First Try at Chain Sharpening

bml · Feb 20, 2009

I didn't do so well. I used about 10 strokes each tooth, but noticed that I was using more pressure on some srokes than others. It seems as though I got some of the teeth shorter than others, and some of my angles look a bit off. I was using the Husky roller guide kit with the appropriate file. It definatly cuts better than a dull chain, but not near as good as a new one, and it seemed to get dull quicker.

Should I try to file again. or take it to my dealer and let them sharpen it, then, when it gets dull, try it again?? I also seemed to have a bit of difficulty using the deapth guage tool.

Evan · Feb 20, 2009

youl have it figured out before the chains wore out. it just takes time, first time i did a chain the saw wouldnt cut close to straight but it cut.

now i think after sharpening they cut better than brand new. i have dremel and free hand no angle guides or depth or anything. 24" chains only take a few minutes. well unless id been cutting nails prior to sharpening.

ill use just the round file if my teeth only need touched up real quick. wich is common when cutting clean wood.

when in dirty conditions the teeth edges seem to dive off then ill use the dremel to get them back to snuff. then next filing is done with the hand file real quick.

it just takes time and practice. and i think its good to know rather then relying on someone else.
if im doing a job i have spare chain and files on me at all times. you never know what might happen.

good luck

Evan

outdoorlivin247 · Feb 20, 2009

Practice, practice, practice...

slinger · Feb 20, 2009

Try, Try, Again

Philbert · Feb 20, 2009

outdoorlivin247 said:
Practice, practice, practice...

+1

You have part of it figured out (more strokes on some, too much pressure, etc.), plus you are smart enough to look at the teeth and see that they are different. Sounds like you are already halfway there!

Philbert

bml · Feb 20, 2009

I guess one of my main concerns is that with some of the teeth being shorter, and with some of the angles off, it would need to be professionaly sharpend to get everything back where it should be.

Philbert · Feb 20, 2009

bml said:
I guess one of my main concerns is that with some of the teeth being shorter, and with some of the angles off, it would need to be professionaly sharpend to get everything back where it should be.

You could. Or you can make this a practice chain.

Measure the shortest cutter and get that angle right with your filing gauge.

Then make the others the same. You will quickly get an idea how many file strokes take off how much cutter, and what it takes to keep the angles the same.

Philbert

bml · Feb 20, 2009

I guess I should get a dial caliper or somthig to measure the teeth with. Is it critical to get the angle right with every stroke??

whitedogone · Feb 20, 2009

Simple.... buy this:

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=15200&catID=272

Use it before your chains get real Dull. WDO

056kid · Feb 20, 2009

dont worry how long they are..

for the future, go 3 times a tooth...

fourfivefour · Feb 20, 2009

bml said:
I guess I should get a dial caliper or something to measure the teeth with. Is it critical to get the angle right with every stroke??

It's not that critical that you need to use a caliper.

The key sharpening the chain is to not let it get dull. Don't wait till the chain is totally rocked and won't cut. I like to give it a quick filing every time I fill the gas and oil or after I cut a truck load of wood. The saw should cut without pushing on it. If you have to start using more pressure to cut, it's time to sharpen.
Oregon's website has some good info on sharpening. You could also try How To Sharpen A Chainsaw.
Read about it and you'll figure out what your doing wrong.........454

bml · Feb 20, 2009

fourfivefour said:
It's not that critical that you need to use a caliper.........

I was gonna use it to make sure I get the teeth the same length, since I figured that was important, but if it's not, I wont worry about it. My wife bought me one of these grinders, but I figured it was better for a newbie to learn to file first. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...ductId=100619425&N=10000003+90401+527134+1529

Hlakegollum · Feb 20, 2009

:agree2:

056 kid said:
dont worry how long they are..

for the future, go 3 times a tooth...

Try 2-3 per tooth at first. good luck.

Philbert · Feb 20, 2009

fourfivefour said:
You could also try How To Sharpen A Chainsaw.

Be careful with some of those videos! I looked at some of them and they were junk. Probably screw you up more than help you. Just because some guy has a video camera and an Internet connections does NOT mean that you should be:

- 'using any kind of round file from a hardware store'
- filing free hand (without a guide)
- filing without your bar being clamped / secured
- filing from the 'outside in'
- letting your file wiggle as it passes by the cutter!

It's not that hard. You got started, now practice and you will get better.

Philbert

jack-the-ripper · Feb 20, 2009

I use the Husky roller guide also. Works quite well for me. Never had a problem with the angles whatsoever. Here is an illustrated drawing. Hope this helps. A friend of mine filed his illustrated as "incorrect angle" and wondered why it wasn't cutting right. He got upset with the kit and tossed it. Said that thing doesn't work right. I told him it was the operator. :laugh:

In the picture below you can see where the file is positioned from the marks on my rollers.

polexie · Feb 21, 2009

outdoorlivin247 said:
Practice, practice, practice...

slinger said:
Try, Try, Again

The only advice.....

Good luck,

Lex

scotclayshooter · Feb 21, 2009

Another point not mentioned is that the Husky roller guide does not fit all chains its designed for Oregon/Husqvarna chains and in .325 theres 2 types for different numbered chains.
They dont sit on Stihl chains very well without modification.

The odd short tooth and bad angle does not seem to matter its only when the teeth are shorter on one side that theres problems.
The raker guage does not fit well on some chains either.

Are you sharpening the saw with the bar held in a vice and with the chain fairly tight, That can make a huge difference.

Scooterbum · Feb 21, 2009

As everybody said practice...practice ..practice.........did I say it enough?

The hardest thing is to not put too much pressure on the file.Let the tool do the work. As you get used to filing you'll get a feel for when the tooth is getting sharp.You'll feel less drag on the file.

Use nice sharp files. I like Stihl files, they seem to last longer.

Don't worry so much about how many strokes or keeping the teeth the same length. Keeping your depth gauges equal will take care of the different teeth length.Work mostly on your angles.

Oh Yeah....
......practice...practice ..practice.........

Get a stump vise, best little tool for filing in the woods. Kids got me one for Xmas. Very handy.

SteveH · Feb 21, 2009

In my earlier cutting days, I seem to recall that I gave up twice trying to do a good hand filing job. I'd get frustrated and take the chains in to a shop. But eventually I "got" it. I decided, also, to get a Granberg [$30-ish] and that helped me a bunch once I got good at it.

Someone else advised that you not let the chain get too dull before sharpening. Good point. I hit my chains with a touch up every time I use them now [unless it's only for a few minutes or something]. If I let them get too bad, it is much harder work and I have a greater tendency then to get the cutters all different lengths. I am using only Stihl chain, which is pretty hard steel, and it's been so long since I used anything else I can't say anything about the other brands. But keep up with it, you'll get better.

BobL · Feb 21, 2009

Philbert said:
Be careful with some of those videos! I looked at some of them and they were junk. Probably screw you up more than help you. Just because some guy has a video camera and an Internet connections does NOT mean that you should be:

- 'using any kind of round file from a hardware store'
- filing free hand (without a guide)
- filing without your bar being clamped / secured
- filing from the 'outside in'
- letting your file wiggle as it passes by the cutter!

Yep agree 100%
In the expert village video the presenter also completely ignores the rakers and his one handed filing technique is to put it kindly, rubbish. For newbies especially- I think it really helps maintain your angles and pressure if both hands are used to hold the file - to do this the bar needs to fixed to something so it doesn't move.

Once you think you are getting close to getting it right on softwood, find yourself some really hardwood and cut/sharpen to maximize your cutting speed in that. There's nothing like cutting a piece of gnarly hardwood to test your filing technique out.

First Try at Chain Sharpening

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