Where’s the best place or way to increase performance with a chainsaw.

[John_Mc]

The idea of tapping the chain is to avoid overheating it. A light touch which doesn't heat it up much, then a pause to allow some cooling, then another light touch. The combination of the steel alloy used on most chain teeth and the small amount of mass (especially at the working edge) will allow the tooth to "Air harden": that is, if it gets heated up enough, it will "quench" in air, forming a martensitic structure in the steel. That structure is very hard - which is why you'll likely ruin a file if you try to hand file a tooth that this has been through this. It's also very brittle, so that thin working edge can break or chip easily. If the cutting edge of that tooth never gets above the critical temperature, the metal will not harden, no matter how quickly it is cooled.

I'm not saying it's impossible to avoid overheating with a very light continuous touch. It's just that the touch - pause - touch -pause technique was developed be cause its easier to avoid overheating with that technique.

 

[CobyRupert]

....and don't forget to file down the rakers !! :hissyfit:

A sharp chain is great, but it still won't cut if the tooth can't actually reach the wood to take a bite out.

 

[4570Man]

The tooth is cool enough to hold my finger on immediately after grinding.

 

[John_Mc]

The tooth is cool enough to hold my finger on immediately after grinding.

That doesn't mean much. The rest of the tooth acts as a heat sink, drawing the heat away from the edge (and actually helps "quench" the steel to harden it.) All it takes is a little bit of that sharp edge getting too hot, and you will air-harden the leading edge.

Note: I'm not saying that you are actually hardening your chains. It's possible to do a really light slow grind and not overheat, it's just a lot more difficult that than the "quick light touch - pause" method.

The true test is to try hand filing your chains after you have ground them (it doesn't have to be right after, it can be after you've used the chains). Since the shape of the grinding wheel is different than that of the round file, the first few strokes hand filing may feel a little odd. If you find you are just dulling the file or it's sliding over the tooth and not removing much material, you have hardened the cutting edge. The feel will be obvious to someone who hand-files regularly, and the file will be trashed well before it normally would wear out.

 

[yomax4]

....and don't forget to file down the rakers !! :hissyfit:

A sharp chain is great, but it still won't cut if the tooth can't actually reach the wood to take a bite out.

:thumbsup:

 

[arrow]

The chain wasn稚 blued before sharpening. A few teeth are different lengths before I started as a result of a less accurate sharpener and those are hard not to blue, but I知 not holding that against the machine.

There's a crayon like thing called a Kool -Stik. Goes on the cutting wheel as it's spinning. As you have stated, these high speed cutters necessitate taking very small bites into the blade or else you will burr the tooth.
They all spin too fast in my opinion although I have never used the $500 Oregon they presently sell. A slower but torquier motor must cost more than the high speed inertia type motors most seem to use.

The largest benefit to me was that they straightened out the angles which tend to get a bit out of angle with continuous hand filing. I never sharpened chain when I was working so I'd come home and at night, sharpen a set of chains for the next day. Mostly a logger simply felled wood with the only "bucking" being done if you wanna call it that, was to remove the crown. Good chain lasted quite a while and the best chain i used then was Stihl.

As far as your initial question: A chainsaw, after awhile, can back out it's setting adjustment screws and make the saw run rather rich. I never owned a chainsaw more than a couple years to start messing around with higher out-put but I always had something to adjust the carb with to pick up those few rpm's lost over time. Eventually the saw would simply lose too much compression where no amount of adjusting did much. It was time for a new one.

 

[ericm979]

A chainsaw, after awhile, can back out it's setting adjustment screws and make the saw run rather rich.

The correct tuning also changes with the weather (ambient temp mostly). Tune the saw at 40 degrees and it'll be rich at 80. Tune it at 80 and it'll be lean at 40.

Eventually the saw would simply lose too much compression where no amount of adjusting did much. It was time for a new one.

Often new rings or rings+piston will restore lost compression. A pro level saw can be worth rebuilding a number of times.

 

[4570Man]

There's a crayon like thing called a Kool -Stik. Goes on the cutting wheel as it's spinning. As you have stated, these high speed cutters necessitate taking very small bites into the blade or else you will burr the tooth.
They all spin too fast in my opinion although I have never used the $500 Oregon they presently sell. A slower but torquier motor must cost more than the high speed inertia type motors most seem to use.

The largest benefit to me was that they straightened out the angles which tend to get a bit out of angle with continuous hand filing. I never sharpened chain when I was working so I'd come home and at night, sharpen a set of chains for the next day. Mostly a logger simply felled wood with the only "bucking" being done if you wanna call it that, was to remove the crown. Good chain lasted quite a while and the best chain i used then was Stihl.

As far as your initial question: A chainsaw, after awhile, can back out it's setting adjustment screws and make the saw run rather rich. I never owned a chainsaw more than a couple years to start messing around with higher out-put but I always had something to adjust the carb with to pick up those few rpm's lost over time. Eventually the saw would simply lose too much compression where no amount of adjusting did much. It was time for a new one.

I agree a slower rpm grinder would be better. I don’t know why they all use 3400 rpm motors.

 

[TractorGuy]

Re: Where痴 the best place or way to increase performance with a chainsaw.

....and don't forget to file down the rakers !! :hissyfit:

A sharp chain is great, but it still won't cut if the tooth can't actually reach the wood to take a bite out.

Sharpening a chain ain't rocket science. I use a dremel with the correct diameter stone for the chain. I mark the start link with a sharpie and go around one side then the other. I just do it by eye and try to hold the stone so it fits in the existing curvature and touch each cutter enough to make it sharp. THEN I go around the chain a third time to grind down the depth gauge tabs. Here is where I cheat and end up with a very aggressive cutting chain. I just eyeball the cut and make sure I have it ground down well below the cutting edge. I think a sharpening gauge would set that to .030" to .040". I imagine my results is more like .050" or better. Hang o to your saw when you start cutting cause it's gonna grab and cut.

And this is why I sharpen by hand and cut the depth tabs a little more than recommended.

 

[ericm979]

Depth gauge setting, why not to set them extra deep:

Depth Gauge Maintenance Q & A

Progressive depth gauge:

https://www.arboristsite.com/commun...ly-progressive-depth-raker-generators.114624/