Thread: bars and chains

depends what you mean by dress you bars. i never put a jumper on mine or a fairy costume. but i file off any burs befor i use it each time and replace it when it gets worn (only ever replaced 2).

and sharpen with an electric sharpener.

i either sharpen with a file or a small electric sharpener (like dremel), time beteen sharpens depends on timber and conditions with good clean soft timber i can go half a day without any sharpening but on the other end of the stick if the timber is full of dirt and grit i have to sharpen every slab (5 mins).

if you mean with a pedastill grinder then i do that whenerver the chain requires it. to remove bad chips or if it is verry blunt, ocasionaly if the angles get wrong.

p.s welcome aboard

The logs I usually slab are kept very clean by the arborists that cut them as they try hard to keep them out of the dirt and before I start I usually hose them down. Typically I slab one whole log without sharpening or changing the chain. Then I usually change chains. I have slabbed as many as 5 small soft logs with the same chain without sharpening but in something like tuart or that Rock oak I have needed to change chains every 2 slabs.

I turn the bar over and sharpen chains when I clean up at the end of the day. I dress the bar when it needs it. This varies from after a couple of logs to after 5/6/7 logs

Welcome aboard James,

as Bob and Carl have mentioned, bar dressing (or filling off the edges and getting the face back to perpendicular with the bar) is done depending upon useage. If you're chain is too tight the bar gets worm much quicker, if you have a tendency of putting the chain in the cut before letting it get oil around the bar, it will wear quicker, if you push like buggery on the saw while it's blunt it will wear quicker.

Those two small tongues of metal, which run either side of the chain (when you've left it too long before dressing) can be really dangerous and costly, you can wear through the tie-straps on a brand new chain really quickly, then she snaps while cutting - not a situation I would like to be in.

Sharpening is really an individual thing, most fella's here will hand sharpen with either a file or a dremel-like 12V grinder. Personally I had a chain sharpened by my local shop with a bench mounted 240V chain sharpener and will never do it again. I just do it by hand, I get to see what is going on with the chain and get a chance to inspect it regularly and closely, and its a bit cathartic for me too.

G'day James, Welcome aboard. I take 8 chains on site when slabbing as a lot of the stuff I cut is really old grey/yellow/red box which has been on the ground for years (see attached). Some of the big stuff (1470mm wide) takes a chain a slab. But on the other hand, I cut a 1200mm peppercorn log the other day that was relatively green and did the whole log with one chain (see attached). I then sharpen any chains that need it when I get home using a Maxx pedestal sharpener. I'll turn the bar round every couple of days to even out the wear and use a dressing tool (available at most chainsaw shops) as needed. Hope that helps.

Neale
http://www.willbrookfarmservices.com.au

Nice Slabs Neale - if you mill any more please post some more pics.

Thanks

Here ya go Bob,
These might interest you. Check out the website. I update it fairly regularly.
Neale
http://www.willbrookfarmservices.com.au

Hey Neale,

I had a look at your site earlier today. I have to admit, I like the idea of the before pic showing the pile of old grey uglies, turned into the after pic of some nice fine furniture.

Nice looking site.

Neale,

Great website but a pity you put Longwood rather than Molka as your address

Your website looks spot on and I will subscribe to it as I may require your services for both sales and maybe some slabbing in Molka.

If you are an old Molka boy, I probably last saw you on the Molka school bus in the early 70's.

Thanks Wood Borer,
Our secret is out. We put Longwood because it's on a map. Not many people know where Molka is.
Neale