Chainsaw milling novice- cut not running straight, chain sharpening issue?

[muttley9050]

Andys advice is good.

The small log mill is not the best and I won't use one as the bar is only fixed at one end it allows toi much movement. I think it was invented for guys with small saws who wanted to play at Milling.

Get a 2ft alaskan and a30" bar for the 661.

Usually if I'm Milling with a chain im doing it with my lucas or a 2ft Alaskan. Either way i don't sharpen on site unless totally necessary. Take enough chains with you for the work you need to do.

I would say your problem is definately chain related. Buy a new chain and test the set up again and see how it goes. With a poor set up like that chain maintenance will be even more crucial.

 

 

[Layne]

@muttley9050 cheers yes that sounds like a great smaller setup. After beginning to do some milling with the 48" Panther Horizon it felt not ideal to be using a mill with the bar only attached at one end.

Ok yes I'll get onto the chain issue and report back on my progress.

 

Thanks again everyone!

[Rough Hewn]

All solid advice guys[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]
The 241 is far too small to mill with, you will destroy it.
2” wood bends.
You need a decent straight edge or it’ll all go to ….
The 661 is good for milling,
Get a 36” bar and a cheap Alaskan.
You’ll get a max 28” cut.
Stick with standard 3/8 chain.
Lo pro is very delicate.
A full skip chain will ease the load on your saw as well as being quicker to sharpen.
Granberg chain is ok.
I find it best to grind the cutting teeth top plate to 0 degrees,
and the clearing teeth I drop lower than the cutters.

You will need to sharpen your chain more frequently, it’s horribly blunt in the photos.

[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

[Toad]

I've had issues with my granberg sharpener in the past, set it up in the bar and check it sits at 90 degrees. Mine doesn't so I have to adjust it from one side to the other along with the depth and height settings

 

Make sure your grinding stones are fully engaged and not wobbling about when spinning.

[Rough Hewn]

I've had issues with my granberg sharpener in the past, set it up in the bar and check it sits at 90 degrees. Mine doesn't so I have to adjust it from one side to the other along with the depth and height settings
 
Make sure your grinding stones are fully engaged and not wobbling about when spinning.

I would strongly suggest a metal bench mounted grinder for milling chains.
Uniformity of length and height as well as sharp is crucial.
[emoji106]

[trigger_andy]

I would strongly suggest a metal bench mounted grinder for milling chains.
Uniformity of length and height as well as sharp is crucial.
[emoji106]

They are great if used correctly. I’ve yet to have an issue with mine. But as I’ve mentioned before, I only use it in the field if I’ve hit a foreign object.

[Layne]

@Rough Hewn thanks I like to take care of things so I'll switch to using the 661 with a bigger alaskan mill than the small log mill, which I think I'll pass on to someone else.

So it sounds like I'd be better off switching back to taking a ladder out into the forest with me to do the top cut rather than the 6 by 2.

Ok I'll go with standard 3/8 chain. I've got the low pro on the 48" Panther mill we just bought, I was wondering how delicate that chain might be.

I heard great things about skip chain from someone else recently; he told me he'd found it cuts just as fast as regular chain but is less work for the chainsaw, so it seems like a good way to go. I just read that it comes into it's own on longer bars - would it be worth getting if I went for a 30" bar for the 661 or only if I opt for a 36" bar?

With your tips for the angles on the granberg chain - I've seen the teeth referred to as scoring cutters (the half width ones with a recommended sharpening angle of 20 degrees) and clearing cutters (5 degrees). So am I right in understanding that you are referring to the scoring cutters as the cutting teeth, and you grind these to 0 degrees? Another beginner's question: when you say you drop the clearing teeth lower than the cutters that means that you sharpen them back more so they are shorter, is that correct?

I'll get to work on improving the quality and frequency of my sharpening.

 

@Toad thanks for the heads up, I'll check that

[Layne]

Another question - it is possible with the granberg grinder to tilt the file to various angles as well as the 10 degree/30 degree etc swivel setting. I was watching an experienced tree surgeon hand file his chain recently and he was holding the file at a slight upwards angle towards the teeth as he was sharpening. Does anyone adjust this setting or it better set to 0 degrees?

[trigger_andy]

Another question - it is possible with the granberg grinder to tilt the file to various angles as well as the 10 degree/30 degree etc swivel setting. I was watching an experienced tree surgeon hand file his chain recently and he was holding the file at a slight upwards angle towards the teeth as he was sharpening. Does anyone adjust this setting or it better set to 0 degrees?

Honestly, just keep things simple. You’re really not going to notice much if any difference playing around with all the angles and depths. It’s certainly not worth it for milling Larch Cladding. When you’ve 10 years under your belt like Saul and have mastered the basics then by all means play around but til then I just don’t see the point.

I’ve miles some fairly large logs with my 60” Panther and all my chains are at 10 degrees and I’m very happy with the finish.

[Rough Hewn]

Another question - it is possible with the granberg grinder to tilt the file to various angles as well as the 10 degree/30 degree etc swivel setting. I was watching an experienced tree surgeon hand file his chain recently and he was holding the file at a slight upwards angle towards the teeth as he was sharpening. Does anyone adjust this setting or it better set to 0 degrees?

That’s camber.
Only some oregon chains use a 10 degree camber. But most manufacturers it’s flat.