Sharp tools for better wood harvesting

[Roger Chandler]

Everyone knows that a sharp tool is important to any type of woodwork, especially woodturning. Sometimes we have opportunities present themselves to harvest wood that would otherwise rot away or be put in a burn pile, and beautiful potential destroyed.

As of late, I have had numerous opportunities to harvest wood, and I decided to take some gift money from my family that they gave me for birthday and fathers day and use it to help me with sharp tools for harvesting wood.

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A new chainsaw grinder [my old Harbor Freight one in the background] and just to help with getting my deck clean and looking newer, a power washer.

The chain grinder is a real neat thing.......this one is the same as the Oregon 511ax, but just a different color.

Pardon the backwards pics.........my editing and rotation of the pic somehow got reversed.... Okay, I got the pics figured out, now they are correct.

okay, how do I delete the two wrong pics below?

[Tim Rinehart]

Roger, I agree with benefit of good chain grinder. I bought a contraption for setting up and hand filing with more precision than hand filing, but it's no where near as quick and accurate as a decent grinder. I bought what looks like the same knockoff on the 511AX at Northern Tool for under $90 during a big sale. I looked at the HF model, but didn't look like it had capacity for making some of the slope of cut variations (some chains set at 10 deg vs 0).

[Tom Winship]

Roger, I think buying the new grinder answers this question, but how did the HF one work?

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, I think buying the new grinder answers this question, but how did the HF one work?

Tom,

I was pleased with the Harbor Freight one...it did a good job.......best $29 I ever spent on a tool for sharpening. I just had the opportunity to get a professional model and the HF one still is running great after more than 3 years..........I am going to give it to a fellow member of our club.

[Tim Rinehart]

Tom,

I was pleased with the Harbor Freight one...it did a good job.......best $29 I ever spent on a tool for sharpening. I just had the opportunity to get a professional model and the HF one still is running great after more than 3 years..........I am going to give it to a fellow member of our club.

Just out of curiosity since I don't know anyone who has the HF model, do you know if it allows tilting of the chain holder piece. I know it will rotate to get the 25-30 deg or so angles...but does it tilt to get 10 deg slope of cut? If it does (I couldn't tell from online manual on it) it would be a great deal for occasional use.

[Roger Chandler]

Just out of curiosity since I don't know anyone who has the HF model, do you know if it allows tilting of the chain holder piece. I know it will rotate to get the 25-30 deg or so angles...but does it tilt to get 10 deg slope of cut? If it does (I couldn't tell from online manual on it) it would be a great deal for occasional use.

Tim,

That angle is built into the machine itself.........the chain holder will rotate to up to 35 degrees either way, and the slope angle for the cut to bevel the top of the cutter is built into the machine itself. My new one, the pro model will allow for adjustment of that angle to give more bevel. I never had any issue with the chains not cutting well with the HF model.

[Kathy Marshall]

The tree trimmers that I get most of my wood from have 2 or 3 of the hf models and they sharpen the chains for 6-7 saws plus all the extra chains almost daily. I just got one, just need to pick up long enough bolts to bolt it to the bench.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

That's the HF grinder? Wow. I just got a Timber Tuff. Has good and bad reviews. I like it a lot. It comes with 3 wheel sizes and a dresser, so I sprung the extra bucks for it. The wheels are not cheap. Although I have no chains for the other 2 sizes. Never know, a friend could pop by.

What is the slope? The sharpener does tilt for slope, and one of my chains does require it, but I can't figure to slope it "in", towards, or "out", away. Tried searching the internet, but came up blank.

[Tom Winship]

The tree trimmers that I get most of my wood from have 2 or 3 of the hf models and they sharpen the chains for 6-7 saws plus all the extra chains almost daily. I just got one, just need to pick up long enough bolts to bolt it to the bench.

Okay, Kathy, that does it! When it takes 6-7 chain saws to keep you supplied with wood, I am more convinced than ever that you are on Red Bull (or some such).

[Roger Chandler]

That's the HF grinder? Wow. I just got a Timber Tuff. Has good and bad reviews. I like it a lot. It comes with 3 wheel sizes and a dresser, so I sprung the extra bucks for it. The wheels are not cheap. Although I have no chains for the other 2 sizes. Never know, a friend could pop by.

What is the slope? The sharpener does tilt for slope, and one of my chains does require it, but I can't figure to slope it "in", towards, or "out", away. Tried searching the internet, but came up blank.

Kyle,

Just to be clear, the blue one is the Carlton [just a different paint color and label] the same unit as the Oregon 511ax. The smaller orange one in the background is the Harbor Freight. The Carlton came with 3 wheel sizes [different thicknesses for different pitch chains] and uses a 5-7/8 inch diameter wheel.......the HF one uses 4.25 inch wheels.

[Kathy Marshall]

Okay, Kathy, that does it! When it takes 6-7 chain saws to keep you supplied with wood, I am more convinced than ever that you are on Red Bull (or some such).

LOL! And I just got a call about 15 minutes ago to come by and pick up some african sumac

[Harry Robinette]

Roger
Your power washer is also a great turning tool assy.I use mine all the time for those old nasty pieces that you just know theres a rock,sand,mud or whatever in the wood. Just give it a bath when you get it home and it will dry in a couple days.
just my $.02

[Roger Chandler]

Roger
Your power washer is also a great turning tool assy.I use mine all the time for those old nasty pieces that you just know theres a rock,sand,mud or whatever in the wood. Just give it a bath when you get it home and it will dry in a couple days.
just my $.02

Harry,

I had considered that as a possibility.......