2nd attempt at square filing

[046]

ya... it's pretty ugly!!!

but you gotta start somewhere :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Freakingstang]

046. I commend you for posting pics. People laughed hard at my attempts. I spent some serious hours trying it, then one day it kinda just fell into place.

The thing that really helped me was 45, 45 and 45.

Hold the file at 45 degrees from level, the file itself is rolled 45 degrees counterclockwise from the widest edge of the file on top (the trianlge file)and file doward 45 degrees towards the back rivet on the tooth. The corner of the file where the big side and little side meet should be in the corner of the tooth.

You get those angles close, the rest will come. I can't tell, but it almost looks like you have the file rolled to far clockwise (looking from front of tooth to the back, also the way you should be filing, backwards from round) once you have a more profound pic, you can changes the angles slightly to achieve what works best for you, but 45/45/45 will get you close to start with. Don't worry about the gullet for now, that is for later.

I was told this and believe it now... I could show you in about 5 minutes, but spend three days on here trying to explain it...

You know you are getting close when you are digging into the tie strap.

Good luck, feel free to ask me any questions. I am not the greatest filer, but have recently been through your filing pains and my chains are faster than the round ones.... lol

 

[SmokinDodge]

046 I'm just getting started on the square filing myself but I wonder if you put the chain in bar and raise it further away from the vice if it wouldn't help you to get a better angle on the tooth.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I have this old picture:

Any of you newbies want to guess at what the 4 angles are called?

 

[SmokinDodge]

I have this old picture:

Any of you newbies want to guess at what the 4 angles are called?

Important



:biggrinbounce2:

 

[Freakingstang]

I have this old picture:

Any of you newbies want to guess at what the 4 angles are called?

Must be old...Appears to be square ground Carlton....like square ground off of the reel. not made in recent years.

I'll guess the angles, but might give it away to the new filers....

 

[CaseyForrest]

I have this old picture:

Any of you newbies want to guess at what the 4 angles are called?

A= Outside top plate

B= Outside side plate

C= Inside top plate

D= Inside side plate.

Good picture BTW, thanks.

 

[Crofter]

046; I wonder if you are using the correct panel of the file on the top plate. It is the flat side of the file that files the top plate. As Freakingstang says the file gets angled back and down 45 degrees each. I will include a picture looking back along the path of the file and you can see how it will come close to the tie straps. Also a pic. of a tie strap I have nicked and then dressed up with the round file while cleaning the gullet area. Also of the as filed tooth before the gullet is blended in.

Edit; the file position is just slightly high on the corner of the tooth

 

[046]

thanks for all the help folks!!!
think a light bulb has just gone off...

 

[Crofter]

The jig is giving you the rough 45 deg down and back. The rotation of the file is not corrrect and the positiion is much too low on the corner of the tooth. The jig, being made for a round file will not handily allow you to rotate the flat file as needed unless you modify either the clamp or the file. I looked at it while I was at the training wheel stage too. Belive me you dont keep them long after you have mastered going without! Lol! I will post a pic of the proper flat file placement in the tooth. I think that may be your problem.
Edit. I think i see you may be using the triangle file instead of flat file but all of the above applies. the tri file is easier to fit to the jig. Added tri file in tooth pic.

 

[046]

thanks for the help crofter. pic really helps. so you can use a standard flat file?

started studying a new chain....

... now where can I get a chain fixture like yours?

 

[Crofter]

Not a standard flat file but a flat chisel bit file like the one in the last picture by Casey Forrest in post # 12 of this thread. The chain clamp makes things easier for me than filing on the bar. Tilting it toward you makes it easier to make nice straight line file strokes. As Freakingstang says it is a lot easier to get up to speed by watching someone than trying to learn by a correspondence course but it can be done. Real good light and reading glasses a must if you are much north of 45 years old! I have been using them for a few.:biggrinbounce2:

 

[CaseyForrest]

That Trianlge file looks like it would work better than the chisel bit.

I wonder if Ben is ever going to find his price list?

 

[Crofter]

I find myself hitting the tie straps more with the tri file. It is thicker. Also it will not work on .325 chain though I think not many people will bother square filing it. The tri file is also hard to fit into a new stihl round ground chisel chain for the first few filings.

 

[046]

sorry about the crappy pic's... but angles are starting to be correct.
it's hard to tell in pic. inside angle is split and meets at point.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The angle look good, but it doesn't look like you filed quite up the edge yet. You need a few more strokes.
The picture is quite good, you could dust the chain off before taking it though. You can hardly see the cutter through all the metal shavings.

 

[046]

mike, thanks for verifying angles. I'm finally close to matching up factory square angles.
my angle is still a little low on this tooth.

sure wish I had a macro lens.

the surprise is it was done on a stihl jig

 

[Crofter]

O46, from that last pic I would say you are right on for file placement and angle. Better just a tad low than a tad high for corner placement. The amount you have nicked the tie strap is about what you can expect with the tri shaped file when you are making a good cutting tooth angle. The flat chisel bit file would nick the tie strap less but would not fit in your jig. Once that tooth shape gets embedded in your brain you can throw the jig away! A positive clamp chain vise will allow you to keep firmer pressure on the file and you will get better file life.

 

[046]

crofter, thanks for all your help!

yep using jig is a pita. much rather be able to do this by hand.
but at least I discovered it's possible to square filing with a stihl jig.

I'll be shagging down a clamp similar to yours.
so I can tilt angle forward to allow more level filing.

 

[Christman]

Do you want the file edge to be below the cutter point? Or come together at the cutter point?