Thread: Is there a suitable type of saw chain for this?

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

I need to mill quite a bit of Ironbark & Grey Box with the bar running parallel to the grain.

Skew

I went with a full square chisel chain for ripping green logs with my 28" bar. It does an excellent job with that and I have found it worth it for just that particular purpose, but there are a number of downsides to it, including:

• It is not a chain that is readily available
• It is the fasting cutting chain, but dulls quickly
• So, you have to sharpen it frequently yourself because sharpening services here don't knows how to do it and it takes a bit to master it yourself
• It requires a specialised three square file (six sided with three square corners) that is also hard to obtain
• It has three precise angles that have to be maintained when sharpening, which isn't easy to do by hand. I modified a Granberg guide and that helped there
• It produces such a volume of very long noodles that I had to modify a sprocket cover to allow the noodles to eject
• I wouldn't consider it for seasoned wood

So, unless you are going to be doing a lot of ripping of green logs I wouldn't think it worth the trouble. Anyway, here is an example... eg Oregon 72CJ Square Chisel Skiptooth Chain - Westcoast Saw™

This is what the teeth look like...

And, this is how you hand file it... How To Sharpen Square Chisel Chain With | Madsen's Shop

Originally Posted by ian

Also, given that the "sticks" are 3-5" thick, can you bundle 3 to5 of them with a rope or chain and the cut starter slots in each into which you can insert a wedge?

OK, I gave this a go. Less succesful than I'd hoped, mainly due to odd pieces shifting sideways slightly, sufficient to cause binding of the chain.

Not badly, but enough that it was something to be very, very aware of. If I was using a handsaw instead, it definitely wouldn't be viable.

Mind you, I was using a pair of old, cheap 1" snatch straps with rather iffy mechanisms, so they probably contributed to the problem. (But I wasn't gonna risk nicking my good ones in this exercise.)

I won't recommend trying it to anyone else... but I'm headstrong enough (read: stupid ) to have persevered with it for a couple of tankfuls and it did manage to make a good dent on the pile.

In respect of square filing, I found that the best teaching resource was this Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjR1km8LnD

Originally Posted by Boxed In

In respect of square filing, I found that the best teaching resource was this Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjR1km8LnD

Agreed, Boxed In, an excellent video explaining how to correctly file full square chisel chain.

A few comments in case there is anyone else using this chain here:

For cutting our hardwood, like redgum, I reduced the side plate angle back to 90°

To maintain the cutters at all the same length, I use a Granberg filing jig (with some mods) for filing this chain.

The wider 'double bevel or bit file' used in the video helps to visually maintain the correct angles for filing full square chain if done entirely by hand, but with the Granberg jig the smaller (and cheaper) Tri-square file is needed to fit into the jig. Once the correct angles and height are set using the jig the size of the smaller file is not an issue.

Although this chain cuts faster, particularly in softwoods for which it was developed, it does dull quicker. I only bother with it because it does a good job with ripping longer lengths with the 28" bar when I'm cutting logs into turning blanks. I don't use it for any crosscut work.