Author Topic: Square chain  (Read 1503 times)

0 Members and 36 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline jmester

  • Global Moderator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 2106
  • Karma: 171
  • Location: MD

  • Total Badges: 36
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Level 6
Square chain
« on: October 18, 2013, 09:14:09 pm »
Looking to  learn to file square chain. Are the atop filing jigs all that they are **** up to be. I also hear they have a racing one and a regular one. Have ran some out of the box square chain and was not real impressed,to my round filed chains, see and hear they are faster so I would like to give it a shot.
FEAR NO TREE. FEAR GOD.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter


Offline 660magnum

  • Global Moderator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 6437
  • Karma: 249
  • For The Love Of Chainsaws
  • Location: NCO

  • Total Badges: 39
    Badges: (View All)
    Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Fifth year Anniversary Fourth year Anniversary 5000 Posts Third year Anniversary
Re: Square chain
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2013, 09:34:26 pm »
Atop filed chain is more aggressive than off the roll Oregon CL square chain

From my experience it is a lot easier to maintain a already square chain than it is to try to make an old round chain square.
We should share what we know... someone may learn...
That knowledge can live after us... and that "Pays It Forward".
Be all that you can be . . .

Offline jmester

  • Global Moderator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 2106
  • Karma: 171
  • Location: MD

  • Total Badges: 36
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Level 6
Re: Square chain
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2013, 06:28:05 am »
I wondering if its worth the 200 for the atop, or to just save a little more and find a used grinder. I have some 72 CL, and hoped that with the atop I can begin to learn how to hold the file correctly, so that I can free hand after I get the hang of it from the atop.
FEAR NO TREE. FEAR GOD.

Offline jmester

  • Global Moderator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 2106
  • Karma: 171
  • Location: MD

  • Total Badges: 36
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Level 6
Re: Square chain
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2013, 06:30:26 am »
Also,in you opinion does square chain hold up good in hardwoods or should it be used mainly for softwoods.
FEAR NO TREE. FEAR GOD.

Offline brokenbudget

  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 900
  • Karma: 67
  • Location: brockville ontario canada

  • Total Badges: 32
    Badges: (View All)
    Seventh year Anniversary Level 6 Sixth year Anniversary Fifth year Anniversary Fourth year Anniversary Linux User
Re: Square chain
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2013, 06:45:10 am »
it'll hold up in clean wood. ;)
regardless of hard or soft.
what I found with the atop was it's a great learning tool. expensive yes. but if you have a couple friends chip in on one, it'll pay for itself. it shows you what a square chain needs to look like to cut properly, gives you the basic idea of the angles and it does do a very good job at making the chain faster. it's a very good (but expensive) starting point.
as for 'out of the box' square. what I've found is the gullet needs to be opened up right from the getgo. square is a little more prone to blocking up if that gullet isn't taken out.
i use a 5/32" round file to clean it up before using. makes a big difference.
when I grow up, i wanna be an adult.

Offline Al Smith

  • Moderator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 2779
  • Karma: 181

  • Total Badges: 34
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Level 6 Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary
Re: Square chain
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2013, 08:44:58 am »
In my opinion square ground is not what the average chainsaw user needs .The PNW bunch use it for professional use and as rule grind it and carry spare loops with them .

No doubt it's faster but to hand file say a 20" loop would take me the best part of an hour whereas I can touch up the same loop of round chisel in about 5 or so minutes .Bearing in mind of course the crew on the left coast have been around this stuff for years while we in the heart land have not .

Offline 660magnum

  • Global Moderator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 6437
  • Karma: 249
  • For The Love Of Chainsaws
  • Location: NCO

  • Total Badges: 39
    Badges: (View All)
    Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Fifth year Anniversary Fourth year Anniversary 5000 Posts Third year Anniversary
Re: Square chain
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2013, 09:30:43 am »
I have square chain on my GTG saws.

I have used it at times on local firewood cutting. It is really fast when sharpened properly.
We should share what we know... someone may learn...
That knowledge can live after us... and that "Pays It Forward".
Be all that you can be . . .

Offline jmester

  • Global Moderator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 2106
  • Karma: 171
  • Location: MD

  • Total Badges: 36
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Level 6
Re: Square chain
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2013, 12:55:20 pm »
We cut mostly clean wood at work and thought it would be a little faster. Also would be nice to know how to file both. Where is the best place to buy an atop. Or does anyone have one they want to get rid of.
FEAR NO TREE. FEAR GOD.

Offline 660magnum

  • Global Moderator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 6437
  • Karma: 249
  • For The Love Of Chainsaws
  • Location: NCO

  • Total Badges: 39
    Badges: (View All)
    Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Fifth year Anniversary Fourth year Anniversary 5000 Posts Third year Anniversary
Re: Square chain
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2013, 01:28:24 pm »
Bailey's usually has the Atops
We should share what we know... someone may learn...
That knowledge can live after us... and that "Pays It Forward".
Be all that you can be . . .

Offline HolmenTree

  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 1382
  • Karma: 199
  • Location: Manitoba Canada

  • Total Badges: 34
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Level 6 1000 Posts Seventh year Anniversary
Re: Square chain
« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2013, 07:08:14 pm »
The  old school Oregon clamp on to the bar sharpening jig works with the triangle chisel bit file.
Seeing the jig is designed to clamp a round file you have to slide two 1/2" long pieces of clear fuel line onto both ends of the triangle file for the clamps to hold it in place .
Square files good .
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
30 Replies
3823 Views
Last post February 02, 2021, 05:32:56 pm
by Philbert
0 Replies
553 Views
Last post March 10, 2013, 07:58:03 pm
by Cut4fun .
5 Replies
499 Views
Last post April 02, 2013, 11:38:10 am
by 660magnum
8 Replies
597 Views
Last post July 21, 2014, 08:32:21 pm
by Cut4fun .
2 Replies
285 Views
Last post July 29, 2014, 06:45:52 am
by Devon
29 Replies
1275 Views
Last post August 15, 2014, 07:57:54 pm
by mdavlee .
6 Replies
390 Views
Last post August 08, 2014, 09:42:52 pm
by 660magnum
24 Replies
1735 Views
Last post January 01, 2020, 03:27:35 pm
by Cut4fun .
34 Replies
1692 Views
Last post December 17, 2017, 12:58:09 am
by Sierrawoodsman
7 Replies
668 Views
Last post October 25, 2018, 09:58:34 pm
by HolmenTree