Chain saw blade sharpening ?

[Von]

Richard,
Here is something to consider, Just replace the old chain with new. You can buy chain in bulk rolls and master links. Just put a new chain on when you need it. I've been doing it this way for years, of course I got a life time supply of chain and links from my Grandfather. It was left over from the Basket factory my family owned. I don't use my saw all that much so its nice to have a fresh chain when I need it. Its just one more idea.

Von

 

[Richard]

Well, I've been snooping around this wonderful thing called the internet and found some sharpeners from several $$ to over 500 /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

When I bought saw, I ended up buying a total of 4 more chains. So, when sharp, I actually have 5 chains. I rotate them when one is out to be "professionally" sharpened, I didn't want to ever be without one.

The bulk chain idea is certainly one I had never thought of and will look into. I've also found out that there is a wider variety of chains than I had thought. I knew of the low kickback and by inference, "high" kickback chains. Turns out there is round chisel, square chisel, semi chisel, yada yada yada...

Maybe I should send my request to the Ginsu company? After all, if their knife can cut steel and gingerly slice the skin off a tomato, maybe they could make a chain that stayed sharp??

 

[gordon]

Alot of different things to take into consideration here. First what kind of chain will you be running? Chipper or chisel teeth. Next what type of chain skip, semi skip, and the most important of all is round or square ground!!! The most popular is usually a full skip chain with large softwoods or a standard for limbing. But the semi skip is a good all around chain. I also use the standard as well.

Here are a few things that I've found over the years. If you want a screamin cutttin saw run square ground skip or semi skip chisel chain as long as your saw can pull it. Downside of this dulls real quick. A decent sharpener will run about 500-1800 dollars for a square ground chain. Or you can do what I do run a round ground chisel, still alot faster than a chipper chain, but holds it's edge longer and you can field sharpen the chain in a pinch. A power bench sharpener will run half the cost of a square grinder. A square ground is almost impossible to do by hand.

What happens alot of times when you send a sawchain to a shop is they will over grind the teeth and not touch the rakers. If the rakers aren't cut to the proper lengh your saw will not cut at all or if they are cut to deep your saw will dog because it's trying to take to big of a bite out of the wood.

Bottom line of all this is if you get a decent round grinder you will be more than happy with it. The thing to remember is to get all and I mean ALL of the teeth the same lengh so ALL the cutting teeth are doing the work. Then do the rakers and get them ALL the exact same lengh as well. You will end up with a screamin saw again. I usually will handdress my chains a couple of times then I will put it on the grinder to get everything back in whack again. You'll be able to tell the difference.

Word of caution about the chisel chain if your not experienced with a saw stay will the chipper chain for now!!! Alot of the chisel chain isnt low kick back----remember the ten ten rule. I started the day with ten fingers and ten toes and I'll end the day with the same amount!!!

Here is a link to basic chain advise also the company is a very good company to deal with. http://www.madsens1.com/sub4.htm

I run huskys and love the rpms they give me box stock before getting the saw hopped up. You have a great saw as well should turn about 13,500 box stock. But with all the rpm's in the world an improperly sharpened chain will make that nice saw useless as you already know!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I've got to consider myself lucky I can sharpen my own or bring then to the Amish man down the road. He does an execellant job as well. I have used other shops with BAD luck.---Live and Learn--- If you can find someone who actually knows how to run a grinder stick with him! You can have the best grinder in the world and if you don't know how to run it properly---you can trash a chain in no time! If you don't do much cutting you can go with a bar mount file system by hand A pain to set up and it takes alot longer but you can have the same end result---a screamin saw.

Thats my two cents take it for what it's worth
Hope this helps
Gordon

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I had this same exact problem. I could not get my chainsaw to cut a stick of butter and I was discouraged to no end. I borrowed a friend's chainsaw and it cut like crazy. I took my chain to get it sharpened and it cut just as bad as before. I was so disgusted because I had it professionally sharpened and I thought there was nothing left to try and the saw was nearly new. It was a McColluch (sp?) In desperation I called Oregon Cutting Systems (the replacement chainsaw bar and chain people) and let me tell you guys, the guy I got on the phone spoke to me for a solid 20 minutes trying to diagnose my problem and it was not his chain or guide bar on my saw!!! I could not beleive the service this guy was giving me! He took my name and address down and sent me a file guide to fix the problem he thought i was having. He also sent a bunch of literature about what to look for and how to keep saw chain working in top shape. I was so impressed with the company and this man's effort to help me that I went out and bought a brand new guide bar and brand new chain for my saw and put it on before I even got anything from him in the mail. And my chainsaw has cut like crazy mad for three years and I have not worn out the Oregon bar or chain in that time. I also sharpen my chain by hand but I am going to give that up for a hand held sharpener pretty quick.

Here is a web page that will probably help you:

http://www.oregonchain.com/faq.htm#dullcutters

Sorry to be so long winded, but Oregon did me such a favor when they did not have to that I want to direct whatever business I can in their direction.

 

[gordon]

Thats one reason that they are the number one replacement bar and chain supplier. Let me ask what he sent you??? A depth gauge for the rakers???

Seems everyone sharpens the teeth and forgets the rakers!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

 

[MChalkley]

Gordon - Great post! And a great link, too - I hadn't seen that site. It's now bookmarked. Thanks!

As you mentioned, very rarely will most sharpening shops touch the rakers, so what happens is that the teeth are sharp, but they can't cut because the rakers hold them up out of the wood. The rakers don't have to be filed every time you file the cutters, but I find they have to be done every three or four times or you're wasting your time doing the cutters.

I've got an old Poulan S25 for light work, a Stihl 024 for medium work and a Stihl 044 for the big stuff. Like you, I much prefer the round full chisel chain but, as you say, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who's not highly experienced, because it's very bad at kick-back if you don't handle it properly.

MarkC

 

[Thomas]

Richard,
Learning to sharpen a chain like learning to ride your first bike.
There many devices on the market which will fit your needs,but your still free handing sharpening.

My 2 cents...learn free hand sharpening,for if your out in the woods you may need to touch up the chain now and than.


Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Bird]

I found some interesting reading on the site Gordon provided, too, but one thing I'm looking for is the "master links" for a #41 chain and haven't been able to find such.

My brother has a Stihl 044; fine saw but too heavy to suit an old man like me who generally has only relatively small stuff to cut. So I like my Poulan Wood Shark 1800 much better.

Bird

 

[TomG]

I've got the bar-mounted file system mentioned by Gordon. Works OK, but I wouldn't want to use it every day.

It's good your McCulloch is working out for you after your got past the chain problem. Maybe yours is a few years old and better than the one I bought last year. I found it so aggravating that it's now in the junk pile without ever having cut one thing. The replacement is a Husky, which is a pleasure to use.

 

[JonE]

Gordon, that is an excellent site. I've seen it before but lost the link. Thanks. Good info. also.
I have a bench mounted grinder for sharpening saw chain. It cost about $130. Expensive, yes but I do a lot of wood cutting for myself and others. It is just a waste of my time to cut with a dull or even semi dull chain. With my sharpener I can have a chain in shape within 10 min. I have developed my own method of sharpening so that when I'm done the tooth has instead of a round grind it looks more like a V. I'll get some pics to illustrate. Anyways, I always have a spare chain (only have 2 chains right now) that is sharp and ready to go. If I even detect a hint of it slowing down I change it because it is so easy to keep them sharp. Now it did take a lot of trial and error to get it right but now I have to be careful because they are almost razor sharp. I mean I get nice chips and curls of wood instead of saw dust! I'll post some pics tomorrow and where to get the sharpener.
Jon