Chain saw sharpening advice sought

beowulf · Jan 8, 2017

I have never tried to master chain saw sharpening so have a box full of used chain saw chains/blades. I usually try to keep a new one around but hate to see all those blades in the box that I can still use. My plan was to take them down the road to a guy who sharpens them - if he is still around. I estimate that I only go through only about three blades a year - so not really a heavy user. Anyway, I think I need to learn to sharpen these blades myself, if only to save me a trip to town when I need a sharp blade and have none. Saw is Husqvarna 455 Rancher 20 inch.

So, I see on Amazon that there are a number of options, a sharpening machine, a file kit, a bar-mount chain saw sharpener, and perhaps more. My current thinking is that a bar mount chain saw sharpener would work out - found one on Amazon for $35 without the files. It seems that it would be fairly easy to use and I can get the files separately.

Best advice?

ovrszd · Jan 8, 2017

I sharpen by hand. After the chain teeth get worn down some I take it to my local shop and let him sharpen it. He adjusts the height of the drags so it gets an appropriate size bite again. He charges me $5 if he does that along with sharpening.

I had a bar mount sharpener. I got along with it fine. But once you understand the concept just using a file in a holder is much faster. I carry a file to the timber with me.

I've never used a sharpening machine.

Maybe visit your local Husky dealer and discuss this with them. They'll hook you up with the appropriate file holder and file size and offer some pointers.

There are a LOT of chain saw users here on TBN. This thread discussion may go on for several days. So get some popcorn and enjoy the education.

Junkyard Jim · Jan 8, 2017

I also file by hand. If I am in the woods, I just hit each tooth the same number of licks following the angle it is set at as best as possible and keep cutting. Once I'm back on the bench, I do have a guide that helps set the angles right and a guide for the depth on the rakers. Once you get the feel on the file sliding across the tooth, you will notice when it "smooths out" and you're done. Using the same number of strokes will keep your teeth close to the same length and lowering the rakers is as important as sharp teeth. They can't work if they can't reach the wood.

Play around some and you'll get a feel for what your saw likes. Flat file across the rakers 4 or 5 times and cut with it. Does it throw chips or dust? Hit em a few more times. Does it throw chips or grab and bog. If it's dust, they are too high. If it grabs too much, they are too low. Experimentation is your friend, but be carefull.

You can ask ten guys this question and you'll get 15 different answers. Take em all with a grain of salt but nothing beats getting out there and doin it.

ovrszd · Jan 8, 2017

Junkyard Jim said:
You can ask ten guys this question and you'll get 15 different answers. Take em all with a grain of salt but nothing beats getting out there and doin it.

I totally agree!!!

I'll only add, don't continue to try to cut wood with a dull chain. All you are doing is heating the chain and bar and wearing the bar out. As soon as it starts cutting badly, stop and "tune" it up.

motownbrowne · Jan 8, 2017

First, chain, not blade. Chainsaws don't have blades. I hand file chains also. Almost bought a grinder last week, but decided I wouldn't use it enough to justify owning it. They're really only better for fixing a chain that's been damaged by a rock or other foreign object. A file sharpens just as well, and doesn't risk heating and changing the temper the cutter.

Filing by hand is cheap. Files only cost a buck or two and will sharpen a chain many times. Doing it by hand takes practice, though. Also, you need to understand what you're trying to accomplish. You need to sharpen the top plate of the cutter while maintaining the correct top plate angle, as well as the right amount of "hook". Also, you need to sharpen the top plate evenly across the entire length of the cutting edge.

Then there's the depth gauges aka "rakers" which determine how deep into the wood each cutter goes. These need periodic maintenance as well. I usually file my rakers about every third time I file a chain. I touch up my chains pretty much every time I fill the saw with fuel. A dull chain won't properly load the engine, and can result in an over revving, over heating situation and reduce the service life of the saw.

Then there's the gullets also. As you sharpen the top plate back, the gullets need to be cleaned out to make room for chips.

Now, all that said, it's not hard to do. Honestly the absolute best thing to do would be to find someone near you who knows what they're doing and learn from them. Next best would be to join arboristsite.com and spend 1-2 full days learning about chain filing. Then practice a bunch. A good thing to try for starters (once you have proper files) is to tighten up your chain pretty tight on your saw, and clamp the bar into your bench vise. You'll also want good lighting and safety glasses. Don't clamp the chain, just the bar, so that you can still spin the chain. Then examine a new chain and use your file to make the old one look the same.

It's a skill worth learning, but it is overwhelming the beginning. If you don't want to commit, I hear GREAT things about this product. Timberline Chainsaw Chain Sharpener | Timberline Filing Guides | Chain Filing Guides | www.www.baileysonline.com.com It's the only jig/clamp on sharpener I would consider buying. It uses carbide bits and low speed cutting, so it won't heat the cutters. I think the buyer are sold separately, and are sized differently for different sized chain.

beowulf · Jan 8, 2017

ovrszd, Thanks for the information. Hey, at $5 a chain - if that is what the local guy would charge - it would be a bargain since I am not a really heavy user. I probably have 20 chains that need sharpening. Still, I want to learn how to do it myself as well - hate to always depend on someone else. So, likely I will check out the local guy and also get a set of files and/or a bar mount unit. I see H-Freight has a cheap electric one (may be enough for my occasional use)- and there are several youtube videos re how to set up and use that. So, that may also be an option. It seems with the electric sharpener I can sharpen chains off the saw which is what I now need to take care of my box of chainsaw blades. Then if I learn how to use a file to sharpen the chain saw blades on the saw in the field I should be set. Thanks again.

beowulf · Jan 8, 2017

motownbrowne, thanks. A lot to consider. I do need to learn how to do this and like a challenge. It might impress my dogs if they see I can do this. My son in law was visiting and we were gathering firewood and this came up and he showed me how to mount the saw in a vice and use a hand file, but he was flying out that afternoon and we did not have any time to really work on it. I will take some time to learn about these parts of the chains and their functions and check out some youtube videos of hand sharpening.

ovrszd · Jan 8, 2017

Not sure about Husky chains, but Stihl chains have a small slash mark on the top of each tooth, almost to the rear of the tooth. That's the angle to file the cutting edge at. I refer to it when I'm doing a quicky sharpening in the timber. Then all I have to worry about is keeping the file holder horizontal laterally across the chain.

motownbrowne · Jan 8, 2017

ovrszd said:
Not sure about Husky chains, but Stihl chains have a small slash mark on the top of each tooth, almost to the rear of the tooth. That's the angle to file the cutting edge at. I refer to it when I'm doing a quicky sharpening in the timber. Then all I have to worry about is keeping the file holder horizontal laterally across the chain.

Yes, the "witness mark" is super handy. Of course you also need to pay attention to if you're pushing the file downwards or lifting it upwards, basically, where does the cutting edge contact the file. This is the hook angle. If more of the file is under the cutting edge, that's an aggressive angle, which will cut very nicely, but wrong be as durable because the edge doesn't have as much support. By contrast, if less of the file is covered, and the edge contacts the file in a closer-to-perpendicular or more obtuse angle, the chain will cut a little less aggressively, but be more durable.