Resharpening chainsaw chains.....how many times?

[PineRidge]

I sure do agree with Egon and sendero when it comes to heat and chain life. I have a friend in the tree business and was at his shop one day looking at a very high end chain sharpener he had mounted on a work bench. I was telling him I had so much trouble with chains I might have to get something like that some day. He said you can have this one we don’t use it. When I ask why he didn’t use it he explained that in the field a dull chain is going to lose it’s temper because of heat and will never hold an edge well again. He finds it much faster to take three strokes per tooth with a hand file at each gas fill up than to change chains and then have to sharpen them in the shop.

After taking his advice my chains last so much longer than I thought possible. I have also gotten lazy and let some get to hot by not filing at each fill up and they never worked well again.

MarkV

Mark it sounds to me like the guy may not really understnd how to correctly use the sharpener. I use an Oregon bench sharpener and have done so for years. A video that shows how to use it came with the sharpener. Once the machine is set up you don't merely lower the handle and grind away. You quickly tap the wheel down like an old telegraph key, tap, tap, tap. This way you don't generate excessive heat that will ruin the blade. I have been using mine for years, I have 5 chains that I rotate and haven't bought new chains in years, no need mine are always sharp.

 

[MotorSeven]

TN,
I'll give it a try......gulp!
This is how i "free file"...no guide

Hand filing is really easier than it sounds. Get the correct sized file for your chain and a file handle. I wear a leather glove on my left hand which is the one that holds the chain/bar. Set the chainsaw down on the ground or floor facing you, and stick something under the bar so it won't move down(block of wood). If you study the chain you can see the angle and there should be a little angle hash mark on top of the cutter(tooth)- match the file angle to this mark or to the cutter itself. Now, Stihl says file from the inside of the cutter to the outside and this is how i did for 20+ years. I recently got a Woodbug chainsaw mill and they recommend to file from the outside of the cutting edge - in, so this is something i am experimenting with. So file either method, but only file in ONE direction, ONE stroke, then pull the file out of the cutter, return it back to start and do this 2-3 times per tooth. In other words, don't "saw" the file back and forth on the tooth. You must hold the chain and the cutter you are working on and keep it from moving, because if it does the file will "catch" on the edge(i hold the cutter with my index finger just under the cutter so the file sits on top of the finger, kinda like a guide).
Your file also must angle down some....just set the file in the face of the tooth and you will get a general idea of the cross and down angle. Pull the chain up to the next link and repeat. Try not to "rock" the file during the stroke, or you will round off the edges of the teeth. Once i have done all facing one way, i switch sides and go down the teeth facing the opposite way. It will be akward at first, and it will seem like you aren't doing much, but you will be suprised how quickly they sharpen. Remember: the top edge and the outside edge of the cutter is what contacts the wood, so that is where you want to concentrate.
Borrow your kids magnifying glass and compare a unsharpened tooth to one you just did...this will give you insight as to how you are doing. Takes about 5-10 min to do the whole chain.
I have found that chainsaws really don't mind if the cutters aren't exactly the same angle or length as long as they are close. Just practice on an older chain and then cut some wood and watch the chips. If they are little slivers or chunks that is good, if the stuff looks like termite dust then sharpen again.
If the saw will not cut straight, check the uniformity of the teeth(angle and size) and check the bar groove. Bars will wear more on one side than the other and have to be flat filed or grinded level. Stand the bar up on edge on some steel plate or glass to see if it needs filing.
If i left anything out someone chime-in...this is the way i file, it may not be the best, but it works.
RD

 

[hockeyhead]

I hand file my chains, checkout woodsmanPro chains, at www.baileys-online.com
these are good chains , better than oregons from the box stores.
pro or low kickback, not safety chains
they sell loops of all shapes and styles at about 1/2 the price
like 8-10-12 bucks a chain
I bought 3 a year ago, then 5 more this spring, plus the 2 stihl and 3 oregon chains I had before,
13 total
when I'm cutting all day ( maybe at most 10 days a year) I change the chain to a sharp one every 3 maybe 4 tanks of fuel and bar oil, by then I need a 15-20 minute break anyway
1 of the stihl and all 3 oregons are the full safety chains, I don't use them as much anymore.

 

[hockeyhead]

TN,
Borrow your kids magnifying glass and compare a unsharpened tooth to one you just did...this will give you insight as to how you are doing. Takes about 5-10 min to do the whole chain.
RD

I still use a magnifying glass , it is also good to check for chain damage
mostly now I just go with the feel on my finger tip,

 

[SPYDERLK]

MotorSeven, I sharpen essentially asyou do, but I wear the glove on the file hand in case of a slip, and test tooth sharpness with the back of a fingernail. I find inside out filing to give sharper chains. Grinding is best done the other way to prevent burrs and lessen heat buildup at the tooth edge.
Larry

 

[MotorSeven]

HH,
Nice illustration!

Spyder,
Ok, here is Woodbug's theory: filing inside out pushes the hard chrome coating away from the cutting edge where ist is suseptable to quicker damage/breaking. Outside-in pushes it across the softer steel under the coating so the chrome lasts longer. I have no idea if it is better, but i figure "what the heck", i'll try it. I just tuned an 034 i got on sleezbay, and am headed out camping for 3 weeks on my place, so i will give y'all an update on this method when i get back.
RD