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Hard saw chain

Started by bandmiller2, June 04, 2015, 08:00:04 AM

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bandmiller2

Stihl saw chain is well thought of because its a little harder than most chain. Saw chain is "dumbed down" to file hardness so it can be sharpened with a file. If harder it would require grinding but if so mayby a chain change at lunch would be all that was required to keep cutting. I file and grind but for years just swapped ground chains , it takes little extra time to swap a chain than to file it. If I could find hard chain cutters I would give them a try. I don't mean carbide that's dismal stuff. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

longtime lurker

I haven't found much difference between Stihl, Oregon, and Carlton. Stihl is probably the best, and the last reel of Oregon I got seemed fine but got soft towards the back of the tooth. Figured that was just an anomaly, I've had pretty good luck with Oregon over the last 30 years

You guys all seem to favour full chisel, 30 degrees and flat. Cuts fast but won't hold an edge in the hard stuff we get here. Mostly here we run semi-chisel, 35 degrees and a lot of people will give it 5 degrees of down. It doesn't cut as fast but stands up to hard timber longer. For "dirty work" , cutting big pipey logs full of dirt or with heavy charring, or loaded with silica, I'll swing across to chipper, 35 degrees and 10 degrees of down. Won't cut fast and needs hand sharpening but it'll hold an edge where nothing else will.
The quickest way to make a million dollars with a sawmill is to start with two million.

bandmiller2

Thanks Lurker, I'll have to try that as most of the logs I get for the mill and firewood have been drug through the mud. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

JohnG28

Some people talked about a carbide impregnated chain a while back. I guess it had bits of carbide in the steel of the cutting tooth, or something to that effect. Could be sharpened with a file. They said it held up well in such conditions as you're describing, but I can't speak to it myself. I don't even remember seeing it anywhere that I can think of but it's out there and might be worth a try?  ???
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

longtime lurker

Quote from: bandmiller2 on June 04, 2015, 09:22:26 PM
Thanks Lurker, I'll have to try that as most of the logs I get for the mill and firewood have been drug through the mud. Frank C.

I have the same mud/dirt issue with sawlogs. Added to which the hardstand area of the yard is crushed rock - anything that gets dropped or rolls out of a stack seems to pick up a tooth destroyer somewhere. We aren't big enough to justify a debarker, much as I'd like one. Couple of years ago I had a lot of really mud caked blown down then covered in flood water salvage logs come in, and had to pressure clean them. The extra time that cost was well worth it, and now running anything thats not clean past the pressure cleaner on its way to the infeed is SOP. Costs a bit in time but saves a lot in sawblades. Biggest problem I have now with dirt is that a lot of our logs have it on the inside. :D Probably wouldn't be cost effective in firewood though.

The chipper chain I use for the really dirty stuff is Carlton B3S, which is .404/ 063 size. I don't know the 3/8 options, sorry.  Like all sawchain it doesn't like dirt but it definately can hold an edge longer then anything else I've tried.
The quickest way to make a million dollars with a sawmill is to start with two million.

bandmiller2

John 28, the carbide you speak of is like a spray coat on the top of the cutter, I had a roll of it a wile back. It helps some but I don't think its worth the extra expense. You can sharpen it with a file because you file from the back through the soft cutter and just chip off the carbide coating. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

bandmiller2

Lurker, dirty logs get nowhere near my circular sawmill, on the bandmill I clear a path with a wire brush and axe. What I really like is to peel loose bark right off. I'am a small one man show and can take the time to clean. Small pebbles in the bark are a real killer. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

JohnG28

I wondered how good something like that could really hold up. I also figured if it was any good more people would probably have taken interest. Sorry I couldn't he more help  :(
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

Spartan

I notice a difference in what I use.  I use stihl now, (square ground) and I hand file.  The oregon stuff I used to use, burred when I threw a chain, stihl doesn't seem to.  I have to sharpen the stihl less.  Lost a tooth on the oregon on one of the last loops I have.  Seems quite a bit softer to me.

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