chainsaw sharpening question

anthonyk · Apr 11, 2005

I think you're right about cutting more on one side.
Every time I cut the angle just seems to pull down and to the left, so instead of clean vertical cuts, all my logs are cut with 30 degree diagonal slashes.
Thanks to all for the tips, I'm going to try some of them out, and feel free to keep the advice coming. I even went out and bought a new chain just to be able to see what it SHOULD look like.
Anthony

anthonyk · Apr 11, 2005

Thanks, I appreciate the offer. I just moved last year from the Heights in downtown, about 40 miles northwest, out to Hockley.
If I think I'm going to be in your area for any reason, I WILL give you an email to see if we can link up. Thanks again.
Anthony

mwechtal · Apr 11, 2005

Anthony,
Is there any chance that you hit a piece of steel? If so, you may have to put a lot more effort into sharpening on one side. Take a good look at the teeth, and see if any seem damaged.

Mike

bczoom · Apr 11, 2005

Anthony,

I cut a lot of firewood and have all kinds of sharpeners.

The one I found that works best... I take it to a local shop that sharpens them (actually, it's at the Kubota/NH dealer). 1 day later and $3.00 per chain and I'm ready to go again. At that price, I don't bother spending the time doing it myself.

Brian

Boondox · Apr 11, 2005

( Anthony,

I cut a lot of firewood and have all kinds of sharpeners.

The one I found that works best... I take it to a local shop that sharpens them (actually, it's at the Kubota/NH dealer). 1 day later and $3.00 per chain and I'm ready to go again. At that price, I don't bother spending the time doing it myself.

Brian )

I do the same thing but was too ashamed to admit it till you did! $2.50 a chain here. I run a file over the teeth every time I stop to refuel and reoil, but mostly just to give my shoulders a break. I do that once. The second time the chain comes off and goes onto the Dull Peg in the garage. When half of my chains are hanging on the Dull Peg I take them to the shop for sharpening...and when they come back they go on the Sharp Peg.

Not a matter of laziness, really. It's just there is so much to do this time of year I can get more done if I don't bother trying to sharpen dull chains myself.

Pete

Highbeam · Apr 11, 2005

I'm with bczoom. I take it to the local saw shop and it cames back as good as new. Actually I take three at a time and keep the fresh ones in the saw box along with oil, gas, etc..

My guy charges 4$ per chain and the chains cut straight and fast. You will waste more time than that in slower cutting times from your selfsharpened chain not to mention the actual act of sharpening.

Nothing beats a fresh chain for blasting through wood.

Varmintmist · Apr 11, 2005

I can get about 5 sharpens with a file before I have to take one to the shop. I freehand when I am in the woods and use a Oregon jig on the bench. I can make it cut again but by no means am a expert. With the jig I can bring back a real bad one, not as good as the shop, but it will cut. Shop charges me 5 bucks a chain. Everything else is priced right and they know who I am and what saws I have.

The main things to look for are the angle across the tooth, the raker's, and the depth of the file. I find that file depth is the hardest to keep from tooth to tooth.

File from the inside out, the reason for that is that the outsides of the teeth are hardened. Hard on files. Same with the rake gauge, file from inside to outside.

I am running the 359 also, along with a 136 I bought for my wife /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

bczoom · Apr 11, 2005

( I do the same thing but was too ashamed to admit it till you did!
Pete )

Hey Pete,

I'm not at all ashamed. In all I do, I prefer to work smart as opposed to hard. There's already too many steps in processing firewood...

BTW, I run a Husky 365 for the big stuff and a 338XTP for the small stuff. Love them both.

PineRidge · Apr 12, 2005

Get you a good Oregon sharpener and your chains will come out sharper than when you bought them.

It puts the right angle on each tooth flawlessly.

anthonyk · Apr 12, 2005

thanks again ya'll. I'll try some of these and if I can't make 'em work right, I'll go buy 5 chains and do what others do, use 'em, drop 'em off, and bring 'em back. I'll let you know how it goes.
Just wanted to say thanks again for all the tips.

anthony /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif