These are for cutting across the end grain, typically in an Alaskan mill attachement, which is hard work with a standard chain, the teeth are filed flat.
Standard semi chisel doesn't cut end grain well but is ok at about 45 degrees, it also works well with the grain, giving wood wool instead of flakes as waste, but you must keep the clutch housing clear and allow the strips to clear out of the way.
AJH
You can normally tell from the number on the drive link.
Standard sizes are .404", 3/8" and 0.325" pitch. Most larger hobby saws will be 0.325 pitch and dinky little ones will be low profile type. I am generally too hard on chains to use 0.325".
.404 needs a 7/32" (saveedge are possibly best but I'm easy with most makes) file, 3/8 and .327 use 3/16", low profile use 5/32". In the old days we used to change down a size once the chain was half worn.
Then there is the drive link width, this is to fit the slot in the bar, Husqvarna were 0.58 and Stihl 0.62 in non hobby saws.
There are three types of cutter (apart from specialist stuff like TCTipped and self sharpening) Full chisel which have a "square" section, when looking into the cutting edge, and are sharpened to a point, these are for forestry types (especially conifer) , need to be kept sharp regularly and any dirt kills the cutting point. Semi chisel which have a rounded "corner" and are less aggressive but more forgiving of dirty conditions. Then the original "chipper" chain which has a round edge, good for harder wood and will continue cutting when a bit dull but gets a bit slow.
The main thing to consider with all these chains is that when looking at the cutting edge in good light if there is a bright line reflected it is blunt because a sharp edge does not reflect.
AJH
I have two steel wedges. Took me about four days of hammering them into a split down one side until they stopped moving then going away for a while before the log to split.
Even when the two halves were separated by a wedge head width they were still held together by strands of wood and wouldn't come apart.
I had to use a hand saw on the last bits to get the wedges out and finally split the log.
That is some tough wood!
Cheers
Dave R
Usually dead easy when the log is dry. Chicken and egg
What made you think the log wasn't dry? Dry as a very dry dry thing. Wishing now I'd split it when it was green.
Its not used a lot because there's so little usable wood available. But its lovely stuff and can command high prices. Amazon, gumtree I guess. Perhaps ebay.
NT
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