Chain Saws & spare chains

[Stix]

How do you keep/store your spare chains for chainsaws to prevent them from getting dulled/damaged from being knocked about...?

I have 2 chains for mine, one on the bar & one in the box it came packaged in, & i get them sharpened in store when they go dull...

Ive just cut split & stacked a trailer load & dikhead me, down to the last couple of sessions of sharpness in my last chain, forgot to tension the bar/chain from last time i used & cleaned it, & have had to get the file to the guides on the chain to have it fit back in the bar...
Obviousy when the chain came off the retainer did its job & saved me, but dulled the chain at the same time..was still sharp enough to finish the job, & still have up to probably a tank of sharpness left in it depending what im cutting & how hard i go...

But the cardboard box my other chain is stored in has collapsed & need something to keep them in when i get them re-edged at the store next time.

Im thinking of litttle pvc pipe off-cut & caps as i have a good deal of 40 50 & 65mm pipe laying around from a few kitchen reno's...but thought id ask how you fellow winter warmer loggers keep your spare chains...?

[CrackThump]

one of those small $3 plastic tool boxes from bunnings.

big enough to fit 1/2 dozen new chains in boxes and a handful of half worn out loose chains.

ive never noticed the loose chains get dull from rattling around with eaxh other.. but then the little tool box doesnt get thrown around much either so........

Sthil 661
Sthil 462
Ozito 12" Arb saw
Huski 440
Huski 236

[Stix]

LOL...thanks CT...

The lol is for all your toys...
Im envious...!!

Ive only got one saw, one bar & 2 chains...obviously one chain lives on the bar...mine is a little Stihl 60cc jobby that does everything ill ever need it to.
Infact when it was new a few years ago, i came to a huge tree some contractors were felling, & they shook their head at me saying i should have bought the good old rattling magnum, & that mine would never cut the mustard & was a waste of money...

So i chomped through a 5m 350mm dia branch into foot lengths quicker than both of them went through same size log...it was fukn hilarious seeing their faces...
But i had braand new super sharp chains & they had their stuff that was obviously a chore for them to maintain...
After the amusing lesson i taught them about giving lip to ametuers , both of them got the files out for a major sharpening session & started making excuses. ..but they were young blokes full of testosterone & so i let them have a crack with mine after a bit of piss-taking, & we worked through the rest of the afternoon in friendly unison...

There is a kIt Id like to get for my saw that uses a diff chain--comes with bar, sprocket & 3 chains for a pretty reasonable price, so that & another of the size chain i have now will push me up to 6 chains & probably see me out for a decade at the rate i use it...

Anyway...thanks for the reply...

[John]

I just use plastic containers form the supermarket sharpen them all up put them in containers and pour chain and bar oil over to store over the summer when I’m using them.
I’ve been using a carbide chain for the first time this year I’ve cut an split 5 7x5 trailer loads doesn’t even look like going blunt the shop I got it from said I will get all season out of before it needs to be sharpened but you can’t file sharpen them your self they need to be put on the grinder. Which is the only down side if you don’t have a chain sharpener they all so cut a tiny bit slower than HSS chain but it’s a bee xxxx not much at all

[Blr243]

I’m slack but if I were to draw some inspiration from stix in relation to keeping my spare chain sharp I would wrap it in newspaper after oiling and then pop it inside the pvc pipe bomb device

[Stix]

Lol BLR...

It seema all this spare time has got your terrorist creative juices flowing eh...

[Blr243]

So far no crimes committed , haven’t had a drink or an argument with anyone else and I have maneaged to stay out of a psychiatric institution... going to work tomorrow for half a day looking Fwd to it. Maybe next week I can clean my air filters on my chainsaws and sharpen their chains. This was the first Easter I have done nothing. It’s usually a hunt or a blues festival or both. Did u end up getting that govt job?

[CrackThump]

LOL...thanks CT...

The lol is for all your toys...
Im envious...!!

Ive only got one saw, one bar & 2 chains...obviously one chain lives on the bar...mine is a little Stihl 60cc jobby that does everything ill ever need it to.
Infact when it was new a few years ago, i came to a huge tree some contractors were felling, & they shook their head at me saying i should have bought the good old rattling magnum, & that mine would never cut the mustard & was a waste of money...

So i chomped through a 5m 350mm dia branch into foot lengths quicker than both of them went through same size log...it was fukn hilarious seeing their faces...
But i had braand new super sharp chains & they had their stuff that was obviously a chore for them to maintain...
After the amusing lesson i taught them about giving lip to ametuers , both of them got the files out for a major sharpening session & started making excuses. ..but they were young blokes full of testosterone & so i let them have a crack with mine after a bit of piss-taking, & we worked through the rest of the afternoon in friendly unison...

There is a kIt Id like to get for my saw that uses a diff chain--comes with bar, sprocket & 3 chains for a pretty reasonable price, so that & another of the size chain i have now will push me up to 6 chains & probably see me out for a decade at the rate i use it...

Anyway...thanks for the reply...

youre welcome stix

i thought it would be a laugh to list my woodcutting toys at the end of my post like we list our bullet chucking toys lol. .. TBH the two big sthil's I only get to play with on a professional level monday to friday.

youre right about the young loggers and testosterone. its all about size and power to some people hahaha (yes im looking at all you 338 lapua shooters hahahaha) .. the truth is though, unless youre felling and processing 30inch + diameter trees on a regular basis there just aint no need for a big magnum saw. the little 20 inch farmboss will do most people just fine.. like my 2 little huskys.

[Stix]

So far no crimes committed , haven’t had a drink or an argument with anyone else and I have maneaged to stay out of a psychiatric institution... going to work tomorrow for half a day looking Fwd to it. Maybe next week I can clean my air filters on my chainsaws and sharpen their chains. This was the first Easter I have done nothing. It’s usually a hunt or a blues festival or both. Did u end up getting that govt job?

Lol...no mate...i couldnt write a modern kob app to save my life & wasnt enough time to get one professionally written...
If the job letter consisted of throwing up a timber framed 6x4 gable perg id have nailed it though...!!...lol...pun wasnt intended, but ill use it anyway...

Shame though...i wouldve performed real well in that job...!!

Ah well...looks like im just a bum the rest of my life...

[Stix]

youre welcome stix

i thought it would be a laugh to list my woodcutting toys at the end of my post like we list our bullet chucking toys lol. .. TBH the two big sthil's I only get to play with on a professional level monday to friday.

youre right about the young loggers and testosterone. its all about size and power to some people hahaha (yes im looking at all you 338 lapua shooters hahahaha) .. the truth is though, unless youre felling and processing 30inch + diameter trees on a regular basis there just aint no need for a big magnum saw. the little 20 inch farmboss will do most people just fine.. like my 2 little huskys.

Haha...

I told a fib CT...mine is only a 50 sorry not a 60...

I went all out & went the 261cm not too long after they came out...i nearly went the 362 (the 60cc version) but size & weight played a big part in my decision--as in weight for fatigue reasons on the days when im on it all day...& size for the shooting/bush trips...it was hard to not give into the testosterone & get the bigger one, but & im happy with the unit i chose so far...touch wood...kicks over every time & is so light i doesnt fatigue at all...

When i got it i went the next size bar up for when i get super wide logs..(which was completely unnecessary)..but that was my treat & the technique i used for tricking myself into not getting the bigger machine...
Anyway, i consider it my "Sako" for firewood...

This is the unit i have & the kit im talking about/thinking of getting...around the $200 i think......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYG1P3P-lBY

So as a pro...what do you think about the newer machines like mine...?

[Die Judicii]

+10 for the carbide tip chains.
Most of my firewood is approx 300mm diameter.
I struggle to find timber big enough (here) to make it worthwhile using the hyd splitter that I built.

But it's all Ironbark, and hard as hell on ordinary chains.
When I was only using ordinary chains I used to always sharpen mine on site by using the little tool I made.
It was like a vice that was mounted on a spike/blade that could be knocked into the log with the back of the axe.
Once that was done the log became your work bench, and the vice held the saw while working on it.

Having just complained about the lack of decent sized logs,,,,, I found a good supply this morning on the way home from a hunt.
There are six logs,, all thoroughly seasoned,, all clean and solid right through.
After applying the tape measure to them they are a pleasing 1.2 to 1.5 meter diameter.

They should keep me warm,,,, just cutting em up.

[sungazer]

I am normally cutting big old dead trees. I leave them standing dead as long as they will stand up. The wood is mostly mesmate iron bark and the odd redgum. I normally give the chains a sharpen every tank of fuel but if I can and still cutting well I may get two tanks.
I use the Stihl hand jig that just is a plate each side of the round file to sharpen the blade about 5 stokes . I will use a round file without the jig sometimes as with the jig it doesnt do a full sharpen.
I nearly bought a carbide chain once until I learned it couldn't be sharpened with a file. Since then I got one of those cheap Ozito chain sharpeners a grinding wheel more like a cut off wheel. I find it doesnt really give as good sharpen as the file and I need to give it a file after using it. What it does do well is set the correct angle back again and get all the teeth the same length but it takes too much off. I may give the chains a touch up with this once half way through there life or so.

[Die Judicii]

I got one of those cheap Ozito chain sharpeners a grinding wheel more like a cut off wheel. I find it doesnt really give as good sharpen as the file and I need to give it a file after using it. What it does do well is set the correct angle back again and get all the teeth the same length but it takes too much off. I may give the chains a touch up with this once half way through there life or so.

Surely it is adjustable ???

Just wind it back until you are only taking off the minimum required amount, there is no sense in grinding off perfectly good tooth material.

[sungazer]

It is adjustable but the hole chain holding and adjustability is a bit pox. there is a little bit of steel that pushes up behind the tooth that holds it in place this can be would back and forth for adjustment. However the cutting blade cuts the corners of this and it has a bit of slop in it.

Do you think that the little Ozito would be enough to sharpen a carbide chain? I may buy one to give it a try. My bigest problem is the trees are often quite dirty esp down towards the base and the bark can be like kevlar.

[Die Judicii]

It is adjustable but the hole chain holding and adjustability is a bit pox. there is a little bit of steel that pushes up behind the tooth that holds it in place this can be would back and forth for adjustment. However the cutting blade cuts the corners of this and it has a bit of slop in it.

Do you think that the little Ozito would be enough to sharpen a carbide chain? I may buy one to give it a try. My bigest problem is the trees are often quite dirty esp down towards the base and the bark can be like kevlar.

If the trunks etc are real dirty or where they've been laying on the ground I give em a bit of a clean or scrape with a trimming axe, and also carry a cheap paint brush, (a reasonably robust bristle type that is really wide) and use that for a pre cutting brush down.

The carbide tips don't worry about the sand and grit like the ordinary chains do.
Great when cutting log that has termite tunnels up the guts, which is a mixture of termite s**t (sawdust) and sand that they carry up.

As for the Ozito, I'd be investing in something a bit better (there are some cheap ones made in India/Spain etc that are quite good.)
And for the discs,,,, just get the "Greenstone" variety that is designed for carbide.

[sungazer]

Thanks DJ I may just give one a go from what you have said. Yeah I know all about What we call bullSh1t logs some of my trunks are big enough that they are still worth cutting up for the bit of wood on the outside. otherwise they get cut into long lengths and stacked up (with Tractor) for the fire. I have the good and bad problem of having too much fire wood. 10 years ago before the fires I still had plenty of wood now it is a nightmare every time a stong wind comes I have more trees down. good thing is we only use wood for heating a huge amount of it. Bad bit is the time spent cutting and splitting it. I have a hyd splitter that I put on the front of the tractor in place of the bucket and tow a box trailer behind.

[Die Judicii]

Another way of tackling that problem is if the log is fairly straight grained,, only cut till you just reach the tunnel and go all the way round.
Then split the pieces off with an axe or canadian block splitter,,,,,, and just keep up the process.
That way your only cutting a minimal amount of sh!t in the middle,,, and your chain lasts longer.

[TassieTiger]

Another way of tackling that problem is if the log is fairly straight grained,, only cut till you just reach the tunnel and go all the way round.
Then split the pieces off with an axe or canadian block splitter,,,,,, and just keep up the process.
That way your only cutting a minimal amount of sh!t in the middle,,, and your chain lasts longer.

A few months back - I watched an old timer who makes old rustic furniture, split some logs on my property, with home made explosives. No great explosions or huge mess - just a bang and a beautiful split down the length of the log - exposing the grain that he could then decide if he’d use for a table top or similar.
I never did see the exact process, nor exactly what he was using - but he mentioned an adi powder and he had made what looked like a pipe device with the bottom end shaped into a wedge, to direct the charge. His fuse? A bloody sparkler lol.

[CrackThump]

[/quote]A few months back - I watched an old timer who makes old rustic furniture, split some logs on my property, with home made explosives. No great explosions or huge mess - just a bang and a beautiful split down the length of the log - exposing the grain that he could then decide if he’d use for a table top or similar.
I never did see the exact process, nor exactly what he was using - but he mentioned an adi powder and he had made what looked like a pipe device with the bottom end shaped into a wedge, to direct the charge. His fuse? A bloody sparkler lol.[/quote]


DUDE..you cant leave us hanging like that... we need pictures, diagrams.. RECIPES dammit.... hahahaha

that .. sounds... AWESOME.!! I love the old school coots.

I love being an old school coot. haha

[CrackThump]

[

I told a fib CT...mine is only a 50 sorry not a 60...

I went all out & went the 261cm not too long after they came out...i nearly went the 362 (the 60cc version) but size & weight played a big part in my decision--as in weight for fatigue reasons on the days when im on it all day...& size for the shooting/bush trips...it was hard to not give into the testosterone & get the bigger one, but & im happy with the unit i chose so far...touch wood...kicks over every time & is so light i doesnt fatigue at all...

When i got it i went the next size bar up for when i get super wide logs..(which was completely unnecessary)..but that was my treat & the technique i used for tricking myself into not getting the bigger machine...
Anyway, i consider it my "Sako" for firewood...

This is the unit i have & the kit im talking about/thinking of getting...around the $200 i think......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYG1P3P-lBY

So as a pro...what do you think about the newer machines like mine...?

I gotta admit. Sthil is coming out with some amazing stuff these days. light weight bars, light weight cranks, casings etc, more power, fuel injection....

Some of our older gear like the 661's running a 25 inch bar are being upstaged by the smaller and lighter fuel injected 500 model with the same running gear. I like the newer machines.

Like they say though, take care of your gear and it will take care of you, for a good long time.


PS.. I totes LOLed at your "Sako for firewood"..

[TassieTiger]

Unfortunately I didn’t arrange old mate who was splitting wood with explosives - I just received a call that said, you have to come and see this...

The device was a small pipe about 8 inches long (water pipe?) and looked like one end had been crushed in a vice - pinched into a wedge. He then belted the wedge into place into the log, along the grain, placed the charge into the open end of cv pipe - small bag of powder (he said adi - but stuff nose type), screwed the cap on, inserted his sparkler, assume it was used to also puncture his baggie and we all had to be about 100ft away. Boom. Log split - was about 3m long...