At Home In The Woods

[dstig1]

Now we'll have to get someone to loan you an MS 660 to try out. :shocked: It makes my 362 seem like a weakling...

Another note, is that a sharp chain is the long term key to chainsaw happiness. You will be amazed the difference between a dull chain and a sharp one, almost as much as you were by the power difference between the two saws...

 

[Obed]

My wife harvested some broccoli yesterday.

 

[Obed]

After I filled up the trailer with bucked wood and the saw ran out of gas, I tried my hand for the first time at sharpening a chain. I clamped a portable vice to the trailer railing then clamped the bar of the chain in the vice. Unfortunately, the vice has a protrusion that interfered with the chain so I couldn't use the vice.



So I placed the saw on some wood in the trailer and held the saw in place by resting my chest on top of the saw. I filed each cutter two strokes. Sharpening didn't seem that difficult to do after I watched a few videos. I did not find the instructions that came in the Stihl sharpening kit extremely helpful (all pictures, no words) until I watched some videos. Then the picture book instructions made more sense.



I then removed the bar and cleaned the saw and bar according to the chainsaw manual.



Now that I have a new saw, I want to take care of it. I definitely want a sharp chain. For now I may hand sharpen the chains and take them to the store periodically for a professional sharpening.

 

[MotorSeven]

It's hard to tell in the pics, but I don't think you filed that cutter correctly. Only use the round file on a cutter and it goes in the gullet, not on top of the cutting tooth. The flat file is for rakers and is not needed until about 40% of the cutter is filed down.

Read this over, it may help:
http://www.stihllibrary.com/pdf/SharpAdvice061301final.pdf

The only thing i do different is file in the opposite direction as shown on page 9 bottom diagram.

Here is a good video, again I go against the cutter;
http://www.treeworld.info/f7/chain-filing-sharpening-chainsaw-sharpen-chain-1145.html
Click on the link in the first post.

This one has a giant example of a cutter/raker:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD88rZ5FF04

And last the Stihl video:salute:
http://www.stihlusa.com/information/videos/#chain-saw-safety-ope

 

[Obed]

It's hard to tell in the pics, but I don't think you filed that cutter correctly. Only use the round file on a cutter and it goes in the gullet, not on top of the cutting tooth. The flat file is for rakers and is not needed until about 40% of the cutter is filed down.

Rick,
I'm not sure which picture gave you that impression. I filed the bottom edge of the cutters with a 13/64" round file and a Stihl file guide just like the videos. I did not use the flat file and I did not file the rakers.
Obed

 

[MotorSeven]

Ok, it is that third pic on the right, top row. My bad then......Charlie Mike(Continue Mission):laughing:

 

[Ranger Rick]

Ok, it is that third pic on the right, top row. My bad then......Charlie Mike(Continue Mission):laughing:

Rick I think that picture is just to show how the vice had bump that would not allow him to use it. What we are looking at is the back side of the teeth on the bottom of the bar going toward the engine. It took me awhile to figure it out.

 

[dstig1]

If you clamp the bar farther away from the saw, it is better for stability and the chain might clear those bumps better. You have the right idea, just need to get a different vise or grind off those bumps for better clearance.

I made myself a vise from wood that use in my shop bench. I use a bar clamp to hold it in, but the jaws are wood to avoid damaging the chain or bar. You could add some thicker wood jaws in place of the metal ones to give you more space and protect the saw better.

 

[Obed]

Ok, it is that third pic on the right, top row. My bad then......Charlie Mike(Continue Mission):laughing:

Rick I think that picture is just to show how the vice had bump that would not allow him to use it. What we are looking at is the back side of the teeth on the bottom of the bar going toward the engine. It took me awhile to figure it out.

View attachment 298662

Ranger Rick, that is correct. Obed

 

[Obed]

If you clamp the bar farther away from the saw, it is better for stability and the chain might clear those bumps better. You have the right idea, just need to get a different vise or grind off those bumps for better clearance.

I made myself a vise from wood that use in my shop bench. I use a bar clamp to hold it in, but the jaws are wood to avoid damaging the chain or bar. You could add some thicker wood jaws in place of the metal ones to give you more space and protect the saw better.

Dave,

That is something I hadn't considered. I could slide thin pieces of wood between the jaws of the vice and the bar to keep the protrusions on the vice from getting in the way. It would be even better if I could permanently attach the wood to the vice jaws. Maybe I could glue the wood to the jaws?

I have to say that the stump vices appear they could damage the chainsaw bar if you clamped down very tightly. Maybe that's not an issue but it makes me nervous.



Obed