sharpening the chain

[farmerpsv]

Hey all,
i confess i've read, awhile back, some threads about sharpening chain saw blades. for some reason, my eyes (and brain for that matter) glaze over and i'm lost. kinda like my college algebra class. i was one of those kids that just took things apart to learn how they work...guess i'm a kinesthetic learner. used to have 3 chains and just change them out as needed then take all 3 and have them sharpened. but, i didn't like myself for it. doing alot of clearing right now, so i finally went out and got the husky sharpening kit with the little picture explaination on the back of the package. this picture was not worth even ten words. theres a little device that i imagine fits over the bar and chain with little lines indicating file angle. sigh, i don't think i got that right. plan b. (mind you, im in the woods cutting, stopped to refuel, fill bar oil and tighten the chain...and sharpen). so i tried just using the round file without the guide. first time my angle was to great, results were poor. second time seemed better. am i crazy? am i messing up a perfectly good chain doing it this way? it doesnt seem that it should be that complicated to do this.
paul

 

[Egon]

Around here if you take a chain in to be sharpened most of the fellows do it freehand. Takes a little practice thats all! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

 

[tawilson]

First off, it's a chain, not a blade. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I can do it, so you should be able to also. One trick is to keep a new chain so you know what it's supposed to look like. Then go to the manufacturers sites, there's good info there free for the taking. Oregon has some good tutorials on sharpening and maintenance also. A search here and on the web will give you lots of reading and some pictures too. One more thing, you might as well get a depth gauge and raker file and learn to do them too, otherwise you'll still be stuck taking them to be sharpened. I knew nothing about sharpening chains 2 years ago, decided to learn on my own, and have done them myself since, all from what I learned on the web.

 

[3RRL]

Farmerpsv,
There's been a lot of information about chainsaws but THIS LINK has some excellent information about sharpening the chain. Read through the thread where CT Treeguy reveals his secret about chain sharpening techniques.

He also has some great comments in THIS THREAD as well.

 

[slowrev]

I use the Oregon file with the depth guide on it. works great and has reference angles on the back. After you get your chain lined out. Take the same number of strokes on each tooth to keep it balanced. for me it is usually six strokes per tooth.
Ben

 

[tawilson]

I use the Oregon depth gauge also. For whatever reason, the cutters on one side seem to get shorter than the other after a few sharpenings, which can result in curved cuts and the saw binding in the log. I usually give the chain a lookever to see if there is a noticeable difference in the cutters, then pick the shortest one and try to match it. I have a set of calipers for this, but just eyeballing seems to get them close enough.

 

[Youare]

Your experience reminds me of my first chainsaw. The little saw cut great until I hit a piece of fence in a log but that was no problem since I got a file with the saw. I filed each tooth until I was happy however when put to use the saw cut terrible. I tried again and again and got to the point where I offered to sell the saw to someone for half price and it was only two weeks old.

Lucky for me this guy gave me a few pointers on sharpening. Make sure you get all the dull out, the top of the tooth needs to be dressed as well as the side cutting portion of the tooth. There is a point where the side meets the top of the tooth that needs to be sharp it is the first part of the cutting edge that contacts the wood.

The angle you file the top cutting surface to is important especially from one side to the other. Some chains will have a line scribed on the top of the tooth near the back, this line is generally a good guide for the angle you want to keep the front of the tooth sharpened to. The purpose of the line they say is when you get to this line the chain is worn out. Keep both sides equal in angle, tooth length is not as important as the angle.

The rakers, that little bump in front of each tooth is more important than tooth length. The raker determines the depth each tooth will cut. When the raker is too high the tooth will only take a litte bite and the cut chip looks like saw dust. When a raker is filed too low the tooth really bites into the wood, the saw will some times bog down, the clutch may slip, the saw will bounce in the cut, the saw will try to pull itself into the wood out of your hands, and the more you push on it the worse things get. A good raker gauge and a flat file is all it takes maybe every third or forth sharpening.

There are several types of file guides out there the one I like is where the file is held up under a guide plate that has angle marks on it to help you hold it at the same angle on each side.
As you slide the guide plate over the top of the tooth you are cutting it helps you keep the file up to where the top of the tooth gets the proper attention as well as the side of the tooth.

Pratice makes perfect. Try sharpening the chain before it get really dull by taking a few light strokes on each tooth to help you get the feel of it and it is much easier to sharpen a slightly dull chain than is it to reshape a really dull one. Your chain will last longer if you sharpen it before it gets dull, the heat generated from trying to cut will a dull chain will destroy the temper and hardness of the chain.

Hang in there you will get better as time goes on.

Randy

 

[slowrev]

I have an Oregon depth gauge as well. I only use it about every 6 sharpenings or so, and that seems to work well.

Ben

 

[farmerpsv]

thanks everyone.
seems you can depend on 3 things in life. death, taxes, and help from folks on tractorbynet. lots of great input...thanks especially randy for all the time and advice.
paul

 

[hwp]

I struggle with filing saw chains as well. One tool that I have found very helpful is the Husqvarna combined tooth and raker filer. It has two files, a round file for the teeth and a flat file for the rakers. There is a different set for each type of chain. It ensures the appropriate relationsip between the teeth and the rakers. Even with it, I still have the ability to often mess up the filing. The most common problem I have is getting one side more aggressive than the other, casuing the saw to want to make a "C" cut. But with practice, I am getting better, I think! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif