take the edge off after so many cuts, it still cuts good but not razor sharp, then you just grab your file and throw a edge back on.
Al, that oak must have been dirty !
Anytime i cut hardwood i filed my cutters at 40 degrees on a full chisel chain, it slices like a butter knife.[ don't laugh try it ]
I don't know about right now, but Oregon chain would not hold an edge, it was to soft, Stihl chain was the best, but big $$, i had the best luck with Carlton.
Third generation logger, owner operator, 30 yrs felling experience with pole skidder. I got my neck broke back in 89, left me a quad. The wife kept the job going up to 96.

Al_Smith

It wasn't dirty . Late cut  end of Oct, first of Nov . Take down by one of the trimmers and loaded with a skid loader not drug all over with a skider .Several trees plus a giant honey locust .Lawdy some of that stuff was 4 feet in diameter .Now I could cut it but make three cuts and refile the chain ,nope .

Much was 18" to 2 feet and 4 -6 feet long . Typical trimmer fare .Probabley 12 -15 cord in one pile ,fact some of it's still there .Not a big deal because oak takes a long time to get funky .

Now when they finally did get to it the stuff had been shoved around so much it was embedded with dirt .Thawed by then but still a little tough on the chains none the less .


banksiana

Now, ants dragging dirt up the trunk, never thought of that.  Will have to inspect it to see if that is the case.  I am cutting it now because the timber marking job I have is a money loser right now with all this snow.  I need to wait until the snow pack drops so I can up my production and not put all my profits into my trucks fuel tank.  Just when the cutting gets good, so does the timber marking. 

CX3

I dont know if ants are your problem, but they darn sure can take dirt into a tree and dull your chain.  They make nests in there too, and if you ever cut through one of those you are on the file for sure.
John 3:16
You Better Believe It!

banksiana

I deff. will check it out.  How high do they typically carry dirt?  I could leave the but logs for later when the wood is easier to cut.

Al_Smith

Oh you can hit ants allright just about any place in a tree for that matter .Fact is I blew about 30 feet out of the top of a dead ash in my woods from a bucket truck last summer and hits ants .

Oh that was cute .Part way through the cut with a Stihl 200T running wide open 60 feet off the ground blowing those little biting rascals all over me .It wasn't like I could stop and swat them in the middle of the  cut ya know . >:(

lumberjack48

That's dam scary, i don't mean being 60 feet off the ground, [ 60 feet off the ground with ants in your pants is]
Third generation logger, owner operator, 30 yrs felling experience with pole skidder. I got my neck broke back in 89, left me a quad. The wife kept the job going up to 96.

Al_Smith

 :D Oh they didn't take a bite out of the royal rump or neither regions  ,just annoyed the dickens out of me .One of those sons a b's left a hole in my arm though .I still don't know what that's all about . ???

Oh well at any rate I got maybe a cord and half of firewood and 50 or so feet of nice   straight sawlog out of the deal .

Oh but say I did hit ants again when I flopped the spar and they did dull the dickens out of the chain .Big fat ones in the bottom and little nastey ones at the top ,go figure that one .


banksiana

Quote from: banksiana on January 28, 2011, 10:35:55 AM
I have an older Husky I think it is a 246?  I know, it is a little small but it is what I have.   I don't really want to buy a new saw, I know this one inside and out, it is paid for, fits well in my ATV rack for timber cruising needs. 


Al_Smith

Now let me get this straight now .When you say timber cruising would that infer to a person who scopes out a timber tract and guesstimates the board   footage with some confusing formula and makes  an offer to the land owner per chance ?

If that be the case they usually don't carry chainsaws ,just a checkbook  or at least clip board .Then again now of days that would likely be a laptop puter hooked up WIFI .

Kevin

It's always good to know what chain you're using; chisel or chipper.

banksiana

Quote from: Al_Smith on January 28, 2011, 09:12:49 PM
Now let me get this straight now .When you say timber cruising would that infer to a person who scopes out a timber tract and guesstimates the board   footage with some confusing formula and makes  an offer to the land owner per chance ?

If that be the case they usually don't carry chainsaws ,just a checkbook  or at least clip board .Then again now of days that would likely be a laptop puter hooked up WIFI .
I mainly inventory, cruise and mark federal timber.  Much of the land is not easily accessed so I carry a chainsaw to gain access via overgrown logging road and trails.  It is a step saver, once I have an opened access route it saves walking in every day for as long as it takes to get the job done.  Usually it involves clearing deadfalls across the roads.  I have also been way into an area when a windstorm takes down trees between my truck and the main roads. 

banksiana

My chain appears to be a semi chisel.  It is not the pos safety chain.  Had one of those once and brought it back after a frustrating afternoon tying to cut some firewood.  Since then dealers keep trying to unload one on me everytime I go in and ask for a chain. 

banksiana

I brought inside to my basement several wheelbarrow loads of some green, fresh cut sugar maple from the area my load is coming from and guess what, I have killed several dozen ants already!  I love it when I learn something! 

I want to see how long it takes for this stuff to dry in my home.  It should add some moisture to our already super dry house this winter. 

John R

Don't remember what it was called, but years ago Oregon had a chain that was made for cutting frozen wood, it worked very well.
Not sure if they still make them or not, but it would be worth checking.
John


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