Thread: Cutting for Rude

Looks great!!! I haven't seen such dry weather in years. Today is the first day it hasn't rained, but you guys are entering summer, so you will have full heat soon.

Thanks for the pictures

Steve

Yummmmm

Have you messed around at all with the sharpening angles on your chains?

Yeah, I like running 10 degree's for a nice finish, but prefer 15 deg to go faster through the cut, also use a Carlton file-o-plate and for the good finish I use raker depth "A", but for the faster cutting I use depth "B" but the faster cut creates a heavy washboard finish so I don't like doing it - customers seem happy with the slower speed and finish combination, so thats what I stick with

There are 5 angles on chain cutters that can be played around with on chainsaw chains. The Sidigi is referring to is the top plate filing angle which as he says (to a certain extent) controls the finish

The angle that is most critical and poorly controlled by most chain users is the Depth gauge filing angle. If a constant height raker setting tool is used this angle will decrease as the chain wears and the chain won't bite enough wood and won't cut as fast. A Carlton file-o-plate will produce better results than a conventional raker depth setting tool but I find Carlton file-o-plates are far too wussy and only produce angles of around 4.5º whereas something like a lucas can probably use 7º

For ripping in Aussie hard wood with a chain saw I use the following.
Depth gauge filing angle : 6.5º
Top plate cutting angle: 50º
Top plate filing angle: 10º
File angle: 0º
I don't worry about the side plate angle since it does not cutting on ripping chains (99% of the cutting is done by the top plate).
A top plate cutting angle of 50º will cut quicker than a higher angle but will blunten quicker, but as I touch up after every big slab anyway it does not matter as much.

For soft woods Depth gauge filing angles can go to 7.5-8º and Top plate cutting angles anc go to 40-45º. On big 4 stroke slabbers you could try increasing both of these angles.

If you want to cut faster and retain a good finish it's better to leave the Top plate filing angle at 10º and decrease the Depth gauge filing and Top plate cutting angles.

I live just around the corner from Rods mill and will be over there next friday to talk to Rod about some other slabs. May need to have a good look at these ones

Macca

hey sigi,how good are those file plates best $14 i have ever spent,and i'm using the a-hole

Be good to see ya Macca - come on down

Charlsie, I think they are great! Lucas told me to use the 'a' setting but as Bob mentioned above, I push the rakers back a bit further to cut a bit quicker.

Bob, how do you 'measure' your top plate cutting angle?

Originally Posted by Sigidi

Be good to see ya Macca - come on down

Charlsie, I think they are great! Lucas told me to use the 'a' setting but as Bob mentioned above, I push the rakers back a bit further to cut a bit quicker.

Bob, how do you 'measure' your top plate cutting angle?

rakersetting.m4v - YouTube

Of course I don't do this every time - I set the rakers using the digital angle finder (DAF) and then, every 3-4 cutter touch ups, I touch up the rakers freehand a couple of strokes. Then when I think they need specific attention I go back to the DAF.

It looks anal, but boy does it work.

Yeah, I know its not as precise, but I'm cool with the file-o-plate for the rakers, how do you measure the top plate cutting angle? Thats the one I wanna know about, by eye I can tell if it's about 60 deg, but if it makes a big difference on just a 10 deg variation and the 'angle' is only about 1mm to reference off I seriously doubt I'd be able to eye ball 50 deg or 70 deg versus 60...

Some more pics of cutting at Rude's...
First one is a Bluegum, I reckon with Bo above it, Bob the cat next to it and Harry sitting at the end of it - it was one scared Bluegum!!!

Second one is a 600mm dia Ironbark just after the first slice was taken off.

Third pic is the finished stack of a good sized Ironbark pictured before with Rod and his forklift in the pic.

Fourth one is the scared bluey all finished.

Just to stave off any sticker debates - all stickers placed by Rod where he wanted them......