Raker Height with Chain Grinder

Racerboy832 · Jan 14, 2010

I hate filing rakers cause I never seem to get them right or even. I bought one of those Oregan guides and never seems to work out. I have a Harbor freight grinder like many. I did my angle grinds then Set it 90 and 0. Found my top height. Took off .30 on the setting where it lets you drop it. Locked the stop Then I slide through each raker till it touched. Went through a second time and they were all even. It only took about 2 min. Anyone else do this?

BigE · Jan 14, 2010

I've done that with my Oregon (clone) grinder a few times. Just be careful - it is very easy to take too much off. BTDT.

Country1 · Jan 14, 2010

That's pretty much what I do, but on the Oregon grinder.

J.W Younger · Jan 14, 2010

I suppose you could do it but I perfer a "good" file and a FOP.

Racerboy832 · Jan 14, 2010

I'm on my 5th chain tonight. I figured out all you have to do is set the chain angle to 0 and you can even leave the tilt to 60. Leave the chain clamp snug not tight. Set your depth and slide the chain through on the one side that the rakers tilt away from you. Flip the chain around and do the other side. If you can reverse direction on yours then you don't have to flip the chain. The whole process takes less then a minute. I found out about half the chains I just did the rakers were either too high or low when I did them by hand or with a dremel now they are all nice and even and its so simple. You can even use your raker guide to set the first one and off you go. This is a must try if you hate hand filing like me.

computeruser · Jan 14, 2010

I'm the opposite - I hated doing it with the grinder (511A) and do it freehand anymore, either on the saw or when still clamped in the 511.

Erick · Jan 14, 2010

Always set my rakers with the grinder these days........ of course >THIS< is my grinder.

Racerboy832 · Jan 14, 2010

You sure got me one up with that grinder. The one thing I have noticed is that whenever I brought a chain into a dealer to sharpen they never touched the rakers. Even when I worked at a saw shop and did a zillion chains in the summer. I don't ever recall doing them.

mtngun · Jan 14, 2010

Racerboy832 said:
I I have a Harbor freight grinder like many. I did my angle grinds then Set it 90 and 0.

My plastic chinese grinder is fixed at 60 degees and can't be adjusted. Got pictures ?

I used to hate filing rakers because I was using a cheap, worn, coarse file that didn't want to cut. After switching to a quality, smooth file and a FOP, it only takes a minute to hand file rakers.

But, nothing wrong with using a grinder if you like that better. As long as you post pictures. :laugh:

galde · Jan 14, 2010

The depth stop on the grinder can be calibrated to let the desired gauge depth be dialed in to plus or minus a thousandth or two. My Tecomec drops the wheel 0.005" for each ridge on the adjustment knob. I attached a pointer ( a piece of the tiny red plastic tube from a brake cleaner spray can ) that lets me count off the depth of the cut -- like dialing in the clicks on a rifle scope. After the teeth are sharpened I park a tooth under the wide flat wheel ( at rest, of course ) and turn the depth knob with the stone resting on the tooth until the wheel just clears the tooth. I note the position of the pointer relative to the nearest ridge ( or groove ) on the knob and then just count ridges ( or grooves ) until the proper depth is reached. I grind the left rakers and turn the chain around to do the right rakers to avoid any chatter. The chain need not be reversed with the older grinders with reversing switch. A piece of flat stock of known thickness can be used to calibrate the depth setting. Just count the number of "clicks" to change the wheel height by the known amount.

InTheFlow · May 3, 2010

Erick said:
of course >THIS< is my grinder.

That's pretty awesome...what grinder is that?

stipes · May 3, 2010

Been doin mine on the Oregon AX

The slide adjustment at the bottom,,I make sure the chain is in dead nuts center of the grinding wheel....

smokinj · May 3, 2010

computeruser said:
I'm the opposite - I hated doing it with the grinder (511A) and do it freehand anymore, either on the saw or when still clamped in the 511.

+1 unless I am way behind

InTheFlow · May 3, 2010

InTheFlow said:
That's pretty awesome...what grinder is that?

NM, I just found it. Its a Silvey HDG-6. I can't personally justify the cost of one but it sure is sweet!

lambs · May 3, 2010

I use the 511a

I grind all my depth gauges to the same height as others described, then I run the chain through by hand and slope the front of each depth gauge using a flat file. It only takes a couple strokes on each to smooth the profile down. I think it cuts smoother like that.

MCW · May 4, 2010

I set the height of a left and right depth guage with a File-O-Plate and flat file after grinding the teeth. I then set the grinder head to 85° or just under to replicate the File-O-Plate angle. Then off I go and do all the depth gauges. Works a treat, is easy, and is fast.

gemniii · May 4, 2010

This is what we all need
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKokIxR55Q4&feature=related

Raker Height with Chain Grinder

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