TSC Chainsaw Sharpener

[ovrszd]

And again, I apologize for my behavior that distracted from this thread. I too am anxious to see your results with the sharpener.

 

[mikehaugen]

Thanks everyone for the entertainment...errr information. I did actually pick out a few useful tips from here. When I first got my chainsaw I had no idea how to sharpen a chain. I bought a filing guide (granberg I think) and had at it. It was kind of slow process as some have said, with the setup and all, and for a while I was thinking about getting an electric sharpener. I have a few different chains that all require different sharpening angles and its a pain to keep track of them, let alone set up a guide/sharpener for each one so this year I bought a couple file holders like ovrszd used in his video and they really are a lot faster than the clamp on one. I have never really cooked a chain so I don't know how long it would take to sharpen one by hand, and in that case an electric one may be faster. I don't cut enough that if I really screw up a chain and it takes me 30 minutes with a file once a year I still can't justify buying an electric one.

So I guess for me, it's hand filing most of the time. Once in a while I can use the guide, just to get the angles back to where they should be or if I really mess up a chain. The nice thing is, I can use either one 500 miles from electricity if I could find such a place. I don't have one yet, but may purchase a stump vise for making field sharpening a little easier. If I were messing up chains on a regular basis, or if I was a shop that fixed dozens a day, maybe I would consider the electric sharpener.

Here is the one I have Granberg Bar-Mount Chain Saw Sharpener, Model# G-106B | Chain Saw Sharpeners, Maintenance Repair| Northern Tool + Equipment I think I bought mine from Bailey's though, and mine is Made in USA, it doesn't appear to be anymore.

 

[mikehaugen]

Oh yeah, ovrszd, your chain appears to be very tight in the bar... none of mine are that tight. I replaced my smaller one with an "arbor pro" from bailey's and have a new chain, there is still a lot of slop in the chain. Maybe I need to buy a stihl bar? Anyone have experience with those bar pinching tools? Kinda pricey and probably not worth it I am sure.

 

[pacerron]

You know if someone was interested in this sharpener I don't think they would get much information from this thread. I would not want to read 109+ replies only to find a hand full giving useful information.

It does not matter how great you/we are at hand sharpening a chain. It only matters that the chain cuts to my/your satisfaction.

I don't care if you use a machine or hand file, and I don't care if it takes you 30 seconds or 30 minutes to sharpen. What I do care about is useful information, what works for you. Maybe there is something you do that I could incorporate into my hand filing or machine filing that would be useful. I think this thread is beyond that now.

It is easy to misconstrue someone's reply, read something into it that is not there, and totally take it out of context. That has been achieved in this thread.

Basically a thread that could have some very useful information and actually help someone has turned out to be useless.

I hope to have the electric sharpener up and running this weekend but the holiday crunch could put a damper on this. I will however post my thoughts on the TSC brand once I give it a try. In a new thread of course. I think it would be a nice little machine to have on a rainy day. Sit down in the shop and sharpen some chains.

I am going to ask a moderator to lock this thread. I will start a new one after I try this thing out.

To everyone that contributed useful information, I thank you.

I just zoomed through the pages of this thread.
I agree with your above analysis of the postings.
Before you close I will offer a couple points.
I have had and used a machine just like you purchased for 30+ years. It is identical except for being painted red.
Got it from Foley-Belsaw so that should give you an idea of the age.

The first thing I would suggest is to mount it at a comfortable height so you don't have to bend over to use it or see the teeth well.

Second. Clean the used chains before sharpening. I have used various grease removers but found liquid oven cleaner in an old porcelain
pan works great. Soak the chains in it a few minutes and rinse off in the shop sink. Keep it to use over.
Dirty/greasy chains will clog your wheels just like they do a file.

Third, look the chain over for loose rivets or cracked teeth. Look for the shortest tooth and use it to set your stop unless it is just way short and you want to skip it so you don't grind away too much on the other teeth. It is important to have all the teeth the same length as they get shorter in height
as you grind back the face. You want all the teeth to be in the game or you will cause the others to get dull faster.

You should have wheels of a couple different thicknesses as there are basically the little homeowner chains and the bigger farmer chains, if you use both. Get a stone to shape the bottom of the wheels.
Have a flat wheel to grind the depth gauges down evenly once in a while. Doesn't need to be done every time.

Stick with the angles and depths as they were new. You can play games and change angles, depths, etc. to make a speed chain but it won't last
near as long, and for normal cutting isn't worth it.
Take a spare or two sharpened chains to the field with you if you will be far from the shop. There is always a chance of hitting as stone, getting into dirt, or hitting some old barb wire buried in a tree trunk.

The main advantages of having your own grinder is you will save time, money, and fuel from having to take a bunch in to a shop and pick them up on a return trip. You can also take off just what is needed to get a good sharp chain. Some shops take off way too much, particularly if they sell replacement chains.
You can usually buy chain by the rolls with rivets and a little riveter to make your own and save some money if you do a lot of sawing.


I

 

[Gale Hawkins]

pacerron thanks for that info. Never thought about washing the chain since we just got our electric sharper yesterday. If it warms up some I want to set it up and see if I can make it work for us. I like the idea of being able to remove min metal and keeping the OEM angles and depths.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I just zoomed through the pages of this thread.
I agree with your above analysis of the postings.
Before you close I will offer a couple points.
I have had and used a machine just like you purchased for 30+ years. It is identical except for being painted red.
Got it from Foley-Belsaw so that should give you an idea of the age.

The first thing I would suggest is to mount it at a comfortable height so you don't have to bend over to use it or see the teeth well.

Second. Clean the used chains before sharpening. I have used various grease removers but found liquid oven cleaner in an old porcelain
pan works great. Soak the chains in it a few minutes and rinse off in the shop sink. Keep it to use over.
Dirty/greasy chains will clog your wheels just like they do a file.

Third, look the chain over for loose rivets or cracked teeth. Look for the shortest tooth and use it to set your stop unless it is just way short and you want to skip it so you don't grind away too much on the other teeth. It is important to have all the teeth the same length as they get shorter in height
as you grind back the face. You want all the teeth to be in the game or you will cause the others to get dull faster.

You should have wheels of a couple different thicknesses as there are basically the little homeowner chains and the bigger farmer chains, if you use both. Get a stone to shape the bottom of the wheels.
Have a flat wheel to grind the depth gauges down evenly once in a while. Doesn't need to be done every time.

Stick with the angles and depths as they were new. You can play games and change angles, depths, etc. to make a speed chain but it won't last
near as long, and for normal cutting isn't worth it.
Take a spare or two sharpened chains to the field with you if you will be far from the shop. There is always a chance of hitting as stone, getting into dirt, or hitting some old barb wire buried in a tree trunk.

The main advantages of having your own grinder is you will save time, money, and fuel from having to take a bunch in to a shop and pick them up on a return trip. You can also take off just what is needed to get a good sharp chain. Some shops take off way too much, particularly if they sell replacement chains.
You can usually buy chain by the rolls with rivets and a little riveter to make your own and save some money if you do a lot of sawing.


I

Thank you, good information:thumbsup:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Watched a clip on using the Northern Tool version and figured out how to mount our HF version. We have a steel work table and will have a 6" vice so will mount the sharper to a two by and clamp it in the vice when using it so it is out of the way the other 99.9% of the time.

After Youtube I have an idea of the process and think it will go well especially with the help of the good info here.

 

[pacerron]

pacerron thanks for that info. Never thought about washing the chain since we just got our electric sharper yesterday. If it warms up some I want to set it up and see if I can make it work for us. I like the idea of being able to remove min metal and keeping the OEM angles and depths.

I didn't look at the video so forgive me if this is covered.
It is important to get the angle on the right and left teeth set the same. If you have ever had a chain that would not cut straight, this is usually the cause of it. A bent bar might, but they are hard to bend without knowing it.

Clean the groove slot that the chain runs in on the bar. It tends to get packed with grease and sawdust and then you tend to tighten the chain too much causing it to wear the sprocket teeth. A good way to ruin a new chainsaw chain is to put it on a worn out sprocket.

If you use a water soluble grease remover on the chain be sure to oil the chain with PCL or your favorite oil afterwards if you are not going to use it right away. Without oil they will rust and bind up the rivets. I usually keep my spares in an old butter container with oil and the lid on top to keep them wet.

That's all I know. Have fun with your new sharpeners.

 

[ovrszd]

Oh yeah, ovrszd, your chain appears to be very tight in the bar... none of mine are that tight. I replaced my smaller one with an "arbor pro" from bailey's and have a new chain, there is still a lot of slop in the chain. Maybe I need to buy a stihl bar? Anyone have experience with those bar pinching tools? Kinda pricey and probably not worth it I am sure.

I buy all my bars and chains at the local Stihl shop. One time I bought a chain for my 361. When I got it home it fit the bar very loosely. I took it back. The store owner was there and showed me that they make two different thicknesses of chains. First I'd ever heard of it??? Got the right chain and it fit right. Learned something that day!!!

 

[pacerron]

I buy all my bars and chains at the local Stihl shop. One time I bought a chain for my 361. When I got it home it fit the bar very loosely. I took it back. The store owner was there and showed me that they make two different thicknesses of chains. First I'd ever heard of it??? Got the right chain and it fit right. Learned something that day!!!

If you look at a bar that has a chain that doesn't fit well , wrong number, or has not been tightened correctly you will often find a ruff/sharp bent over burr along the outside edge of the bar. You can file the bur off and on some saws put the bar on upside down to even out the wear. A rolled edge on the bar can also keep the chain from cutting straight even if it is sharpened properly.

 

[ovrszd]

If you look at a bar that has a chain that doesn't fit well , wrong number, or has not been tightened correctly you will often find a ruff/sharp bent over burr along the outside edge of the bar. You can file the bur off and on some saws put the bar on upside down to even out the wear. A rolled edge on the bar can also keep the chain from cutting straight even if it is sharpened properly.

Yep good point. Normal wear will also put that burr on a bar eventually. I flop my bar over frequently to spread the wear. I also don't run a dull chain. It will build up a lot of heat and transfer that heat to the bar. Easy to see when the bar starts to "blue" or "scald".

 

[pacerron]

I also don't run a dull chain. It will build up a lot of heat and transfer that heat to the bar. Easy to see when the bar starts to "blue" or "scald".

Dull chains put extra wear on everything including the engine and the operator.
Trying to force a dull chain through a cut, just to get done, rather than putting a sharp spare on can be very expensive in the long run.
That's why it is not a good idea to loan your saw to someone. Every minute it is run is wearing it out anyway, and running it wrong just speeds up the death of the saw. With everyone being sue crazy these days you could be sued for lending it to someone if they get hurt.
So it is better to go cut something for them yourself unless you drop a tree on their car or house.

 

[grsthegreat]

one other thing to remember..... just keep some extra chains handy. What ive been doing is keeping half a dozen chanes with me. As i dull them (I do lots of tree trimming and cutting over a season, i simply swap out chains and stockpile the dull ones.

After i have 5-6 dull ones, i set up sharpener on my steel work table and sharpen away. Doesnt take very long to do all them at one time. They really just fly right thru the machine.

I take this time to thoroughly clean the bar , blow out all oil ports, etc. Just thoroughly clean the saw.

Also, i generally have 3 saws with me while working. My 20" Stihl, a 16" Echo and my Stihl pole saw. So i tend to get quite a pile of chains over time.

 

[DarkBlack]

I buy all my bars and chains at the local Stihl shop. One time I bought a chain for my 361. When I got it home it fit the bar very loosely. I took it back. The store owner was there and showed me that they make two different thicknesses of chains. First I'd ever heard of it??? Got the right chain and it fit right. Learned something that day!!!

You probably have an 058 bar and got a 050 chain. 050 is becoming more popular.
Also, If you have a really badly worn 050 bar you can mistakenly wedge an 058 chain in it by mistake.

 

[DarkBlack]

Thank you, good information:thumbsup:

If you search for my tip in post #12, you might find via google, a very nice pdf manual you can use.

 

[MossRoad]

Thread pruned. Get it? Pruned. A chainsaw thread pruned! Get it? hahahaa
Anyhow, too many folks affected to send individual notices to.
Please continue the discussion regarding the sharpener per the O.P's timeline. Thanks.

For what its worth, I have a sharpener and I also sharpen by hand. By hand, I get O.K. results for in the field. However, I have about half a dozen sharp chains in an oily ziplock bag. As I cut through the day, I just change out chains. When I get home, I fire up the electric sharpener and go through them all at once and toss them back in the bag.

I will say, if you are not careful, you can go through a lot of chains with the electric grinder. Its very easy to take too much off. Its also very easy to overheat the teeth with the grinder.

As someone else mentioned, just a little kiss of the wheel is all it takes.

Also, as the wheel wears down, your teeth angle will change. So replace the wheel if it gets significantly smaller. I change mine out after they lose about 1/4 inch of diameter. They are cheap at Harbor Freight.

 

[murphy1244]

bump.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Well, my assistance was demanded for Christmas shopping this Saturday and Sunday.

So I was unable to try out my sharpener but did find a nice old school desk to mount it on. Once I put casters on the legs it will be the perfect height to sit at with a chair to work. I did not have the right length bolts to mount it with and will pick those up Wednesday. I also found a couple more old chains so I now have a total of 6 to work with.

Will update with pics and review ASAP.

 

[catskinner]

one other thing to remember..... just keep some extra chains handy. What ive been doing is keeping half a dozen chanes with me. As i dull them (I do lots of tree trimming and cutting over a season, i simply swap out chains and stockpile the dull ones.

After i have 5-6 dull ones, i set up sharpener on my steel work table and sharpen away. Doesnt take very long to do all them at one time. They really just fly right thru the machine.


I take this time to thoroughly clean the bar , blow out all oil ports, etc. Just thoroughly clean the saw.

Also, i generally have 3 saws with me while working. My 20" Stihl, a 16" Echo and my Stihl pole saw. So i tend to get quite a pile of chains over time.

Your the type that the grinder was designed for. :thumbsup:. I'm to cheap to buy more than one spare chain, I'd rather buy a spare saw! :confused3:

 

[pacerron]

Well, my assistance was demanded for Christmas shopping this Saturday and Sunday.

So I was unable to try out my sharpener but did find a nice old school desk to mount it on. Once I put casters on the legs it will be the perfect height to sit at with a chair to work. I did not have the right length bolts to mount it with and will pick those up Wednesday. I also found a couple more old chains so I now have a total of 6 to work with.

Will update with pics and review ASAP.

Mount it with the sharpener sticking out over the edge so the chain can hang in a free loop under the clamp.

Clumping up the free chain doesn't work well.

Does your grinder have a reversing motor?
I notice some of the ones offered today do not.
I have a reverse switch on mine and like it. It is like filing in one direction from the outside of the tooth in on both sides.
You will get the feel of it when you do some sharpening. It is probably still an AC/DC motor so a reversing switch would be possible
if it doesn't have one.