Ripping Chain For Chainsaw Mills
Ripping chain is a special chain designed for cutting parallel to the wood grain. This chain features a special factory grind for making boards and planks from larger timbers using chainsaw powered mills like the Alaskan Saw Mill. Ripping or cross cutting produces small chips and cutting with the grain produces long stringy fibrous strands.
The chain pictured above is Oregon #72RD. This chain may not look much different than conventional saw chain, but close inspection will reveal the cutter teeth are ground with a blunter top-plate filing angle. This blunter filing angle makes ripping cuts better than conventional saw chain.
Sharpening Ripping Chain
When
sharpening this chain, the top-plate filing angle should be 10°- 15°.
The file should also be tilted down about 10°. The depth gauge height
is different on this chain, too. Oregon
recommends running them at .015" to .025" depending on the
size
of the wood being cut, the saw being used, and so on. For the
best finish and a nice smooth cut, a depth gauge setting
closer to
.015" is recommended. Milling conditions can vary widely, so
plan
on doing some experimentation to fine-tune your ripping chain for
maximum performance.
We
carry Oregon ripping chain in both 3/8" pitch .050" gauge and 3/8"
pitch .063" gauge. Both these chains are full
compliment.
We also carry .404" pitch .063" gauge ripping chain in both full comp
and skip-tooth configurations. This larger chain would be used with
large displacement saw engines. The skip-tooth version would be best in
cuts wider than 30".
The manufacturer that produces the Alaskan Saw Mill (Grandberg) also offers a special chain for ripping. This product also works well, but it is more complicated to sharpen and more expensive than Oregon's ripping chains.
Our Advice
We think the Oregon ripping chain is the best overall choice. It works well, is not much more expensive than conventional chain, and is easy to sharpen. We stock it in several sizes and can fit most any saw used in a milling operation.
If you are a serious chain saw mill operator, consider
trying the Grandberg style rip chain, too. For more
information, click here to go to
their web site.
Got questions about ripping chain? Call or stop in.