Chainsaw - Sharpening Chains

[newbury]

This guy must be the Flash from DC comics to be able to sharpen an 8" bar in 60 seconds would be amazing much less a 20" bar. One would need a high speed camera to watch this action, maybe get the TIMEWARP guys in for a film session.

Maybe he's running full skip, and he wrote 1 pass per tooth.

 

[BeezFun]

This guy must be the Flash from DC comics to be able to sharpen an 8" bar in 60 seconds would be amazing much less a 20" bar. One would need a high speed camera to watch this action, maybe get the TIMEWARP guys in for a film session.

If he goes fast enough time will run backwards and he'll be done before he started.

 

[ilander]

This guy must be the Flash from DC comics to be able to sharpen an 8" bar in 60 seconds would be amazing much less a 20" bar. One would need a high speed camera to watch this action, maybe get the TIMEWARP guys in for a film session.

Once the bar is clamped into the vice, a tooth is marked as the starting point, the chain moves freely on the bar, yes I can do one pass with a file per tooth on a 20 in bar in just over 60 seconds. I really don't give a rats rectal orifice if you believe it or not, as to make a comment like that you are quite likely a rectal orifice yourself.

 

[Kodthree]

I'm a firefighter by trade, and we use carbide-tipped chains on our vent saws...they are NOT indestructible, but offer significantly longer cutting in really bad crap (tar, nails, light metal sheeting, screws, etc). We never have time to sharpen on a fire, and won't sharpen a carbide chain as this is specialty work. A carbide chain may offer you a little longer life in the clay and rock you're using your saw in, but why would you want to do this to the rest of your saw?

For ultra precise sharpening, MUCH MUCH MUCH quicker, far less damaging than any grinder, and WAY cheaper, I use a Timberline Sharpener. Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener |Sharpen Your Chainsaw Watch the online videos. I did, bought one immediately, and have THROWN AWAY all my hand filing devices, files, holders, angle keepers...just watch the videos, buy the beautiful thing, and never look back. I was so impressed after using mine the first time that I promise I would have paid three times as much as I actually did for it. I cannot recommend the Timberline Sharpener highly enough! After you buy yours, you will kick yourself for having not purchased it a year ago when you first saw it, and you'll be buying it for your family and friends too. Really.

When I buy chains, I buy from Madsen's saw shop: Welcome To Madsen's Online This is a fantastic, old-school, talk-to-the-actual-mechanic-in-back type of place. You can't order online from them. Instead, call them. Novel idea, right? Awesome knowledge base on their site and in their shop, plus when you buy one loop of chain they send you two. I won't even look anywhere else again.

 

[JoeBuyer]

I have three different chain chain types. Does the base unit of the Buffalo Tools sharpener come equipped for different chains?

 

[newbury]

<snip>

For ultra precise sharpening, MUCH MUCH MUCH quicker, far less damaging than any grinder, and WAY cheaper, I use a Timberline Sharpener. Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener |Sharpen Your Chainsaw Watch the online videos. I did, bought one immediately, and have THROWN AWAY all my hand filing devices, files, holders, angle keepers...just watch the videos, buy the beautiful thing, and never look back. I was so impressed after using mine the first time that I promise I would have paid three times as much as I actually did for it. I cannot recommend the Timberline Sharpener highly enough! After you buy yours, you will kick yourself for having not purchased it a year ago when you first saw it, and you'll be buying it for your family and friends too. Really.<snip>

Looks good but doesn't do milling chain (0 degree angle).

 

[burnieman]

Filing chains is for kids. Buy an Oregon bench mount chain sharpener. You won't be sorry.

 

[Kodthree]

Filing chains is for kids. Buy an Oregon bench mount chain sharpener. You won't be sorry.

No thanks. More expensive, takes longer to set up, mounted on the bench at home or shop, and can take too much off. My Timberline: Lighter (heck, it comes in it's own belt pouch!), probably almost as fast (really), I can use it on my kitchen table (or a stump, or the bench, or a tailgate), uses no electricity and allows me to feel each tooth being sharpened and adjust the process to accomodate for short teeth, and it much cheaper. I'll never waste the time or money sending a chain off to be ground down again.

 

[Kodthree]

Looks good but doesn't do milling chain (0 degree angle).

Call Timberline. Maybe they have something in the works.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I second the mention about the inexpensive Harbor Freight electric chain sharpener...
I have been extremely pleased with it...

 

[MBTRAC]

Filing chains is for kids. Buy an Oregon bench mount chain sharpener. You won't be sorry.

Interesting opinion - funny thing is I can't recall seeing too many loggers using bench grinders on the tree line......could be prove to be quite an education if you choose to call these guy's "kids" .......But I guess if you're felling toothpicks you don't need the accuracy of hand filing .....:sarcastic:

 

[LD1]

Filing chains is for kids.

Yea, an interesting statement. Too bad it doesnt make any sense.

 

[daugen]

The Madsen site has some great info, just working my way through it:
gotta avoid those "beaks"...


Q: Is it better to file or grind square ground chisel chain?

A: It is better to grind it. From what we see, most who square file don't do it well. Many don't realize (or admit) the kind of cutting performance they would enjoy if their chains were sharpened better. Square filing requires precise corner alignment and filing angles -- a level of accuracy that is hard to achieve by hand.

Q: Can you have a grinder set up with all the correct angles and still grind chains that cut poorly?
Chisel Chain Corner

A: Yes, corner alignment is critical. The working corner of the grinding wheel mist be aligned with the corner of the cutter's tooth. If the wheel is set too high, the chain won't cut well. In the wood, the chain will perform like a dull chain, even though you know you just sharpened it. If it is aligned too low, the chain will cut great, but it will get dull fast. The reason is: The cutter tooth will have a little "beak" on the top of the tooth. This little beak can be quite sharp, but has little support and dulls easily.

Q: Don't some people grind this way on purpose?

A: Some do, and if they are satisfied with the results, it's OK with us. They could get similar results from increasing the side angle or increasing the "back slope" on the side of their tooth. This will still feed aggressively but will give the cutting edges more support.

Another reason for "beaks" is it is difficult to align your grind perfectly on every tooth. Some grinders are not as accurate as they should be, the size of cutter teeth may vary slightly, and some grinder operators pay more attention to the process than others. Maybe another way of saying this is the accuracy "window" is larger for some than others. So, depending on what size "window" you work with, always try to align perfectly, but make sure that if you are off a little, you will be low. If you are slightly low, the chain will still cut well. If you misalign the corners and end up with the corner of grinding wheel slightly high, the chain will perform poorly.

Q: What are the best angles?

A: There are four main angles in the face of a square ground chisel cutter tooth. They are:

Outside Top Angle - This is the angle on the top plate of the cutter that you see when you look down on the top of the chain. This angle should be 15- 20 degrees sloped back. (0 degrees would be a right angle to the bar.)
Inside Top Angle - This is the angle of the face, inside the top plate. This angle should be 40-50 degrees. (0 degrees would be a right angle to the top plate.) If all this geometry doesn't make sense to you, just remember that the inside angle should be about 45 degrees.
Outside Side Angle - This is the angle of the side plate of the cutter that you see when you look at the chain from the side. This is the angle usually called "hook" by cutters. It should slope back up to 5 degrees. (0 degrees would be the plane of the bar.)
Inside Side Angle - This is the angle of the face, inside the side plate. This angle should also be 40-50 degrees.

 

[LD1]

Thats good information but has little to do with what most are talking about and little to do with how most people sharpen their chain.

They are talking about square ground chain. And I agree with #1 that it is not good to do that by hand most times.

But the vast majority of saw users use round ground chain. That way it can be sharpened with a found file.

 

[Egon]

But the vast majority of saw users use round ground chain. That way it can be sharpened with a Round File.

That's so we can touch them up in the field. For many carrying sharp chains into the field might get burdensome.

 

[daugen]

ok, I sure stand corrected, but thought some of the principles were the same. And I know round chains have "beaks" because I've snagged on a few...

If there ever is a topic where multiple answers are all right, it has to be this. Manual, manual with guide, on saw, off saw, automatic...
All in the eyes and hands of the user.

 

[newbury]

ok, I sure stand corrected, but thought some of the principles were the same. And I know round chains have "beaks" because I've snagged on a few...

If there ever is a topic where multiple answers are all right, it has to be this. Manual, manual with guide, on saw, off saw, automatic...
All in the eyes and hands of the user.

YES - there is only ONE correct way - the way that works for the guy with the chain. I know guys that wouldn't touch a grinder but only file, guys that won't file but use a grinder, and guys that only buy new chains. They all saw wood well.

Keep your rakers low, your top plate angle correct and your cutting corner sharp.

 

[KennyG]

With all these opinions, doesn't anyone else use the Dremel sharpening tool? I like it because it's quick and I don't have to take the chain off the saw. I used to hand sharpen, but the Dremel is so much faster and more accurate, and costs so little if you already have the Dremel tool, I don't see a reason to do it by hand.

 

[newbury]

I looked into it but toting power was a problem.

 

[Iowachild]

I think Northern still has their sharpening grinder on sale for a very good price. Yep, was right on the front page:
Northern Industrial Bench- or Wall-Mount Chain Grinder | Chain Saw Sharpeners, Maintenance Repair| Northern Tool + Equipment

Rumor has it that you need to get grinding wheels from a decent source like Bailey's and don't use the Northern/HF ones. So far I do all my sharpening by file, until the chain gets far enough out of whack that I bring it in for a professional sharpening to get it back in line (rarely)

Have one of these and love it. Bought for my son-in-law, he loves it and sharpens chains for other people for extra cash.