Best Way to Sharpen Chainsaw Chain

[ovrszd]

LoL...you're being facetious right?...I'm surprised there isn't more action on the "show off yer snow weapons" thread yet...only a few weeks until the days start getting shorter...!

I'm a moron, I don't know what that means?

 

[Molalla1]

OH. . . come on boys . . .

 

[4570Man]

I've been doing pretty good on touching up my chains but this last one seems to cut to the left since I sharpened it last. I use a lumber crayon to mark the tooth I start on and the last time I sharpened it I must have wiped off the crayon mark. I finally realized that i had been filing one side for quite a while before I stopped, I had already done the other side. Should I take this chain in to be professionally sharpened? Will that even it back out or should I toss it? There is still a lot on the teeth.

I’m guessing there’s another problem. I’ve never been a strict follower of the sharpen equal rule and my chains have always cut straight. Usually when I end up hitting a gravel it only damages one side. It takes a lot of work to take a lot of metal off without ruining it so usually I don’t take the undamaged side down and I’ve noticed no ill effects for doing that. I’m guessing your bar is worn and that’s causing the problem.

 

[CalG]

A Carlton File-o-plate is about the only special tool needed. A SHARP round file sized to your chain is first though.

I sharpen when ever I hit dirt. That glint of light at the tooth point tells the whole story..

Mostly I go around twice free hand. A third time if the rakers need knocking down.

I keep a "good chain" for cutting off a clean pile. and some not so good chains for cutting stumps and roots and dirty drags.
Changing a chain is faster than sharpening one. But I never let even the worst chains get so they only make powder. Clean curls or into the bin they go.

 

[joeyd]

I’m guessing there’s another problem. I’ve never been a strict follower of the sharpen equal rule and my chains have always cut straight. Usually when I end up hitting a gravel it only damages one side. It takes a lot of work to take a lot of metal off without ruining it so usually I don’t take the undamaged side down and I’ve noticed no ill effects for doing that. I’m guessing your bar is worn and that’s causing the problem.

It's not the bar, I put on a new chain to do some bucking and it cut straight. I'll take it in to have sharpened, $5.00 is worth saving a chain. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[4570Man]

If you can get a good sharping job for $5 I wouldn’t be sharpening chains. My experience with those guys is they burn the teeth and pull huge burs and the chain is pretty much ruined.

 

[ruffdog]

If you can get a good sharping job for $5 I wouldn’t be sharpening chains. My experience with those guys is they burn the teeth and pull huge burs and the chain is pretty much ruined.

I have seen the ruined chains the neighbor has too. Why do people pay others to do that?

 

[Industrial Toys]

It seems the one definite requirement is patience. Something I am short of. I paid a local guy, who was also a customer, to sharpen my chains, and he did a great job, but he has closed up shop and moved up North. So I am back at square one.

I have a HF style copy of a commercial bench sharpener which my friend stated he would have no issue using over his Oregon unit, but he did give me quality Oregon stones. Now I just have to try and remember everything he told me.

 

[SpaceRage]

Despite what they tell you very few weekend firewood cutters can freehand file a chain and do a good job. Itç—´ not a skill youæ±*e going to master overnight or probably ever with light use. I had a Timberline jig and it worked really well but it was slow and tedious. I ended up buying an Oregon chain grinder. It has the disadvantage of having to remove a chain but it works well once I got the hang of it. Removing a chain isn稚 as big of a deal as it might seem if I didn稚 rock the chain or cut dirt one chain would easily cut more than I wanted to split in a day. Thereç—´ plenty of tools available to assist in sharpening a saw but I致e never dealt with most of them.

Thanks for the advice! I think this machine looks like the business, I have a few chains so can bulk sharpen them in one session with this.

I'm always close to electric power as well, so makes sense to buy this over a manual file.

 

[widefat]

I have an Oregon Bench Grinder. But, I do very much like my:


It is easy to use for a novice, easy to carry to the field. It also hits the depth gauges or rakers, or whatever they are, at the same time.
Pferd makes the same file (I believe they came up with the design) and it is less costly.