Chain sharpening woes.

[ROUSTABOUT]

When I came home from Gulf war in Dec 91, my brother and I bought us some pulp wood trucks. So far, the rest of life has been easy after that.

 

[DJ54]

No need to pull a chain? How about flip the bar once in a blue, clean the rails, clean the oiling hole, and clean out the clutch cover are a few good reasons.

Yes, plus clean the air filter, that was a daily ritual after cutting for the day, to be ready for the next day, or next time to be used. Sharpening the chain was the last step, when put back on the bar, and adjusted. But, when in the field, and happen to hit something, and dull the chain, so simple to clamp in a vise, clamp the sharpening tool on, and dress it up.

 

[gstrom99]

When I came home from Gulf war in Dec 91, my brother and I bought us some pulp wood trucks. So far, the rest of life has been easy after that.

Thank you for your service.

What's a "pulp wood truck"?

 

[stephenh]

For some years I would sharpen with a file, then every few months take the chains to a shop and have them done, particularly if I'd hit a rock or nail. Guy would sharpen as I waited, we chatted and he smoked and did the job and I'd be on my way home. Then he got to smoking and chatting and would keep the chains a week and I'd have to go back. 30 mile drive and time out of my day. So, I took a nearly brand-new chain to a hardware store about five miles away, guy there told me he had started a sharpening service in the back, so I gave him a chance. Picked up the chain a couple days later and there was maybe one more sharpening left, not much left of my new chain used only once. He said, well, he was training a guy to sharpen and the guy had had a big learning curve. He refused to do anything for me, like sell me a discounted chain. I ordered me a Maxx grinder from Bailey's and never looked back. I kept a record on the wall of how many sharpenings I did on the Maxx, "charged" myself the same $$ either shop would have, and after about two years I had broken even on the cost of the grinder. Plus no more hours lost driving and the driving back to pick up chains. Plus, I could quickly touch-up any chain that needed it at the end of a cutting task. Grinders look like a lot of money, but my life is better with one.

 

[RandyT]

@stephenh And you just highlighted the main reason that people have an bad taste in their mouth about dealers sharpening chains. The running joke around my shop is "you only get three sharpening out of a chain when using an electric sharpener" In reality there is no reason to remove more metal with an electric chain sharpener than you would with a file.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Thank you for your service.

What's a "pulp wood truck"?

That was called short wood. If it was going on a train had to be about 5' long. Could be 8' if they were hauling to a mill on a big truck. If we cut cross ties, well, we never got caught. They were 9'9". Trucks were usually old two tons with a cable loader and a wood rack on them. We hauled 36,000 pounds regularly. Truck had a front axle welded on the rear as a tag axle. Springs and all. Long logs only these days.

 

[Skeans1]

Yes, plus clean the air filter, that was a daily ritual after cutting for the day, to be ready for the next day, or next time to be used. Sharpening the chain was the last step, when put back on the bar, and adjusted. But, when in the field, and happen to hit something, and dull the chain, so simple to clamp in a vise, clamp the sharpening tool on, and dress it up.

I timed it one day when I was falling timber to swap out a 36” full comp square chisel chain and clean out the clutch cover was under 4 minutes. It’s faster, easier, and more productive to swap a chain out vs file in the brush especially when production falling. I’ll be honest with you round chisel is for dirt work, semi chisel is harvester chain, and square is for making a dollar it’s faster as well as smoother for the operator. One downside to square is it’s harder to file can it be done yes, but it’s far quicker to swap the chain out for a grind in the evening when servicing for the next day.

 

[DJ54]

For me, this was 30 years ago when cutting firewood, a part time job to make extra money in the evening, and weekends. Far from being a professional timber cutter. 60-75 cords per year was doing good for a one man operation in my spare time. Cutting blocks of over matured apple trees at a local orchard, fence rows for farmer's, and downed trees from weather related storms in a neighbors 40 acre woods, mostly yellow locust, and wild cherry. A low budget operation, but did invest in a decent saw, and had a decent truck to haul with.

Now, it's just cutting trees from fence rows here at the home place, or tree tops that have fell in the hay field from the neighbors. I assumed more in line with the original poster.

 

[WranglerX]

@stephenh And you just highlighted the main reason that people have an bad taste in their mouth about dealers sharpening chains. The running joke around my shop is "you only get three sharpening out of a chain when using an electric sharpener" In reality there is no reason to remove more metal with an electric chain sharpener than you would with a file.

See post #22....

Chain sharpening woes.

I have one very much like this. It works well. I do the same # of strokes on each tooth. And take the depth gauges down with a 4" hand grinder (there are no rakers on chain saws)...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[RandyT]

After abusing chain with dirt contact and using Dremel and rotary stone and hand files with poor success, I finally resorted to HF grinder..... BUT found instead of trying to adjust all the gizmos other then angle and depth of grind I let wheel drop and push "head" sideways to lightly contact tooth... Last chain I had to go around at lease twice as I dulled many of the points on the teeth and it took alot or material removal to get it cutting edge again...

See post #22....

Chain sharpening woes.

I have one very much like this. It works well. I do the same # of strokes on each tooth. And take the depth gauges down with a 4" hand grinder (there are no rakers on chain saws)...

www.tractorbynet.com

There are times that I will have to remove close to half of the tooth to get the damaged area ground out of chains, but those are rare and most of the time not necessary.

 

[big bubba]

finally got the Oregon bench grinder. having the hyd rather than manual vice clamp (for me) is a real advantage. i don't field sharpen, just carry spare chains. takes me 5-7 min to dress a dull chain.
probably way too expensive for most, i hear you...but i'm retired & finally can afford quality tools. many do well with more simple setups, hats off to ya. i support any system that works for a person.

https://www.amazon.com/Oregon-620-120-Hydraulic-Assist-Grinder/dp/B00ULDRXHE/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3C74WY22N227I&keywords=organ+bench+chainsaw+sharpener&qid=1644506214&sprefix=organ+bench+chain+saw+sharpener%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-3

 

[koshari]

Definitely agree. I find this tool keeps my chains nice and sharp on a consistent basis. Only issue I have is that you have to buy a different tool for each size chain you have. Its too bad that you cannot interchange files with the frame housing. Still worth it IMO.

no big deal to have the correct size one in ea saws gearbag, the chinese are knocking these off now for ccomplete unit cheaper than pferd charge for a replacement raker file.

 

[newbury]

I timed it one day when I was falling timber to swap out a 36” full comp square chisel chain and clean out the clutch cover was under 4 minutes. It’s faster, easier, and more productive to swap a chain out vs file in the brush especially when production falling. I’ll be honest with you round chisel is for dirt work, semi chisel is harvester chain, and square is for making a dollar it’s faster as well as smoother for the operator. One downside to square is it’s harder to file can it be done yes, but it’s far quicker to swap the chain out for a grind in the evening when servicing for the next day.

Is that 4 minutes with either an inboard or outboard clutch?

 

[ArlyA]

finally got the Oregon bench grinder. having the hyd rather than manual vice clamp (for me) is a real advantage. i don't field sharpen, just carry spare chains. takes me 5-7 min to dress a dull chain.
probably way too expensive for most, i hear you...but i'm retired & finally can afford quality tools. many do well with more simple setups, hats off to ya. i support any system that works for a person.

https://www.amazon.com/Oregon-620-120-Hydraulic-Assist-Grinder/dp/B00ULDRXHE/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3C74WY22N227I&keywords=organ+bench+chainsaw+sharpener&qid=1644506214&sprefix=organ+bench+chain+saw+sharpener%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-3

Looks like this nice unit does not knock the rakes down unless you change the stone.. Did get good reviews.

 

[big bubba]

Looks like this nice unit does not knock the rakes down unless you change the stone.. Did get good reviews.

exactly, a broader wheel for that, plus angle change, etc. i sharpen 2 chain sizes anyway, wheels interchange easily. i cut & sharpen only seasonally, have no business owning this expensive machine, but it's very smooth with good repeatability. hearkens back to my machinist days

 

[Skeans1]

Is that 4 minutes with either an inboard or outboard clutch?

That was an inboard on a Stihl with the pain in the butt adjuster, an outboard clutch is just as fast to swap a chain.

 

[PILOON]

I always hand file my chains or should I say 'touch up' every fuel tank or 3.
Those chains already tell U the proper angle, just look, eyeball and one or 2 strokes to simply touch up the cutting edge and , presto, you have a sharp cutting chain.

OK, occasionally want to lower the rakers but again with a good single cut file a stroke or 2 will do a decent job.
One trick is to not wait until heat has hardened those teeth , do it often!
And, so what if all rakers are not totally evenly lowered, they will be better than they were B4and still give a decent cut.

Possibly more important is to draw file the bar from time to time to assure you have a nice flat surface for your chain to run on otherwise the chain will sort of rock from side to side and cause excessive track wear and bars cost more than a chain.

 

[Skeans1]

I always hand file my chains or should I say 'touch up' every fuel tank or 3.
Those chains already tell U the proper angle, just look, eyeball and one or 2 strokes to simply touch up the cutting edge and , presto, you have a sharp cutting chain.

OK, occasionally want to lower the rakers but again with a good single cut file a stroke or 2 will do a decent job.
One trick is to not wait until heat has hardened those teeth , do it often!
And, so what if all rakers are not totally evenly lowered, they will be better than they were B4and still give a decent cut.

Possibly more important is to draw file the bar from time to time to assure you have a nice flat surface for your chain to run on otherwise the chain will sort of rock from side to side and cause excessive track wear and bars cost more than a chain.

It’s going to depend on your personal usage myself I want to let go of those bars and only use the throttle to control the cuts. One way to think about it is if you’re having to use more energy you’re more likely to have something happen and not be on your A game well falling. Put on a long bar or a bar that has some flex in it and watch it walk in the cut if stuff isn’t right.

 

[hornett22]

@stephenh And you just highlighted the main reason that people have an bad taste in their mouth about dealers sharpening chains. The running joke around my shop is "you only get three sharpening out of a chain when using an electric sharpener" In reality there is no reason to remove more metal with an electric chain sharpener than you would with a file.

Most shops that sharpen chain, sell chain. They seem to conveniently shorten the life of your chain. Not to mention overheat the metal by either not giving a **** or not knowing what they are doing.

I don't seem to have this problem sharpening my own chains with my own grinder.

 

[jyoutz]

I have been getting my saw chains sharpened (for me for the last 20 years), since it has been been cheap, well done and easy(er). I have the proper round file, with guide, that I've used for touch ups.

Since moving to rural Iowa, I had to find/choose a new hardware store for this (normally painless) task. I took five chains in, and two weeks(!) later, they were done - after I called 'em they got done that day. Tried one, then the second "sharpened" chains and got sawdust. Arrrrg. I checked the chains and they indeed were sharp, but the rakers were not addressed. They are flush with the cutters. I have now bought a depth gauge and will need to re-do the chains, by hand. Since the closest chain sharpener is 30 minutes now, I will start doing these myself.

There’s probably not a lot of experienced saw filers in corn country.