Chainsaw chain sharpening.......

goeduck · Jun 15, 2019

Sawyer Rob said:
I hate it too, and never do it!!

I just carry a couple extra chains and change as needed, then grind them when I feel like it.

SR

Same here. :thumbsup:

4570Man · Jun 15, 2019

I hate sharpening chains at all but grinding them in the basement on a rainy day sucks a lot less than just swapping one.

John_Mc · Jun 16, 2019

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I much prefer hand sharpening to grinding to sharpen my chains. For one thing, you can get better results by hand sharpening than you can with a grinder. However, the main reason I like to hand sharpen is that it forces me to take a break. I tend to get caught up in what I am doing, and not notice how dehydrated, hungry, or tired I'm getting (any one of which is a safety issue). Pausing to sharpen a chain also gives me a chance to assess what shape I'm in and get myself hydrated.

Molalla1 · Jun 16, 2019

Sawyer Rob said:
I hate it too, and never do it!!

I just carry a couple extra chains and change as needed, then grind them when I feel like it.

SR

:thumbsup: Yep I'm in this camp . . .

4570Man · Jun 16, 2019

John_Mc said:
For one thing, you can get better results by hand sharpening than you can with a grinder..

Maybe 1 percent of weekend wood cutters can but the vast majority can’t.

John_Mc · Jun 16, 2019

4570Man said:
Maybe 1 percent of weekend wood cutters can but the vast majority can’t.

Of all the folks I've personally met who sharpen their own chains (and I've met a lot of them), the vast majority can not do a better job freehand filing (just a round file, no guide) than using a grinder. This includes both weekend warriors and pros, though there are plenty who think they can.

However, it's not hard at all to get better than new-out-of-the-box performance when using one of the better guides out there. It does not take much to learn. I've taught a few chain-sharpening novices. They might not match the results of a truly good free-hand filer, but with just a little practice, they easily match or beat factory new or a grinder resharpen.

John_Mc · Jun 16, 2019

4570Man said:
Maybe 1 percent of weekend wood cutters can but the vast majority can’t.

Of all the folks I've personally met who free-hand sharpen their own chains (just a round file, no guide) , the vast majority can not do a better job freehand filing than a good resharpen on a grinder (I'm talking someone who knows what they are doing with the grinder, not the hardware store flunky). This includes both weekend warriors and pros, though there are plenty who think they can.

However, it's not hard at all to get better than new-out-of-the-box performance when hand sharpening using one of the better guides out there. It does not take much to learn. I've taught a few chain-sharpening novices. They might not match the results of a truly good free-hand filer (those very few who are out there), but with just a little practice, they easily match or beat factory new or a grinder resharpen.

ArlyA · Jun 16, 2019

I hand file chains and did so today. By "hand", its just plain tooth files we take into the field and no holders used. I do this over the coarse of the day if its not to dull or beat up and the rakers don't need any adjusting down. When it gets to beat, then I take chains to the locale pros who will bring the tooth angles back to where they should be. Best of both worlds??

John_Mc said:
Of all the folks I've personally met who free-hand sharpen their own chains (just a round file, no guide) , the vast majority can not do a better job freehand filing than a good resharpen on a grinder (I'm talking someone who knows what they are doing with the grinder, not the hardware store flunky). This includes both weekend warriors and pros, though there are plenty who think they can.

However, it's not hard at all to get better than new-out-of-the-box performance when hand sharpening using one of the better guides out there. It does not take much to learn. I've taught a few chain-sharpening novices. They might not match the results of a truly good free-hand filer (those very few who are out there), but with just a little practice, they easily match or beat factory new or a grinder resharpen.

4570Man · Jun 16, 2019

Do you actually have pros available to sharpen a chain? 9-10 saw shops do an equivalent job as putting the chain on backwards and cutting a rock.

Oldpath05 · Jun 16, 2019

There's been a couple times I put my chain on backwards, last weekend I caught this before I tighten it down.

Thinking of getting one of these, cause I hate filing and dont care much for taking a chain off the saw either, in fact I call it a good day when the chain stays on the saw..............
Strongway Bar-Mount Chainsaw Sharpener - 12V | eBay

https://www.amazon.com/Timber-Tuff-...XRJ1G7EXPPH&psc=1&refRID=H956TN15BXRJ1G7EXPPH

Jstpssng · Jun 17, 2019

Oldpath05 said:
I took 2 swipes with a flat chainsaw file, regular flat files can file on the side so if one used that might end up hitting the just sharpen tooth.

For years I've taken 3 swipes per raker with an 8" ******* file, a few times over the life of a chain. I never could get the hang of using a raker gauge. I also prefer to file by hand, as I like to run a file across the teeth at least every other tankful. I do put it in a vise and file with a guide occasionally. I did that yesterday with a new chain which cut through a nail the first time I used it

, then after sharpening I proceeded to drive it into the dirt while cutting a dead Alberta Spruce off my mother's front lawn. Somehow I don't think that chain's going to last very long.

John_Mc · Jun 17, 2019

4570Man said:
Do you actually have pros available to sharpen a chain? 9-10 saw shops do an equivalent job as putting the chain on backwards and cutting a rock.

That's becoming a problem around here. The guys who sharpened chains for others ad knew hat they are doing are all retiring, moving, or passing away. So many of the ones who are doing it now appear to have had about 10 minutes of training on the grinder, most of which probably involved "here's the on/off switch" and "Keep your hands away from here."

Oldpath05 · Jun 17, 2019

Jstpssng said:
For years I've taken 3 swipes per raker with an 8" ******* file, a few times over the life of a chain. I never could get the hang of using a raker gauge. I also prefer to file by hand, as I like to run a file across the teeth at least every other tankful. I do put it in a vise and file with a guide occasionally. I did that yesterday with a new chain which cut through a nail the first time I used it , then after sharpening I proceeded to drive it into the dirt while cutting a dead Alberta Spruce off my mother's front lawn. Somehow I don't think that chain's going to last very long.

Hate that when that happens, happy filling on that chain as you go around it 15 times trying to straighten it out, can we say chainsaw chain grinder yet...................

Oldpath05 · Jun 17, 2019

Maybe I should start a chainsaw chain sharpening service..... I figure I could sharpen 10 saw chains/day, if I charge only $100.00 for each 16"-18" saw chain, I should be able to make a living at it...................

4570Man · Jun 17, 2019

Oldpath05 said:
Maybe I should start a chainsaw chain sharpening service..... I figure I could sharpen 10 saw chains/day, if I charge only $100.00 for each 16"-18" saw chain, I should be able to make a living at it...................

I loosely thought about it but after I had to shim the wheel for my 3/8 chain it’s not changeable very easy and I figured 99 percent of the work would be 1/4 chains. Next problem the chains need to be cleaned if they’re a mess and if they’re in really bad shape like I figured most would be it takes a long time to make them right. So I haven’t gotten in the chain sharpening business.

Molalla1 · Jun 17, 2019

John_Mc said:
That's becoming a problem around here. The guys who sharpened chains for others ad knew hat they are doing are all retiring, moving, or passing away. So many of the ones who are doing it now appear to have had about 10 minutes of training on the grinder, most of which probably involved "here's the on/off switch" and "Keep your hands away from here."

I feel fortunate John . . . I have a saw shop in my small little city I live close to that is my Stihl dealer he is 72 and also has his son there, now that man can sharpen a chain!

rangerfredbob · Jun 18, 2019

I like when other people sharpen their chains and give up on their "junk" chainsaw... I've gotten several $5-10 chainsaws that way... I'm very devoted to doing things by hand and manually when possible but gave up on saw chains since I'm not the last person that did it most of the time. I just went with the Harbor Freight grinder almost a decade ago and haven't looked back... Of course it's not perfect and you can't look at the angle markings on the front and all that fun stuff that they get flack for, but with some common sense and repetitivity you can get a very evenly ground chain that will cut straight. I've gotten saws that couldn't cut through a 2" branch without jamming... then fixed them with the HFT grinder...

I try to remember to give the rakes a couple passes with a file while I'm at it

PILOON · Jun 18, 2019

Friends of mine had a rental center and serviced chain saws as well
They had a professional chain grinding tool and let me tell you it is not a 5 min training.
First there are 3 or so stones for different gauge chains.
Then there are 3 different angles to set the grinder to and the rakers call for another jig.
Then you don't simply grind away full force as that heats up the teeth so it calls for light taps. (very much like sharpening drill bits)
Also you have to reverse all those settings to do the other side teeth.

Now that grinding jig (tool) was somewhere in the $200 or so range and probably more these days and the stones weren't cheap either.

buickanddeere · Jun 18, 2019

Once you start using a properly setup power sharpener to obtain a square, true factory fresh sharpened chain . You will wonder why anyone fools around with a handheld file .

Sawyer Rob · Jun 18, 2019

PILOON said:
Friends of mine had a rental center and serviced chain saws as well
They had a professional chain grinding tool and let me tell you it is not a 5 min training.
First there are 3 or so stones for different gauge chains.
Then there are 3 different angles to set the grinder to and the rakers call for another jig.
Then you don't simply grind away full force as that heats up the teeth so it calls for light taps. (very much like sharpening drill bits)
Also you have to reverse all those settings to do the other side teeth.

Now that grinding jig (tool) was somewhere in the $200 or so range and probably more these days and the stones weren't cheap either.

My Oregon grinder was that much, many years ago...

As to 3 different stones ect.. That's one BIG reason why all of my saws are now using the same 3/8 chain! One setting and one stone on the grinder!!

You aren't suppose to use it like a "chop saw"!! Just use light taps and go around twice if needed, chains last a long time...

BTW, I bought one of those HF grinders, took one look at it and threw it under the bench some ware!! Dam flexing POS...

SR