skinnykid said:
With so many types of chains out there, it is easy to get confused for a newbie like me. I pretty much have gauge and pitch down but
how about the other specs, anyone care to school the people who do not know yet.
Things like:
Will tackle these some, you might also want to spend some time on some of the chain manufacturer websites - I know both Carlton and Oregon have some very good and useful FAQs and other info postings - you can also ask them to send you some very helpful books on chain maintainance, selection and so forth.
I'm changing the order to group things a bit...
These are both mostly "market-speak" for particular chain sizes, mostly used on smaller saws. These chains have shorter and narrower cutters compared to the larger size chains, and are chosen by saw makers on the theory that removing less wood from the kerf allows the saw to cut more aggressively, allowing sales with bigger bars, etc... Not a big concern as it pretty much comes with the pitch and guage specs - if you get that size you will be automatically getting it, but the marketers want you to think their chain is "special"....
and add to the list, Chipper - These are terms used to describe the cutter profile, and is a major choice item when picking a chain, as most sizes are available in all three styles... It refers to the profile looking at the end of the cutter, sort of like a "7" or a "?" In Full Chisel, the top is flat, and the corner is a sharp angle, with chipper, it's a curved shape. Semi-chisel, as the name implies is in between the two, with a flat top, but a curved corner. Chisel tends to be the choice of most pros because it will cut the most aggressively, but it also gets dull quickly. Chipper cuts much slower, but holds it's edge longer. As the intermediate design, semi-chisel falls in between. Most "consumer chain" and so called "safety chain" tends to be semi-chisel. The choice depends on what kind of cutting you do, and how you feel about sharpenning a chain. Conventional wisdom suggests using full chisel on clean wood, and that it should be touched up at least every tank of gas to keep it sharp and cutting well. Semi-chisel is popular for dirty wood, and doesn't need sharpenning as often.
It is also worth noting that there are two styles of sharpenning full chisel chain - most people use a round file or grinder, a method that is fast, effective, and easy to learn. A few people use "square filed" chain which is a different technique that uses a specialized grinder or a flat file, and is considerably more difficult and expensive, but that it's proponents say is the ultimate for cutting performance.
ripping chain <-- i assume for cutting with the grain
This is a specialty chain, which can be purchased or made by filing conventional (usually full chisel) chain to a different top plate angle - as you said it is intended for cutting with the grain. Mostly used by the guys that do chainsaw milling (board making) some times you will also see the guys that take lots of saws on a job put a loop on one saw just for ripping big rounds into chunks (something a regular chain will do a good job of as well).
Hope this helps...
