Finally found a Tri-Axle load!

[Gooserider]

Goose,

When you do get around to sharpening them, let us know if it's been heat treated to the point a file skates off it without actually filing. It would be interesting to know if the future of chains will be the same as handsaws.

Matt

Will keep you posted, but won't be filing them - I got one of those cheapo $40 chain sharpening machines from HF this winter - :coolsmile: Figure at the price if it lasts for half a dozen sharpenings it will have paid for itself, plus I can use it to take the rakers down as well if I need to. (the local shops don't, all they do is hit the cutters...)

Gooserider

Well, as promised a status update....

1. The cheapo HF chain grinder works, but has limitations.
a. I thought I could use it on the rakers, but I can't. I'm hand filing those.
b. The grinder is fixed on the tilt angle, and only spins in one direction, so one side of the chain is sharpened with the grinder spinning the "wrong" direction by the standard instructions on filing a chain towards the "outside" of the cutters. (The only adjustment is the top angle)
c. The positioning stop for the cutters is a bit flimsy, and has enough flex and slop in it that I have to hold it and the chain in place when grinding to get a consistent cut.
d. The stop has to be set in different places to get the same cut on each side of the chain

With all that said, it does seem to do a good job of sharpening the cutters, and is fast to use. I bolted it to a chunk of scrap angle iron so that I can put it in my bench vise while I'm using it. (The grinder is very light, you definitely need to fasten it down somehow to use it! There is an adjustment for how far down the wheel can come, which mostly doesn't need touching other than as the wheel wears (slowly) There is a pivot bolt that sets the top angle for the chain holder, with a crude but useable degree scale, and a rather flimsy stop for positioning the cutters. I find that setting up takes a minute or so, and then it takes about 10 seconds a cutter to position it and make the grinder pass. I tend to run both chains dull, then grind them both, etc. as it is just as easy to do two chains at once and minimizes my setup time.

2. The chains are a bit more of a mixed bag. (As a reminder they are the "Pro-Care" brand sold at Home Despot - much lower cost than I was getting for Oregon chains at the local True Value. Saw is a 2.15 CID Poulan homeowner grade w/ a 16" bar.) When I first started using them I was amazed, they cut FAR better than the Oregon 91VG chain that comes with the saw. I am now of the opinion that this is a function of the "anti-kickback" design of the 91VG series that seems to have sacrificed all cutting performance to get maximum safety. If I purchase Oregon chain in the future, I will try the allegedly more agressive VX chain instead.

The Pro-Care chains seemed to run for a very long time before getting dull, I'd say 4-5 tanks of gas each, when new. Now however I'm finding I need to sharpen them every tank or two and this has been getting worse as the chains have worn. I also had one snap on me the other day, without any obvious provocation. However I am still fairly impressed with these chains and consider them a decent value.

Gooserider

 

[karl]

Gooserider,

Maybe that grinding wheel has taken the temper out of the cutters. You said it sharpens them really fast. I have a dremel type sharpener and I have blued a few cutters with it. Remeber as it gets sharp, there isn't much metal on the end and it will heat up really fast. I take my time and I used cutting oil. I am buy no means a pro but I'm too the point I can get them almost like new and they hold an egde for awhile.

 

[Gooserider]

Gooserider,

Maybe that grinding wheel has taken the temper out of the cutters. You said it sharpens them really fast. I have a dremel type sharpener and I have blued a few cutters with it. Remeber as it gets sharp, there isn't much metal on the end and it will heat up really fast. I take my time and I used cutting oil. I am buy no means a pro but I'm too the point I can get them almost like new and they hold an egde for awhile.

Possible, but I doubt it. I'm not taking a significant amount of metal off - my setting method is to adjust the stop with the grinder turned off so that the wheel just barely drags on the cutter when I lower it. Then I turn the motor on and give each tooth on that side a quick "Up & Down" stroke, less than a second total time in contact with the chain. This is just enough to put a shine on the inside edge of the cutter. The cutter doesn't feel hot when I touch it while advancing the chain to the next spot, so it seems unlikely to me that the grinding is a problem.

OTOH I have had several times lately where I've gotten the chain VERY hot while cutting. Lately I've been cutting a lot of dried wood that has been tough stuff, and have had times after a long cut where the chain and bar were actually smoking on me. (Yes, the oiler is working!) I figure if anything was going to be taking the temper out of the chain that would be it...

Gooserider

 

[velvetfoot]

I started calling around for wood.
The same guy that sold me a triaxle load last year for 500 bucks now wants 650!
Yet, I found another local firewood guy who's selling split hardwood for 160 a cord.
I think I will go that route for, say, 5 cords.

 

[iceman]

5-6 cords delivered $250, has been cut down a while.
Woooo Hoooo!!

please do share !

 

[SPED]

I started calling around for wood.
The same guy that sold me a triaxle load last year for 500 bucks now wants 650!
Yet, I found another local firewood guy who's selling split hardwood for 160 a cord.
I think I will go that route for, say, 5 cords.

I'm not too far from you and the cheapest I could find this year was 700 a load...ouch. BTW I just got 3 cords at 160 a cord, hardwood cut/split/delivered yesterday, I wonder if it's the same guy? I can post pics if you want to see what his 3 cords looks like, I'd be happy to tell you what kind of wood I thought it was if I could recognize anything other than red oak(which there is a lot of) . I wonder if the loads get cheaper in the spring? I was thinking of trying to score a log load then. I figure this way with the split wood I'm set for next year so if I get log length I don't have to rush through it, it will be for the year after.

 

[velvetfoot]

Around here some are charging 225-250 midwinter.
It might go below 160 later, but I not so sure.
I was looking at the difference of $110/cord for log length and $160 for cut and split.
It was a fair amount of labor, the way I had to accept the logs and moving the rounds around, I'm no spring chicken, and I've received "input" that the summer is better spent doing other stuff, although, really it was really just late spring and early summer.
I could see if it was half the cost, but I think I'm tipped over to buying it split at this point.

 

[gpcollen1]

I know availability of free wood is totally dependent on where you live. Where I live, I could have endless (yes endless) free hardwood delivered in any length I want - all year.

The yellow page ads here in Norwalk CT even advertise free firewood delivered. (you have to split it)

I'm currently working on 2.5 cords of black cherry. The hardest part is saying NO, as these guys have to pay a few hundred bucks to dump a truck full of wood at our dump. So they are more than happy to leave it at your house for you.

I agree - I can't imagine going through the work of hauling etc... if it wasn't free.

So check with your local tree guys - if your patient I'd bet you can get some good stuff free!

For some reason - those guys wont deliver it up to me in the Danbury area. I guess they have enough business down there to drop it off.

 

[gpcollen1]

Just a general reply to everything:

- I used to not compost my saw dust because reason would say that it is loaded with bar/chain oil. Read an article (cannot remember where -maybe one of my geeky science mags) on how all of the microbes/bacteria ina good compost heap break down oils very well; including cooking oil and potentially oils in saw dust...imagine that.

- Been trying to get log loads here for a few years but has not worked out for one reason or another. Got my wood this year for $650 for 4 cords - dumped in one load. Got it from the cousin of a buddy who has a tree service approx 40 miles away. This year, I should be able to get him to dump logs on a job by job basis when he is working locally - YEAH!

- Nice load of logs man! Nice manageable diameter - once cut they will not be back breakers. Anyone have one of those splitters with the log lifter?? Those look nice. I still have some huge red oak logs that I do not relish splitting...

 

[SPED]

Around here some are charging 225-250 midwinter.
It might go below 160 later, but I not so sure.
I was looking at the difference of $110/cord for log length and $160 for cut and split.
It was a fair amount of labor, the way I had to accept the logs and moving the rounds around, I'm no spring chicken, and I've received "input" that the summer is better spent doing other stuff, although, really it was really just late spring and early summer.
I could see if it was half the cost, but I think I'm tipped over to buying it split at this point.

Yeah I hear that, cheapest I can find is about 100 a cord log length. If I could get it for 50-75 a cord log length it'd be worth it to me, but until then I'm in the same boat, I like exercise, but man that's a lot of wood, and I'm splitting it all manually. I did a cord of maple that I cut down in my yard and even that was a pretty good workout, let alone a truck worth

 

[velvetfoot]

I just made the deal. 5 cords @ $150/cord.
The way I look at it I'm paying ~$40/cord for cutting, splitting and moving to one pile.
If the split price was up in the 225+ range, it'd be different.
Maybe the magic number is if logs are 1/2 the price/cord of split.
Maybe I could've gotten the log lengths cheaper and I didn't call around enough, who knows?
Another way to look at is I might now have a wood guy.

 

[SPED]

I just made the deal. 5 cords @ $150/cord.
The way I look at it I'm paying ~$40/cord for cutting, splitting and moving to one pile.
If the split price was up in the 225+ range, it'd be different.
Maybe the magic number is if logs are 1/2 the price/cord of split.
Maybe I could've gotten the log lengths cheaper and I didn't call around enough, who knows?
Another way to look at is I might now have a wood guy.

You mind me asking who you're going through I'm curious if it's the same guy, if you don't want to post it here PM me. And yeah, having a reliable wood guy is great, I called wednesday, and got 3 cords thursday this week, can't beat that.