just got my chain back from being sharpened.....

[WranglerX]

I usually use my HF piece of crap sharpener after getting tired of using rotary grinding "wheel" in Dremel tool..... With the HF sharpener I don't try to set wheel to where it makes exact same cut on every tooth... I set the depth and the chain back stop, and nudge the wheel into the tooth and only touch it enough to put a clean edge on tooth....That is the only good thing about the cheap plastic frame.... Maybe get anywhere for 10-20 plus sharpening on a chain, never counted, but every time I go out to cut I have sharp chain and I think I am on my third chain in 10 years.... Always keep old chain for that root cut the takes you into the dirt, and always have a new chain in "field box" that has any needed tools and spare spark plugs and whatever for both weed whacker and chain saw....

Is my sharpening as good as a new chain or as good dome by respected shop with quality sharpener, probably not, but its good enough to make me tired after several hours of cutting....

Dale

 

[Skeans1]

If your teeth weren’t even then they probably found the shortest one and evened everything to it. How damaged were the cutters? Did they also touch the depth gauges? If you want a chain that cuts true, consistent, and fast a grinder is hard to beat but in an inexperienced operators hand a lot can go wrong on round let alone throw in a square cutter.



I own a few different grinders all with different purposes but if they aren’t set right or if they aren’t used by someone that knows what they’re doing you can wreck a chain quick.

Just a thought what were your angles to start?

 

[MossRoad]

I usually use my HF piece of crap sharpener after getting tired of using rotary grinding "wheel" in Dremel tool..... With the HF sharpener I don't try to set wheel to where it makes exact same cut on every tooth... I set the depth and the chain back stop, and nudge the wheel into the tooth and only touch it enough to put a clean edge on tooth....That is the only good thing about the cheap plastic frame.... Maybe get anywhere for 10-20 plus sharpening on a chain, never counted, but every time I go out to cut I have sharp chain and I think I am on my third chain in 10 years.... Always keep old chain for that root cut the takes you into the dirt, and always have a new chain in "field box" that has any needed tools and spare spark plugs and whatever for both weed whacker and chain saw....

Is my sharpening as good as a new chain or as good dome by respected shop with quality sharpener, probably not, but its good enough to make me tired after several hours of cutting....

Dale

That pretty much describes exactly how I use the HF sharpener as well. I set it just a spec away from the tooth and bend the frame of the thing to make it touch the face of the tooth and kind of sharpen it from the bottom up. Just kiss it with very few sparks a few times. Never enough pressure to make the tooth change color.

I have 5-6 chains. I keep them in a gallon zip-lock bag with some oil in the bag. As I use the chains I just toss them in the bottom of my case when they get to the point they need sharpening and grab a sharp one out of the bag. When I get down to the last 1 or 2 in the bag, I'll sharpen the other three and put them in the bottom of the bag to rotate the stock. Pretty easy.

 

[BoylermanCT]

I buy new Oregon chains online for 3 for $40. My local Ace Hardware and Stihl dealer charge $12 to sharpen a chain. I use my cordless Dremel to field sharpen my chains and then when that no longer works, I order a new one online. Usually I buy 3 a year at the start of the season. I've kept all my old chains so I have a collection hanging on the garage wall just in case I decide to buy a good bench sharpener. I have yet to find a shop that can sharpen a chain as good as a new one from Oregon.

 

[newbury]

When I started Chain Saw Milling (CSM) back about 2009 I learned to sharpen my chain with just a file and a glove to hold the file with.
But that was mainly for "touching up". I'd mill 10 or 20 feet of log and take a break to touch up.

My hand filing was not perfect but it kept me going. And my local "saw shop" couldn't sharpen worth a flip and cost about $15 and up, I had long chains.

But I also had a Granberg and a highly rated clone of an Oregon bench grinder sold by Northern Tool. I was dulling chains so fast I developed a mode of operation -
First of all I tried to keep at least 3 chains for each bar (I've a lot of bars)
Then I'd sharpen with this formula - (3(3(touch up by hand))granberg) then after 3 "granbergs" I'd use the bench grinder. The touch ups were always done on the saw and the granbergs might or might not.
One of my CSM bars takes 135 links.

 

[3Ts]

I took a chain in to the hardware store to be sharpened. They changed the angle of the cutting edge and made it less sharp which ruined the chain. I took a set of jointer blades into a different saw shop to be sharpened, they came back blue with gouges in the edge of the blade so they were ruined too. Ever since, I do my own sharpening. For the chain, they're not that expensive so I use a hand file and sharpen on the saw. I count the number of strokes for each tooth and try to keep angles consistent. When that no longer works I replace the chain. I don't cut enough wood to get a bench grinder. On the other hand, for my jointer & planer blades, I bought an expensive water bath bench grinder.

 

[Richard]

I've not sharpened a chain in probably approaching 20 years.

I had one I took to a local shop to be sharpened....picked it up and had it hanging on my wall. I was cutting a tree that was within hitting distance of the house so wanted it down. Tree settled back and pinched the bar. No problem....I have a backup bar and freshly sharpened chain....I go get them (side comment, I'm leaving out the part with the wedges)...anyway, the "freshly sharpened chain" wouldn't cut warm butter. Only thing I can think is they might have sharpened the cutters but didn't touch the rakers and it was a total cluster ****.

We got the tree down.... I tossed the chain. I went to Oregon and bought a 100' roll of chain and had then cut it into loops for me so now, I had a box of maybe 20/25 brand new chains. I refuse to be in a situation where I'm stuck with a butter knife and certainly am not going to pay someone to screw it up for me.

I've done the sharpening by hand.... keep thinking that someday I need/want to get a powered sharpener. Then I think I might buy another 100' spool and have another batch made for me.

I was fuming when I had this tree problem and a freshly dulled chain. (it probably would have cut better had it NOT been 'sharpened')

 

[repete]

I am fortunate to live in an area where logging is an industry and only "good" saw shops survive. One place is Madsen's supply in Centralia Washington. Below is a page they have on their web site that describes various issues in the industry dealing with chainsaws and chains.

Guide Bar & Saw Chain Menu

 

[cdaigle430]

I am so bad at sharpening these chains, always end up in the chainsaw making curved cuts. My Poulin and Milwaukee chainsaws now cut strait thanks to my dad fixing my mess. I recently bough an electric sharpner from the Tractor Supply Store...I really hope this keeps me from mucking them up going forward.

When I had my own logging skidder back in the 90s I never sharpened them, I always paid someone to do them. I owned 6 chainsaws and always had 3 sharpened while using the other three.

Its cheap...havent used it yet..

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/timber-tuff-bench-top-electric-chainsaw-chain-sharpener

 

[PILOON]

Had a friend that did some commercial sharpening.
It is a lot more complicated than many would believe.
There is 3 angles to adjust and that in 2 directions for each chain design.
And different grinder discs for different gauges of chain.
There is no 'one size fits all' formula.

I for one believe in a hand file and simple one/2 stroke 'touch up' every tank fill or 2.
Simple to hand file using the existing angles as your guide and again a stroke or 2 on the rakers every so often.
Mounted in a vice is easier but even in the field on a stump is OK.
Oh, and a clean sharp file.

I did purchase a powered 'offshore' grinder and only used it but once as it lacked some adjustments and was rather sloppy in that it would not hold preset angles.

 

[CobyRupert]

Is OP sure he got his chain back?

I was under the impression that you don’t have to file all the teeth to match the shortest one. All teeth don’t have to be equal length (or height) you just want them to be “biting” an equal amount.
To get this, the consistency that’s important is a consistent angle the teeth are sharpened at, and a consistent raker height to tooth height gap.
True or false?

 

[Motorboatin]

just got my chain back from being sharpened, and the teeth are nearly ground to the limit!
This was a new chain and was just starting to show signs it needed sharpening. normally, I just pull out the dremal and touch it up. Because I'm dropping trees, I didn't want it to cut in a curve.

I took it to a local shop that has been in the biz for decades. Is this common? any comments?

Very common

My local Stihl dealer is huge. They have all the Stihl products on their floor and they sell a lot of them. One the guys told me you get only one sharpening on a chain when I was buying files and another guy told me a full skip chain was useless on a 36" bar. I smiled and told him to order the full skip

 

[Skeans1]

Is OP sure he got his chain back?

I was under the impression that you don’t have to file all the teeth to match the shortest one. All teeth don’t have to be equal length (or height) you just want them to be “biting” an equal amount.
To get this, the consistency that’s important is a consistent angle the teeth are sharpened at, and a consistent raker height to tooth height gap.
True or false?

False try a harvester that has inconsistent tooth length or let go of the saw head well putting in a face you’ll feel the difference. If off side to side you’ll see the pull as well.

 

[Skeans1]

I am fortunate to live in an area where logging is an industry and only "good" saw shops survive. One place is Madsen's supply in Centralia Washington. Below is a page they have on their web site that describes various issues in the industry dealing with chainsaws and chains.

Guide Bar & Saw Chain Menu

Love Madsens been doing business with them since they were in the old shop.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Is OP sure he got his chain back?

I was under the impression that you don’t have to file all the teeth to match the shortest one. All teeth don’t have to be equal length (or height) you just want them to be “biting” an equal amount.
To get this, the consistency that’s important is a consistent angle the teeth are sharpened at, and a consistent raker height to tooth height gap.
True or false?

false

 

[shooterdon]

My buddy had a shop sharpen his chain. What a mess. Rakers had not been touched so if would not cut. I used my Pferd sharpener on it and we were back in business. It may not be the best way to sharpen but is good enough for a hack like me.

I have read what the "experts" say about the HF unit and you guys must be spewing BS if you think it works.....LOL. You need at least a $500 grinder to do it right. BTW, I am planning to get one too....but I don't plan on wearing a face mask for Thanksgiving either.

 

[Skeans1]

My buddy had a shop sharpen his chain. What a mess. Rakers had not been touched so if would not cut. I used my Pferd sharpener on it and we were back in business. It may not be the best way to sharpen but is good enough for a hack like me.

I have read what the "experts" say about the HF unit and you guys must be spewing BS if you think it works.....LOL. You need at least a $500 grinder to do it right. BTW, I am planning to get one too....but I don't plan on wearing a face mask for Thanksgiving either.

500 for a grinder? Man didn’t know a Tecomec Super Jolly Oregon 610 was 500. Now for a square grinder yes they’ll be much more but there’s more going on.

 

[5030]

It's common, shops butcher them all the time.

Exactly. The more they remove the quicker you need to buy a new loop.... from them of course.

 

[mcfarmall]

I had the local Stihl dealer sharpen a chain for me...once. They didn't grind down the depth gauges and the chain wouldn't cut anything. I use the $35 Stihl sharpening guide that has all the files in it and takes the depth gauges down a few thousandths every time I sharpen. Best money I ever spent.

 

[4570Man]

I only grind the rakers ever 2-3 times I sharpen the chain.