Chainsaw Sharpening question

[clemsonfor]

16" full skip full chisel on a 70+cc saw in 12-16" softwood would be a LOT of fun!!!

yep! I know a guy on one of my forums had videos of him with a 90cc saw with a 16" bar!!!

 

[MossRoad]

yep! I know a guy on one of my forums had videos of him with a 90cc saw with a 16" bar!!!

That's for pruning.... :laughing:

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

I started with hand filing, then sent them out, back to hand filing, Dremel and now back to hand filing. I have not tried a bench mounted sharpener.

Sending them out was just inconvenient. The stones in the dremel don't last worth a darn. Getting good with the hand file is far more productive and I get a far better sharpen. It only took me a couple years to learn to stop doing it in bare hands and wear gloves to keep from cutting my knuckles if I slip.

Lee Valley Tools has a decent sharpening jig to use with a hand file to keep your angles accurate. Works well for those that don't sharpen very often and never get to learn the feel of the angles.

I'd really like to try one of the Timberline sharpeners

 

[5030]

Bailey has them on sale this month and the carbide cutters as well.

 

[gsganzer]

I started with hand filing, then sent them out, back to hand filing, Dremel and now back to hand filing. I have not tried a bench mounted sharpener.

Sending them out was just inconvenient. The stones in the dremel don't last worth a darn. Getting good with the hand file is far more productive and I get a far better sharpen. It only took me a couple years to learn to stop doing it in bare hands and wear gloves to keep from cutting my knuckles if I slip.

Lee Valley Tools has a decent sharpening jig to use with a hand file to keep your angles accurate. Works well for those that don't sharpen very often and never get to learn the feel of the angles.

I'd really like to try one of the Timberline sharpeners

Like the old saying, "Buy once, cry once" buy the Timberline and be done with it. It works in the field or on the bench. It's quick and effective and I can't really see where any other sharpener can offer much improvement over the Timberline.

Like some others that have used a Timberline say, make sure you wear gloves and eye protection. Because the Timberline machines, rather than grinds or files, the small turnings it creates can be very sharp. You get one in your finger and it's a pain to dig it out.

 

[5030]

+10 on a Timberline with one exception and that is, if you want to sharpen PICCO chain, small pitch, it's a PITA. no issue with 3/8 or 404, but the small anti kickback chain, especially on shorter bars is an exercise in hair pulling. I use Dremel electric saw sharpener with guide, instead. I've tried and tried and it won't give a satisfactory result.

The place the Timberline really shines is in the field. Add a stump vise to secure the bar and sharpen or touch up a chain right where you are cutting. I carry mine with me to the field.

 

[Alien]

I used to do all mine by filing but over time found that I seemed to favour one side of the bar and eventually the saw would not cut dead true.
I bought a bench sharpener and will never hand file again.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I file by hand. All my saws run 3/8 LGX chain. I like the little square-ish Husqvarna guide with the two rollers and the fold out depth gauge guide. I like this file guide because I can see the tooth as I file and it is fast and easy to manipulate. I hate the cumbersome guides that cover the tooth you are filing. I file in a bench vise in the morning and at noon and free hand in the woods as needed. A few light strokes produce the sharpest chains.

gg

 

[fxdb96]

Also, when you flip your bar feel the edges that the chain rides on. You will find a burr or rolled edge where you cut the most. In other words - if you cut down all day onto 10" logs approx 6" in from the tip - there will be an area maybe 10" or so long that needs to be carefully touched up with a flat file.

 

[SpringHollow]

I have used a huge number of different sharpening systems. The Timberline creates a very sharp chain but I have difficulty getting the left and right hand cutters to be equal. I did not like the 12V Dremel style sharpener that I used. The Granberg style sharpeners work well but I found them slow. I can free hand but I am not the best at it. The nicest hand guides for in field use that I have tried are the Husqvarna ones, for example: Husqvarna Chain Roller Guide Combination .404 3/8in | SHERRILLtree
They are very fast to use and do a very good job. I had terrible luck with a bench grinder - I tried special lubes and special wheels and only took multiple very light cuts on each tooth but I could always see the tooth get hotter than I wished.

I have drooled over diamond sharpening blades for years and finally bought one from Diamond Wheel, Inc. to put on my Oregon sharpener. Should have done it years ago. Very sharp chains that stay sharp for an extremely long time. I think this is partially due to the diamond cutting cooler and I took the time to even up all of the cutters. Normally, I would either swap chains or hand touch up after every couple of tankfuls. However, the current chain has cut well over 15 face cord without even touching up by hand sharpening. I find that truly amazing given that I did not brush off the dirt etc where i was cutting like I normally do. I should swap the chain out now since the chips are not quite as large as they were but it is not creating dust yet. I always buy Stihl brand chain - it seems to stay sharp longer than the other brands I have used when in a pinch.

Ken