How does chainsaw chain actually work??

[Rob D]

The saw chain was devised after somebody studied a cockchafer beetle mandibles cutting action,hope this helps (if you have time to watch cockchafer beetles,if not take one saw tooth clamp it in molegrip jaws and pull it through a piece of soft woo. (sharpen the toot h 1st!

hope this helps?

Ben (Maxted)

 

Thanks - I understand how this bit works in theory but being a geek I want to see it work in practice...

[Rob D]

High tech isn't the word, ther a short vid of chain cutting on YouTube, 1400 fps.

 

 

That's it something similar to this vid but slow mo and showing the saw working at the edge of the log.

[Rob D]

It works just the same as a plane but with a side cutter

 

The point of the tooth and side plate cut the grain allowing the top plate or blade in the case of a plain, to take a shaving of which the thickness is regulated by the depth gauges.

 

The tooth is taking a shaving off for the full length of the cut, but there is only so much room to store the waste or shaving hence jamming can occur in longer cuts

 

 

Yep that makes sense.... but where exactly is the waste stored before it gets fired out?

[NI Tree]

it get in front of the next depth gauge, and most is pushed a long in front of it,

 

 

hence skip and semi skip

[MikeTM150]

Well i think that says it all, just spoken to mate about filming this chainsaw and slowing it down enough to watch, but at that chainspeed to slow it down enough and get good enough quality to view he reckons itd take nigh on 2000fps....... far beyond his ability. Best he can do is 800fps to get enough quality to see what is happening.

 

So that put that out the window and might actually show why its not a common video to find!

[Rob D]

it get in front of the next depth gauge, and most is pushed a long in front of it,

 

 

hence skip and semi skip

 

 

That seems right - hence with skip and semi skip more room so better chip clearance.

 

Though if you took full skip link why is this not slower than full comp - as if there are less cutters would this not mean less wood is being cut? (if chain speed is the same)

[Rob D]

Well i think that says it all, just spoken to mate about filming this chainsaw and slowing it down enough to watch, but at that chainspeed to slow it down enough and get good enough quality to view he reckons itd take nigh on 2000fps....... far beyond his ability. Best he can do is 800fps to get enough quality to see what is happening.

 

So that put that out the window and might actually show why its not a common video to find!

 

 

Cheers for asking anyways Mike.

[Dean Lofthouse]

The spaces in the chain get compacted with shavings and slows, hence the reason they more power output in comps to enable them to keep the pressure down otherwise you would have to let up off a little to help clear some crap then reapply pressure

[agg221]

We might have the necessary camera - we've been filming laser melt pool solidification which is pretty quick. I'll ask.

 

Alec

[Rob D]

The spaces in the chain get compacted with shavings and slows, hence the reason they more power output in comps to enable them to keep the pressure down otherwise you would have to let up off a little to help clear some crap then reapply pressure

 

 

So full skip is really all about better chip clearance and that's their advantage. This does tie in with why people always recommend them on 2 foot plus bars as under this the chain is exiting the wood before the chip is compacting therefore no point in using skip link chain.