sharpening the chain

[turnkey4099]

I've been cuttin 6-8 cord/year for over 30 years and still don't freehand file. I carry 2 chains for each saw, do all my sharpening on the bench using a file guide that sets both angles and the depth. File is held in a bracket that slides back and forth on the guide frame. Clumsy yes, but at least the teeth come out identical.

A few comments.

Teeth on one side longer than the other - caused by filing both left and right handed. You will file the master hand teeth shorter than the other side even using the same number of strokes.

Cure if filing on bench: Mount saw upside down in vise, stand at tip for one side, alongside the bar for the other. You are filing both sides with the same hand.

Beginners almost without exception will make the rake of the tooth too deep, i.e., too much angle. Looked at from the side there should only be a slight slope from front of tooth to back of gullet. I still have to be sure I am not doing that.

You can check the sharpness of your chain either before or after you sharpen. Hold tip of bar up so you are sighting down the teeth toward the power head. With a good light behind you, any dullness of the tooth points will show as a bright dot.

I usually file my chains 3 or 4 times then take them to a shop to have them done. That evens up the teeth again as well as touching up the rakers.

Harry K

 

[beenthere]

You and turnkey4999 have offered good tips on hand sharpening, and I post some pics of how I clamp the saw bar in the vice and file using the 'triangular' file holder. Important to use a fresh, new file fairly often as they loose their edge after 3-4 filings.
Here is a pic of filing from the right-hand side, holding the file with a firm grip and using the body rather than the arms to push the file forward.

 

[beenthere]

Here the saw is switched in the vise and the filing is done on the left side, still with the same grip on the file.

 

[beenthere]

This pic shows the raker guide for filing the rakers. It rests on the top of the teeth, and the raker sticks above the flat spot if needing filing. Usually don't touch the rakers except every 4-6 filings, as if normal filing is done the wear of the raker keeps up about with the filing wear on the teeth. If damage to the teeth from hardware, then lots of filing on the teeth required, then the rakers need some lowering.

Usually I try to avoid taking any chains in for grinding, as they usually take too much off and the teeth get short in a hurry. With careful filing, the right shape to the tooth can be maintained and there is nothing better when sawing than having sharp teeth on the chain.

As seen, the bar is upside down on the saw. I use two chains and alternate them every 5-6 sharpenings. When I put on the other chain, I flip the bar as well. When I wear out two chains, I buy two new ones and buy a new sprocket at the same time. Putting a new chain on a worn sprocket will not fit well, and cause excessive wear on either the sprocket or the chain until they both fit together again.

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

Sharpening a chain saw is insanely simple. There is absolutely no reason to have a chain "professionally" sharpened. God forbid a grinding wheel should ever touch your chain. This only serves to make the chain that much more difficult to sharpen with a file.

I do not "freehand" file either. I use the two simple jigs that I have described, and supplied sources for, in the threads that Rob/3RRL has referenced in this thread.

It is quite true that there is a tendency to file one row of cutters more aggressively than the other, but this is, in my opinion, a virtual non-issue. I have never bothered to turn the saw upside down, although I am not saying that it isn't a clever idea, and for all I know, I will "take" to doing it. It is simply my experience that as long as the cutters appear by eye to be quite similar in length, the chain will cut superbly, as long as the rakers are are set properly and the bar is in good shape (rails even, rails not "opened up", bar straight).

If one row of cutters appears to be longer than the other, file them down until the appear quite similar in length. Take the rakers down, and you're cutting like a champ. End of story.

To recap: make sure each cutter is sharp (NO "shiny spots"), filed to the correct angle (matching the laser-etched line on the top of the cutter, or approximately 30 degrees), all the cutters are approximately the same length, the bar within specs, and the rakers are taken down to .025", and your saw will cut great. Period.

Maybe I need to make a video, showing how to take the worst-cutting saw you can imagine and in fifteen minutes, make it cut as well as a saw can cut. If the saw is merely "wood dull", make that 5 minutes or less.

Please, let's not make this any more complicated than it needs to be; it is really quite simple. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

John

 

[tawilson]

That's what I was trying to say. I think I need to work on my writing skills.

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

<font color="blue"> but just eyeballing seems to get them close enough. </font>

Tom, you said it all, and used a lot fewer words - I think I need to work on MY writing skills! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[tposts]

Thanks for posting the pictures and all of the info,you guys really explain a lot to me.

 

[HickoryNut]

I'll reiterate what beenthere mentioned, push the file using your body not your arms. It took me forever to get in this habit but it makes a world of difference.

Also, I've learned to make each stroke aggressive, with purpose, especially the last stroke. I often re-sharpen with only one stroke per tooth, very seldom more than three. Light strokes will not produce a cutting edge, no matter how many strokes you make.

 

[Slamfire]

Best chain sharpener I've seen, fits in a dremel tool, is about an inch long, and has a diamond file inside a frame that sets the depth, and scribe marks of the angle. I bought several and now they're all worn too much. Trouble is I can't find any more, anybody seen these? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif