Ripping chain?

[18 stoner]

So, finally got myself an alaskan for the 660, thing is whats best option on chain?

I currently have plenty of full comp and also semi skip, but is it worth going for the Oregon Type 75 Ripping chain?

I am likely to only do a few logs initially, but if its worthwhile i could do more.

Also, perhaps a bit advanced for me, but is it worth trying to mod a full comp chain?

Open to your comments, Pete.

 

[woodworkingboy]

You can mod it, but you waste a lot of the tooth, being that the best top angle for ripping chain is 0 or 5 degrees. Buy the right chain.

 

[Al Smith]

Regular good old round filed chisel will cut just as good as any .It's not that rough and besides for finished planks you are going to run them through a planer any way .

Ripping chain is slower than mollassis in January .

Now,as per Newfie.If you can angle the cut at 30 or so degrees you will increase your cut speed tremendously .

 

[woodworkingboy]

Regular good old round filed chisel will cut just as good as any .It's not that rough and besides for finished planks you are going to run them through a planer any way .

For ripping...? You're out of it , and if you multiply the depth of rough cuts on each plank by the number of planks in a log, that you need to run through a planer with deep cuts to clean them off, you've wasted a lot of wood.

 

[18 stoner]

Sorry, you guys can chatt away, im still laughing about the speed of mollassis in january

 

[Al Smith]

Now think about it . A chainsaw even with a regular chain makes a smoother cut that a circular saw .It's not as clean as a bandsaw ,I'll grant you that .

Usually a chainsaw mill gizmo is just a way to salvage wood that otherwise would end up as firewood anyway . It takes a big ole fat kerf in doing so too .

I've done a little chainsaw milling just to salvage some heavy rigging planks and it's not my cup of tea .Lots of work but it is an option to salvage lumber .

 

[woodworkingboy]

Chainsaw milling is cool when you can't get a choice log out to have it milled at a proper band mill, just milling on location and carry the planks out one at a time.

 

[Al Smith]

Oh yes ,I agree it has it's place .

 

[rumination]

Like Jay said, get the ripping chain.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Anyone ever use skip chain for ripping, do they make it? Seems like all I've ever used is full comp.

 

[rumination]

If I remember correctly the slabbing attachment for the Lucas Mill that I used had skip chain. That was a couple years ago, though, so my memory isn't so clear.

 

[sawcollector]

A friend has a Logosol mill with two 660s and he runs 3/8 Picco, yes like you put on your MS 200. That allows him to cut smoothly and makes a narrow kerf so less wood is wasted. Feed it easy and grind it to 10 degrees. I have see the results and it is fairly smooth and seems to work well.
He just made up a loop of that new Picco carbide chain I talked about a while back. The idea is to not have to sharpen it as often.
BTW I used some of the Picco carbide recently. I cut 3 stumps flush with the ground and did not even try to keep the chain out of the dirt, then went back to bucking and it was still pulling chips like crazy. I was impressed. For Joe homeowner who can't keep the nose out of the dirt no mater what it would be great. He doesn't know how to file it anyway!

 

[Dave Shepard]

Jay, I've used full skip square chisel for ripping. It cut like a mofo, but did not leave a really smooth cut. I'm sure a milling attachment would remedy that, as I did mine freehand. I quartered this sycamore, 46" to about 40" ten feet long. It took an hour, including setup, layout, and one sharpening, (rock) and a tank and a half of gas. You wanted to go at an angle, but not too much, as you would get so many ribbons you would clog if the saw was close to the ground.

 

[stig]

Bailey's has a ripping chain where every other set of cutters has the top cutting edge removed.
When you file it, file the full cutters at 5-10 degrees and the reduced ones at 35 degrees.
When you file a ripping chain at 5-10 degrees, the angle of the side of the cutter gets very blunt, this way of filing gives you a low angle side cutting edge on every other set of cutters to make up for that.
Also the fact that the top is removed on ½ the cutters makes it easier for the saw to pull.
I've milled a LOT of wood over the years and this is the best set-up, I've found.