Chain sharpening difference?

[John_Mc]

If you are sharpening out in the woods and don't already have one, a stump vise can be handy. I like the Oregon or Husqvarna stump vises. Stihl is also good, but expensive. Some of the no-name brands have some issues: I tried one that would just NOT stay in the stump, no matter how far I pounded it in.

Oregon Stump Vise

 

[2manyrocks]

Pretty hard to file consistently if the chainsaw is free to skate around. Being tired and filing on the ground doesn't help.

 

[dadohead]

I also find it's worth the time to retension the chain before sharpening. If left slack, the tooth will slant from the file force and impart a weird tooth profile. JMHO

 

[dodge man]

90% of my woodcutting is on my property and a 2 minute drive from my shop. When I sharpen where I cut wood I sharpen it on my car trailer with a wood deck. I just press down and let the chain dig into the wood a little, it’s pretty steady. I do the same on the workbench in my shop. I can see the problem with this being the saw is nose down and harder to get the angles correct.

 

[John_Mc]

Nose up or nose down should not be much of a problem as long as the guide you are using is making proper contact with the tooth and the depth gauge. If the saw rocks side to side as you are filing, that can cause the same problem I mentioned as someone lowering the handle of the file as they make the stroke.

 

[Skeans1]

What be interesting for some of you to try is square ground chisel. @John_Mc if I remember right you've tried it correct?

 

[RayIN]

re: filing down the drag sections. I filed one chain down too much. It cut very aggresively and made big chips; then suddenly it locked up. Pulled the bar out of the cut and every other tooth was missing.
I went back to the garage to get a new chain, then I discovered the saw motor had a very stout kickback when pulling the rope.
That saw stopped so suddenly it sheared the flywheel key!
Moral to my story_follow sharpening directions.

 

[RandyT]

What be interesting for some of you to try is square ground chisel. @John_Mc if I remember right you've tried it correct?

Been my experience that it doesn't cut any faster than round ground full chisel chain, but does have less vibration.

 

[John_Mc]

What be interesting for some of you to try is square ground chisel. @John_Mc if I remember right you've tried it correct?

I've tried it, but not a lot. It did cut faster than round-filed chisel chain. Not overwhelmingly so, but it was certainly noticeable. It also seemed to hold up well.

It's really touchy to get sharpened correctly, and my eyesight just isn't good enough to do it, so I never bothered to learn to do it myself.

I enjoy hand-filing. If someone made a jig that was as easy to use for accurate sharpening in the woods, I'd probably switch to it. (I enjoy hand filing, and the break it provides while working, rather than carrying multiple chains.)

 

[Skeans1]

I've tried it, but not a lot. It did cut faster than round-filed chisel chain. Not overwhelmingly so, but it was certainly noticeable. It also seemed to hold up well.

It's really touchy to get sharpened correctly, and my eyesight just isn't good enough to do it, so I never bothered to learn to do it myself.

I enjoy hand-filing. If someone made a jig that was as easy to use for accurate sharpening in the woods, I'd probably switch to it. (I enjoy hand filing, and the break it provides while working, rather than carrying multiple chains.)

There use to be a few guides available but I haven’t seen one in a long time probably 25 years or so, we use to have one but you’re never as consistent as with the grinder doing them.

 

[airbiscuit]

I do about 5 - 8 hand filings in between having them sharpened at the shop. Things don't get too out of whack that way. I've watched loggers hand file, and they really have the touch - muscle memory.

 

[Skeans1]

Been my experience that it doesn't cut any faster than round ground full chisel chain, but does have less vibration.

Out of the box it cuts like garbage just like round does and slow, once the angles have been setup for what your conditions are then you will see a difference. Where you see a huge difference is in the adjustability of the angles to change how the cutter pulls in the wood without having to give up durability.

 

[Skeans1]

I do about 5 - 8 hand filings in between having them sharpened at the shop. Things don't get too out of whack that way. I've watched loggers hand file, and they really have the touch - muscle memory.

It’s not uncommon here for fallers to carry multiple chains with them and swap through out the day and grind in the evening well prepping the saws for morning. If I’m hand cutting all the time I’ll normally 3 to 4 chains in a given length say 114 or 115 driver full comp chain and swap throughout the day that’s the break I’ll normally take besides water and fuel.

 

[airbiscuit]

Two years ago, we had some logging done on our hunting land. I asked the loggers what kind of chainsaw they had with them. They said none. If their workers comp carrier caught them with a chainsaw in their truck, they would drop their coverage. All the cutting is done with their feller/buncher.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I do about 5 - 8 hand filings in between having them sharpened at the shop. Things don't get too out of whack that way. I've watched loggers hand file, and they really have the touch - muscle memory.

My old man was a logger, at some point he snap a chain and simply put it away. He recently found it, repaired it and put it on he said I don't know what I am doing differently now but I lost the touch compare to back then. To be clear his still a very good hand filler, better then I will ever be.

 

[Cycledude]

I did read all 12 pages of this thread, lots of great information !
Have a friend that is very good at hand filing he just sets the saw down on a tailgate or workbench, holds the file with one hand and holds the bar with the other hand.
One thing I did learn from watching him was I had been applying to much pressure to the file and chain.
My preferred sharpening tool happens to be a Husqvarna roller file guide. Then occasionally take the chain to dealer and pay to have it sharpened on their very expensive machine.