Chain grinder wheel

[Ashful]

Looking for recommendations on a better wheel (or wheels) for my chain grinder. I use Stihl 33RSC chain (or Carlton equivalent) on the big saws and PMC chain on the pico saw. I'm tired of the slow pink stone wheels that came with this cheap grinder.

Also would be interested in hearing from anyone who uses a grinder to set depth gauges. I've tried it with limited success, and am thinking of going back to just manually filing the depth gauges.

 

[smokinj]

What grinder do you have? How much you want to go? I prefer rounded rakers so I file.

 

[Ashful]

I have the machine that's sold by seemingly a hundred different retailers under a hundred different names, for about $100. It's junk, but it gets the job done. Would love to find something better, but again... it gets the job done.



As to how much I want to spend... what are the options? Not looking to go crazy, but willing to spend for a wheel that cuts a little faster and cooler than the pink stones shown in the photo.

What kind of gauge do you use for filing down your depth gauges? The typical stamped sheet metal ones that come with the hand filing kits?

Thanks!

 

[MasterMech]

Jay uses Kool Grind, a grinding lube that will help the pink stones out a bit.

If you're looking to upgrade on the wheels, it could cost more than the grinder you mount it to.

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=AB6&catID=


I've done rakers using both a hand-file and a 1/4" wheel on the grinder. Unless you have a second grinder just for rakers, I like the file best.

The trick doing them on the grinder is to have the wheel dressed to the shape of the raker. Then set the position and you're off. But it will take either some fancy dressing or a good bit of grinding to get the wheel shaped properly.

While you're at it with the dressing stone.... touch up the wheel you use to do the cutters. Keeping that edge fresh will go a long ways in helping the wheel cut without bluing the tooth. If you're wheel has a dark black stripe around the edge, time to lightly dress it.

 

[smokinj]

I have the machine that's sold by seemingly a hundred different retailers under a hundred different names, for about $100. It's junk, but it gets the job done. Would love to find something better, but again... it gets the job done.

View attachment 101654

As to how much I want to spend... what are the options? Not looking to go crazy, but willing to spend for a wheel that cuts a little faster and cooler than the pink stones shown in the photo.

What kind of gauge do you use for filing down your depth gauges? The typical stamped sheet metal ones that come with the hand filing kits?

Thanks!

Cheapest way out is to run with cool grind. I still have good pink stone that was bought in 2006. I also run a cyclone wheel for my 3/8 chain. (About 275.00)

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=46440 Worth every penny! And them some!

 

[Ashful]

Thanks, guys. I'll give the cool grind a try. Yes, my medium width stone has the black stripe from grinding many RSC chains. Time to re-dress, I guess. Thanks!

 

[blades]

Oregon wheels ( ruby red ) work well, bit pricy. The pink ones you have are a bit harder and require more frequent dressing as they load up ( black line) faster, There are some that seem to be the same material as Oregon's ( name firexxxxx , sorry not at shop right now to look) less expensive than Oregon's. Work well. CBN very pricey advantage is never have to dress and do not load up the same way a vitrified wheel does, but they do require the kool grind or similar to get rated life out of them. I had a CBN wheel personally I didn't care for it, and I sure didn't like the price. I do hundreds of chains a year as its part of my business.
trick to doing depth gauges on grinder is to set the chain lock just tight enough to hold the chain from rocking in the bar but loose enought to be able to slide to the next one, it also works better if you slide the gauge past the wheel rather than just coming straight down on it. Just my highly devalued $.02 worth.