I built my cabin with two saws and two chains. One for ripping and one for felling, limbing and notching. I bought four ripping chains with the intent of rotating them out to be professionally sharpened but soon realized that wasn't going to work. Ripping logs is measured in minutes per foot, not feet per minute. I was was forced to learn to sharpen the ripping chains. The ten degree angle is what threw me at first but I conquered it. I wound up using just one ripping chain and completed the project with it. Same for felling chain. Countless hours whittling away notches with the tip of the bar. Countless hours milling.

I would think spruce and fir would play more havoc on gumming up a chain that hardwood would but maybe not.

The easy way to get rid of the pine sap and sticky stuff is Kerosine mixed with a dash of ATF. I don't have pine around here but back in the day used to work with that a lot and had that mix in a spray bottle and just sprayed the saw and bar etc. down with it, legit sit for a new minutes ad wiped it down. Chains I threw in a tub of that stuff, then blow them off with compressed air before running them through the grinder.

Those big sap pockets are a bag of fun aint they

Quote .....I would think spruce and fir would play more havoc on gumming up a chain that hardwood would but maybe not.

Thats what i thought till I started milling red oak and hickory. Cut two slabs and its back to sharpening.


When folks say that they have cut millions of board feet, they don't mean this.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-aHOmWyzWg


They mean they have put the raw material for those board feet on the ground. There is a big difference..... trust me on that one.

I dedicated one pair of canvas trousers to that job,
They are still water proof.
Pinsol cleaner stuff works ok too.
36" ? oh my.
Did they call the guide bar a sword where you are from?

In an Alaskan mill, those 36" are not that much and I have to pass up some trees that I have here with that bar length for milling with it. I like the long bar for bucking also as it saves my back being able to stand up a little more straight.
This one was blown over and snagged up. Took me the best part of an afternoon to get that to where I wanted it.

I never did any chainsaw milling except for a couple freehand benches and yes, that seems to be a lot harder on saws and chains. In your first post you didnt say you were milling. I can see if the bar/chain is chattering that would be hard on the chain? We had a guy making us chain from spools (it was his first attempt) and was cranking down to much on the connecting rivet and they were busting there right away. Maybe a bad batch of chain like someone else mentioned, that happens. Maybe there is a sweet spot for the rakers and you are not at the right height? Not to critricize your saw - I have no idea what your running, but maybe it is a bit underpowered causing chain failure? I dont know, Im trying to figure it out too.

When my chains get build up on them I just take them to the wire wheel and clean them right up.

I believe (for me) it was coming from the ash trees that I was cutting. It would form a hard layer on the top and sides of the teeth and chain.

I run a ported Stihl 661 M tronic . I think it has power enough for what I use it for. By the end of this fall, I'll hopefully have my bandsaw mill finished and then this bump in the road won't be an issue anymore. I am just a happy camper that i found a lazy way to get the crud of the chains that is messing up my oiling.

Jerry. I am " happy " to report its not just Ash tree's that will cause that

Got all of my chains cleaned, sharpened and soaked in oil. Then hung up sorted by size and grind style, ready to rock -. Got some boat work tomorrow but will cut a pile of firewood this weekend.

I have a beer batter that might work

I found some simple green brand cleaner and degreaser concentrate at the local auto parts store and have used that on the winches I had to clean and the stuff really works well on those bronze gears that were caked in really old grease and dust mix. Even the needle roller bearings came out looking like new. Once I have these winches back together, I'll have to dirty up an AR and try that cleaner on those parts. So far I am happy with the thing though. I have a couple of carbs from Generators to clean up that are caked in that ethanol fuel deck stain and will give that a go this weekend.

Dollar Tree has an orange cleaner that does a right good job on grease as well. Awesome Orange is what it is called. Can get in a spray bottle as well as a bulk refill.

More stuff to speriment with

Scuba you should post some before and after pics

Kerosene or Diesel works good. WD-40 is nice for getting sappy stuff off.

Just finished cutting up 6 dump truck loads of wet wood some really big stuff in the mix elm, ash, honey locust mostly all cut with a new chain. I worked hard to keep the chain out of the dirt I only had to sharpen the chain 1 time near the end to finish some bigger stuff that was muddy.

I figure I got my money out of that chain already I picked up another one today for $15 after the 20% off sale going on. I’ll sharpen it a few more times then use it on cutting stumps after that..

spray them with diesel fuel while cutting something hard.

Scuba I seems to know chainsaw information. I just sharpen the chain and cut wood.

For the ones that missed it. The gummed up chain thing only happens with my milling chains when I cut hardwoods like White and red oak and to some extent hickory. My normal ground chains for cross cutting ( felling , bucking etc ) are not affected like that ...or at least to to the extent that i bother much about it. The geometry of the grind on the milling chains it completely different to the normal chains. And yes I have tried milling with a normal chain and it is a pain in the stern end. They get blunt quick and progress in those hard woods is very very very slow.
I can buck firewood ( oak and hickory ) , as long as its clean all day with a semi chisel chain. Then sharpen in in the evening when I am done. Its milling that is hard on the gear.