I made one of these today from the cheapest dial indicator on Amazon and some scrap metal. You are right, this is the best raker tool I have ever used and I wish I did this years ago
You're not cheap. You're a very smart man trying to save money. I'm exactly the same. Not all of us make a lot of money. I've got a old dial indicator. Going to make one. Thanks a lot!
@waynestanton467 Very kind words, sir! Glad you found the channel and took your valuable time to comment! I hope you like yours as much as I like mine; it's the only one I've found to work on some chains. Thanks again for joining in!
I’m definitely making one of those. I can think of a few other things I could use that for too since I was an automotive machinist. So much so that I can’t believe that I haven’t made one already. Lol. Thank you for showing this.
I know right??!! I also have spent time as a machinist (years ago) and still have small lathe and mill for farm stuff... If doing it on the bar, I would add a lower part to hold it square with the bar because, if you rock it too far, it loses contact with one tooth and skews the reading; not to mention the bias of not being square. Even at that, it's nice to get raker set to a good consistent depth.
rakers, drags, or depth gauge. all the same thing to me i always use one of those terms for them. some folks just like to be specific but all the old heads will know what you mean. great tool and video.
I've got a couple dial indicators and have been rolling ideas around the back of my mind of how to use one on rakers. Your method isn't what I got in mind, but it sure works better than any idea does. Good work getting it done.
Thanks; if using on chain while ON the saw/bar, I would add a drop leg on the set-up (which would rest against the side of the bar) to ensure it is held square. You will find, if the base is tilted very much from square it will change a thou or two as it rolls of the apex of the tooth. Also, there would be a bias involved in that the teeth are offset from each other and therefore the rakers are too; any change from square would make the distance from the centerline of both teeth farther from the raker (albeit very minimal and would be unnoticeable in all-but the pickiest of race chains etc...) Thanks for the comments!!
@@HayChaffandSawdust1 Good thinking on a leg to keep it square. I do all my sharpening off the saw now. Wouldn't mind a dedicated set up for the rakers. Thanks for the response.
Can't argue with that; Carlton makes (made?) a good one. Last I looked they were near impossible to find. I like this one for the many different "safety " chains (like the Oregon Vanguard) which will not fit in a normal gauge. ... I agree though, for hand filing, working in the woods, etc... nothing as quick and handy as a Carlton-type gauge.
I did like your video. I cut firewood every chance I get I really enjoy it. I’m pretty good at sharpening with a round file. I’d like to make one of those raker gauges that’s something I’m always kind of guessing at. Maybe you should patent that idea. Might make a fortune, you never know.
Aw heck, money would just ruin me!! 😉 Glad you like the vid and hope it helps a little; have another chainsaw gadget vid coming soon that I bet many will like; it'll be free info as well. Thanks for commenting!!!!
That is a really cool idea! My solution is a straight edge and a pack of feeler gauges in order to get the depth gauge height as desired I determine where I want them set subtract what the current mesurement is and set a feeler gauge blade the desired thickness of material to remove between the depth stop of the grinder and the stop ledge, touch off on the depth gauges and adjust the depth stop to the feeler gauge, when you remove the feeler gauge you are set to your desired depth...
Very good ideal with the feeler gauge at the depth stop. I assume, being that the depth stop is @1/3 the distance from the pivot to the grinding wheel, there is a bit of a multiplier involved in choosing the correct feeler gauge? ... at least on the style of grinder which I have. I really the plan! I used straight edge and feeler gauge to check depths before; but, as heavy-handed as I can be, I didn't like the amount of subjectiveness in measuring that way. If I didn't push down on top of the (newly sharpened, at that) tooth or misjudged the drag on the feeler... Feeler gauge still works. Thanks a lot for watching and thanks even MORE for commenting!!
@HayChaffandSawdust1 pal if I'm being honest I never thought about the multiplication factor I just came up with that process trying to find some consistency beyond a W.A.G.... it worked. I've never gone back and checked it. I guess since it's multiplying thousandths it's been close enough to work... now you have me wondering, I'm gonna have to go and check it out myself, see this is why we share ideas, outside prospective helps hone your skills keep up the good work!!!
@@matthewbutcher203 😂😂 Love it!! Been a WHILE since I heard "WAG"... love it. Thanks for chatting with me; thinking minds, which are open to differing/additional thoughts, are my cup of tea!!
Very educational video. I wish I'd known chain could be sharpened back when i cut wood. I just ran a chain until it was dull and put on a new one. Sometimes when i was dhort on cash I would simply beat the saw through a tree to get firewood. But other times when times were good id run a saw until it was dull and trade it in on another saw. I wonder who thought of sharpening chains? Must be pretty dmart feller. You mention using sharpener number two. Now, do you sharpen a chain and get a new grinder forr the next one or how does that work? I remember a fella had a self sharpening Pull-on one time that you pushed a little button and it dharpened the chain. Could i just saw through a concrete block to sharpen a chain? Wouldnt have to take it off the saw that away. I am impressed by your measuring guagd thingy though. I like that. Can i pick up one at Harbor Freight or is it a specialty catalog item?
😂😂 You kill me 😜😜 I kinda like sharpening them on an old piece of railroad iron... you know the adage that Steel sharpens STIHL, Iffn harbor fraught is out of em (prolly have a run on them now that I let the cat outta the bag), they will offer a rain check, but who would want to go back in the rain??!!
@donnywalker4691 Oh MY GOODNESS. That is SUCH a feather in my hat for you to have even noticed one of my videos... not to mention watching and EVEN commenting. I hope you know your little act of kindness (which was probably minimal effort to you) was/is a HUGE compliment to my attempt to make videos!! Thanks for the comment. Huge fan of yours!!!
I am experimenting with using a drama tool and a grinding wheel to lower the height of those depth gauge Raker things on the safety chain. it sure does make it a pain in the neck because after 6 or 7 sharpenings the cutting teeth are not as high as the depth gauge. and you get fine powder instead of really coarse Wood shavings when cutting through oak.
You are exactly right; many people don't realized the importance of them, and are confused that their chain IS sharp but will not cut... then they go buy a NEW chain and give me the told one... Ya know, on second thought maybe I shouldn't be letting the cat out of the bag??!! 😉😉😂😂
@@HayChaffandSawdust1 and most of the chains I see on YT have straight rakers. Mine must be a 'safety chain' because the rakers are L shaped. That makes matters even worse. I tried grinding them down a bit. Will try the saw later today and see if it works. 8 minutes to cut through a 24" red oak is just not good. Fine sawdust.
@@basspig RIGHT!! I have some chains with a raker like that; almost like a round tooth following the real tooth. They are a real PITA. Regular raker gauge won't work with them. I have 3 of those chains, but have never put one on a saw yet.
@@basspig I expect you are using/have Oregon Vanguard-type chain? It was also rebranded by Husky and came out on 455 rancher (and others), I'm to understand. Few people like them.
@@HayChaffandSawdust1 These chains came with my Husky Rancher 460. I've sharpened them 6-7 times (I've 3 chains I use in rotation) and was noticing they were getting less effective. So after watching a few of these videos, I decided to take a Dremel tool with a grinder attachment and grind down the rakers a bit. I then took a round file and sharpened each cutting edge, being sure to make a deep gullet. Now, prior to this, it would take about 7-8 minutes to cut through a 24" red oak log and a lot of wrist/forearm strain. The sawdust was fine powder. It took a toll on my shoulder from pushing down hard. Now, after the new sharpening method, I found the chain to "pull" the saw into the log as I made contact with the bark. I note that the saw "quivers" a bit when cutting, but the bar moves visibly through the log now and I reach the bottom in about a minute or less. It's a drastic improvement! I plan to refine and experiment more with this process, but it is showing very promising results. And the sawdust is like small wood chips now. It's pulling nicely and I don't have to push down at all to cut through the log.
Best thing I ever learned was to hand file I run a skip chain and can file it in under 3 minutes. I don’t get to technical with the rakers by that I mean no gauges of any type. On my big saw I just take 2 strokes off a new chain right away.
@waynejohnson9855 I totally agree; anymore, when I hand-file (usually for felling or in clean wood), I square file and use a raker gauge every couple of filings. For dirty wood (firewood) or keeping Dad in sharp chains, I use ginder. The dial indicator filled two voids for me... it helped with safety chain (have quite a bit that was free) and was/am playing a little at making some race chain for playing about... I believe, the smoother I can make it cut (same raker height throughout the chain), the faster it will be. That's not to exclude all of the other things that go into a race chain. My mind wanders while I'm doing mundane tasks, and I tinker with gadgets. Thanks for the comment!!
That and all the other depth gauges that sets on top of multiple teeth are only good if you use a micrometer or a caliper on all the teeth to make sure every single tooth is the same size. So the best depth gauge is the ones that is used on one individual tooth at a time.
I tend to agree with you; to compound the matter, even with a single tooth type, there is arguably a difference as the tooth wears back and changes the angle of the gauge, thereby changing hypotenuse and the way the single-tooth type measure the tooth-to-raker differential as. One built such as mine, can measure within 1/8" of the tooth no matter how far it's filed back; so, on a std 3/8 chain, the teeth are approximately 3/4" apart; therefore, if the non-measured tooth is 5 thou. taller, there would only be @ 1 thou variance on the reading. But I totally agree with your thoughts and am not trying to be argumentative, I enjoy the exchange of ideas and thank you for adding to the conversation.
True on both points, and I see this having the same issue. The rakers need to be set to each tooth independently to compensate for different length teeth.
@@HayChaffandSawdust1 with the type of raker gauge that sets on top of multiple teeth you have to have every tooth the same size. So if you don't have a chain grinder that makes every tooth the same size you would have to use a caliper or micrometer to check every tooth. And as for the single tooth raker gauge the distance may change a little bit as you file the rakers down but it's not enough to make a difference like the multiple tooth raker gauge. But I guess to each his/her own.
@@chadrogers4635 Good luck with getting anything else to work with an Oregon Vanguard or Oregon Xtra Guard types of chains (as mentioned in the video).
@@HayChaffandSawdust1 I'll only use the chains that don't have the extra kickback, because I know how to use and sharpen a chain freehand. Those types of chains that you mentioned are for the average person that doesn't know how to use a chainsaw or doesn't have the experience.
@jayytee8062 Wider slot may work on the Oregon Vangaurd-type of chain, but not on the Oregon Xtra Gaurd (used by Husky and others) types of chain; it was actually easier to make this gadget; another benefit, if I want to play for custom chains and, for instance, 0.027" rakers, I can do that; I can make a chain the way I want it for a little competition or whatnot. I know this ain't for everyone, but works well for me; thought I would share... no charge. Thanks for joining-in and commenting!
@rayjs1963 You're right on tooth size, and on Pro-type (non-anti kickback) type chains it doesn't do any better than a Hucky or Carlton type gauge, but rakers like the safety Oregon Vangaurd will NOT work with any other sort that goes off of each tooth; it's a whole lot better than guessing. ... and it is very accurate and practical for me when grinding a mess of chain.
I made one of these today from the cheapest dial indicator on Amazon and some scrap metal. You are right, this is the best raker tool I have ever used and I wish I did this years ago
@SawChainTheories Awesome!! It really shines for low or anti kickback chains like Oregon Vanguard; glad you like yours!!
Thank you for showing your idea and encouraging people to get their rakers better
You're welcome and thank you for the encouragement; it means a lot to a small new channel such as mine!
You're not cheap. You're a very smart man trying to save money. I'm exactly the same. Not all of us make a lot of money. I've got a old dial indicator. Going to make one. Thanks a lot!
@waynestanton467 Very kind words, sir! Glad you found the channel and took your valuable time to comment! I hope you like yours as much as I like mine; it's the only one I've found to work on some chains. Thanks again for joining in!
I’m definitely making one of those. I can think of a few other things I could use that for too since I was an automotive machinist. So much so that I can’t believe that I haven’t made one already. Lol. Thank you for showing this.
I know right??!! I also have spent time as a machinist (years ago) and still have small lathe and mill for farm stuff... If doing it on the bar, I would add a lower part to hold it square with the bar because, if you rock it too far, it loses contact with one tooth and skews the reading; not to mention the bias of not being square. Even at that, it's nice to get raker set to a good consistent depth.
rakers, drags, or depth gauge. all the same thing to me i always use one of those terms for them. some folks just like to be specific but all the old heads will know what you mean. great tool and video.
Thanks you very much, Sir!
I've got a couple dial indicators and have been rolling ideas around the back of my mind of how to use one on rakers. Your method isn't what I got in mind, but it sure works better than any idea does. Good work getting it done.
Thanks; if using on chain while ON the saw/bar, I would add a drop leg on the set-up (which would rest against the side of the bar) to ensure it is held square. You will find, if the base is tilted very much from square it will change a thou or two as it rolls of the apex of the tooth. Also, there would be a bias involved in that the teeth are offset from each other and therefore the rakers are too; any change from square would make the distance from the centerline of both teeth farther from the raker (albeit very minimal and would be unnoticeable in all-but the pickiest of race chains etc...) Thanks for the comments!!
@@HayChaffandSawdust1 Good thinking on a leg to keep it square. I do all my sharpening off the saw now. Wouldn't mind a dedicated set up for the rakers.
Thanks for the response.
Cool gauge you made, but my favorite rake gauge will always be Carlton file o plate
Can't argue with that; Carlton makes (made?) a good one. Last I looked they were near impossible to find. I like this one for the many different "safety " chains (like the Oregon Vanguard) which will not fit in a normal gauge. ... I agree though, for hand filing, working in the woods, etc... nothing as quick and handy as a Carlton-type gauge.
Great idea, i love it. Im going to try to put one together. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the feedback!! I appreciate it; glad I could share an idea; hope it helps you.
I did like your video. I cut firewood every chance I get I really enjoy it. I’m pretty good at sharpening with a round file. I’d like to make one of those raker gauges that’s something I’m always kind of guessing at. Maybe you should patent that idea. Might make a fortune, you never know.
Aw heck, money would just ruin me!! 😉 Glad you like the vid and hope it helps a little; have another chainsaw gadget vid coming soon that I bet many will like; it'll be free info as well. Thanks for commenting!!!!
That is a really cool idea! My solution is a straight edge and a pack of feeler gauges in order to get the depth gauge height as desired I determine where I want them set subtract what the current mesurement is and set a feeler gauge blade the desired thickness of material to remove between the depth stop of the grinder and the stop ledge, touch off on the depth gauges and adjust the depth stop to the feeler gauge, when you remove the feeler gauge you are set to your desired depth...
Very good ideal with the feeler gauge at the depth stop. I assume, being that the depth stop is @1/3 the distance from the pivot to the grinding wheel, there is a bit of a multiplier involved in choosing the correct feeler gauge? ... at least on the style of grinder which I have. I really the plan! I used straight edge and feeler gauge to check depths before; but, as heavy-handed as I can be, I didn't like the amount of subjectiveness in measuring that way. If I didn't push down on top of the (newly sharpened, at that) tooth or misjudged the drag on the feeler... Feeler gauge still works. Thanks a lot for watching and thanks even MORE for commenting!!
@HayChaffandSawdust1 pal if I'm being honest I never thought about the multiplication factor I just came up with that process trying to find some consistency beyond a W.A.G.... it worked. I've never gone back and checked it. I guess since it's multiplying thousandths it's been close enough to work... now you have me wondering, I'm gonna have to go and check it out myself, see this is why we share ideas, outside prospective helps hone your skills keep up the good work!!!
@@matthewbutcher203 😂😂 Love it!! Been a WHILE since I heard "WAG"... love it. Thanks for chatting with me; thinking minds, which are open to differing/additional thoughts, are my cup of tea!!
I know where I’m taking my chainsaw to be serviced!
any time!!
Thanks for this. I took your idea and built one of my own. Even did a video on it. Hope that's okay.
@Millstone_Firewood Hope it serves you well, gets you a jillion views, and thousands of subscribers!! Glad it could help!!
Very educational video. I wish I'd known chain could be sharpened back when i cut wood. I just ran a chain until it was dull and put on a new one. Sometimes when i was dhort on cash I would simply beat the saw through a tree to get firewood. But other times when times were good id run a saw until it was dull and trade it in on another saw. I wonder who thought of sharpening chains? Must be pretty dmart feller. You mention using sharpener number two. Now, do you sharpen a chain and get a new grinder forr the next one or how does that work? I remember a fella had a self sharpening Pull-on one time that you pushed a little button and it dharpened the chain. Could i just saw through a concrete block to sharpen a chain? Wouldnt have to take it off the saw that away.
I am impressed by your measuring guagd thingy though. I like that. Can i pick up one at Harbor Freight or is it a specialty catalog item?
😂😂 You kill me 😜😜 I kinda like sharpening them on an old piece of railroad iron... you know the adage that Steel sharpens STIHL, Iffn harbor fraught is out of em (prolly have a run on them now that I let the cat outta the bag), they will offer a rain check, but who would want to go back in the rain??!!
Cool good job my dad has one like that I’m going to get it off him as he doesn’t use it anymore
@donnywalker4691 Oh MY GOODNESS. That is SUCH a feather in my hat for you to have even noticed one of my videos... not to mention watching and EVEN commenting. I hope you know your little act of kindness (which was probably minimal effort to you) was/is a HUGE compliment to my attempt to make videos!! Thanks for the comment. Huge fan of yours!!!
I am experimenting with using a drama tool and a grinding wheel to lower the height of those depth gauge Raker things on the safety chain. it sure does make it a pain in the neck because after 6 or 7 sharpenings the cutting teeth are not as high as the depth gauge. and you get fine powder instead of really coarse Wood shavings when cutting through oak.
You are exactly right; many people don't realized the importance of them, and are confused that their chain IS sharp but will not cut... then they go buy a NEW chain and give me the told one... Ya know, on second thought maybe I shouldn't be letting the cat out of the bag??!! 😉😉😂😂
@@HayChaffandSawdust1 and most of the chains I see on YT have straight rakers. Mine must be a 'safety chain' because the rakers are L shaped. That makes matters even worse.
I tried grinding them down a bit. Will try the saw later today and see if it works. 8 minutes to cut through a 24" red oak is just not good. Fine sawdust.
@@basspig RIGHT!! I have some chains with a raker like that; almost like a round tooth following the real tooth. They are a real PITA. Regular raker gauge won't work with them. I have 3 of those chains, but have never put one on a saw yet.
@@basspig I expect you are using/have Oregon Vanguard-type chain? It was also rebranded by Husky and came out on 455 rancher (and others), I'm to understand. Few people like them.
@@HayChaffandSawdust1 These chains came with my Husky Rancher 460. I've sharpened them 6-7 times (I've 3 chains I use in rotation) and was noticing they were getting less effective.
So after watching a few of these videos, I decided to take a Dremel tool with a grinder attachment and grind down the rakers a bit. I then took a round file and sharpened each cutting edge, being sure to make a deep gullet.
Now, prior to this, it would take about 7-8 minutes to cut through a 24" red oak log and a lot of wrist/forearm strain. The sawdust was fine powder. It took a toll on my shoulder from pushing down hard.
Now, after the new sharpening method, I found the chain to "pull" the saw into the log as I made contact with the bark. I note that the saw "quivers" a bit when cutting, but the bar moves visibly through the log now and I reach the bottom in about a minute or less. It's a drastic improvement! I plan to refine and experiment more with this process, but it is showing very promising results. And the sawdust is like small wood chips now. It's pulling nicely and I don't have to push down at all to cut through the log.
Best thing I ever learned was to hand file I run a skip chain and can file it in under 3 minutes. I don’t get to technical with the rakers by that I mean no gauges of any type. On my big saw I just take 2 strokes off a new chain right away.
@waynejohnson9855 I totally agree; anymore, when I hand-file (usually for felling or in clean wood), I square file and use a raker gauge every couple of filings. For dirty wood (firewood) or keeping Dad in sharp chains, I use ginder. The dial indicator filled two voids for me... it helped with safety chain (have quite a bit that was free) and was/am playing a little at making some race chain for playing about... I believe, the smoother I can make it cut (same raker height throughout the chain), the faster it will be. That's not to exclude all of the other things that go into a race chain. My mind wanders while I'm doing mundane tasks, and I tinker with gadgets. Thanks for the comment!!
That and all the other depth gauges that sets on top of multiple teeth are only good if you use a micrometer or a caliper on all the teeth to make sure every single tooth is the same size. So the best depth gauge is the ones that is used on one individual tooth at a time.
I tend to agree with you; to compound the matter, even with a single tooth type, there is arguably a difference as the tooth wears back and changes the angle of the gauge, thereby changing hypotenuse and the way the single-tooth type measure the tooth-to-raker differential as. One built such as mine, can measure within 1/8" of the tooth no matter how far it's filed back; so, on a std 3/8 chain, the teeth are approximately 3/4" apart; therefore, if the non-measured tooth is 5 thou. taller, there would only be @ 1 thou variance on the reading. But I totally agree with your thoughts and am not trying to be argumentative, I enjoy the exchange of ideas and thank you for adding to the conversation.
True on both points, and I see this having the same issue. The rakers need to be set to each tooth independently to compensate for different length teeth.
@@HayChaffandSawdust1 with the type of raker gauge that sets on top of multiple teeth you have to have every tooth the same size. So if you don't have a chain grinder that makes every tooth the same size you would have to use a caliper or micrometer to check every tooth. And as for the single tooth raker gauge the distance may change a little bit as you file the rakers down but it's not enough to make a difference like the multiple tooth raker gauge. But I guess to each his/her own.
@@chadrogers4635 Good luck with getting anything else to work with an Oregon Vanguard or Oregon Xtra Guard types of chains (as mentioned in the video).
@@HayChaffandSawdust1 I'll only use the chains that don't have the extra kickback, because I know how to use and sharpen a chain freehand. Those types of chains that you mentioned are for the average person that doesn't know how to use a chainsaw or doesn't have the experience.
Why not just widen the slots/holes on the first 2 types of gauges so that they will fit?
@jayytee8062 Wider slot may work on the Oregon Vangaurd-type of chain, but not on the Oregon Xtra Gaurd (used by Husky and others) types of chain; it was actually easier to make this gadget; another benefit, if I want to play for custom chains and, for instance, 0.027" rakers, I can do that; I can make a chain the way I want it for a little competition or whatnot. I know this ain't for everyone, but works well for me; thought I would share... no charge. Thanks for joining-in and commenting!
@@HayChaffandSawdust1
All good. I appreciate your effort and creativity.
@@jayytee8062 Thank you Sir; again, I appreciate you taking time to join-in with us!
.020 seems to work
I like .020 for most of my species around here, too.
This is a good idea I suppose, but unless all of your teeth are the same size, I don't see it being very practical or accurate. But that's just me.
@rayjs1963 You're right on tooth size, and on Pro-type (non-anti kickback) type chains it doesn't do any better than a Hucky or Carlton type gauge, but rakers like the safety Oregon Vangaurd will NOT work with any other sort that goes off of each tooth; it's a whole lot better than guessing. ... and it is very accurate and practical for me when grinding a mess of chain.