Alternative to sharpening your chain

[Joe Kidd]

I like sweet potato pie!

 

[THALL10326]

That's what I was looking for!!!
Did you borrow my 372 while I was fixing your chain????
Cause Stihl don't make a saw fast enough to cut up a tree in 10 minutes...
Just sayin...:msp_sneaky:

Haaaaaaaaaaaa, I had me a brand spanking new 372 one time. Ran ok but I needed the Exxon Valdez to keep oil in it. That was one screwed up saw, had a factory defect in it, they drilled the hole in the oil tank oblong, oil hose would not seal, was no fix cept a new case or sell it, I sold it, was a good runner though. My at the time 12 year 046 non oil leaking Stihl did out cut it though, I still have that one, wink!!!

 

[woodsroad]

You throw in the hobby factor and the fact that you enjoy sharpening chain, then you just trumped my argument and you win. If you just like cutting wood, then this thread is worth your time.

If you took the time that you've wasted here on AS trying to argue with a bunch of stubborn wood cutters and spent it sharpening chain, then you'd have a sharp chain AND lower blood pressure.

Just sayin'

 

[Hedgerow]

Haaaaaaaaaaaa, I had me a brand spanking new 372 one time. Ran ok but I needed the Exxon Valdez to keep oil in it. That was one screwed up saw, had a factory defect in it, they drilled the hole in the oil tank oblong, oil hose would not seal, was no fix cept a new case or sell it, I sold it, was a good runner though. My at the time 12 year 046 non oil leaking Stihl did out cut it though, I still have that one, wink!!!

Yea... But you were running a freshly filed chain on the 046...
And an off the roll one on the 372...
:msp_sneaky:

 

[THALL10326]

I can understand why you swap chains out to new ones. It is not because of some economic reasoning but the fact that you don't know how to sharpen a chain and are trying to justify why you swap out to new ones. In the real world people who know what they are doing don't let their chains get blunt to the point where they don't cut.
If swapping out chains was a financially viable option then every single logger on earth would be doing it as it would make sense from an economic point of view. I am certainly not having a dig at you but with some of your replies I actually think that deep down you doubt it can be done. I'd get a video if I could but don't actually have a single chain in stock out of hundreds that is actually blunt...



Here you go Tommy. Hand filed semi chisel vs. out of the box chipper, semi, and full chisel

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pZneA2f6how" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There is more to it than just this video though. Chains from manufacturers come set to cover the average cutting siutations. As Jasha mentioned it is quite easy to make a chain faster out of the box for a single user's specific situation or to suit a specific saw or timber species. If you tried a bore cut in our hardwoods with the overly aggressive semi chisel chain in the video that has had it's rakers dropped significantly you'd probably wear it in the face! In softwoods it would probably be fine. If you were just lopping up logs for firewood the last chain on a gutsy saw would probably be the pick. Too many people think that a fast chain can be made just by dropping the rakers. Now try a whole heap of technical felling cuts with that same chain and get back to me



Actually the person on that grinder needs to learn something.



Ask the logger, not the dealer. Most dealers don't actually spend enough time on a chainsaw to know how to even file a chain properly. I know there are exceptions to the rule but the vast majority wouldn't have a clue how to file properly. A lot can't even grind properly.

MC I sat here with my stopie watch and timed those cuts as best I could. The slowest came out at 4.23, the fastest was 3.18. Now the spread may be greater, I'm no expert nor is my eye on the vid to my thumb on the watch button dead accruate but its close enuff for horseshoes. What I'm seeing with my watch is around a second and a tad faster with your hand filed chain. Its stettled for me, yup a sharpened chain can cut faster than a new one by a second or so. Also tells me theres no need to sharpen a new chain out the box unless I'm going over to NasTree to race my saw, haha.

Seriously I'm glad you put that vid up, I've always been curious about a sharpened chain verses a new one. I see now why some folk say they can makem faster than new, they can, worth it, not to me but thats just me, cheers!!!

 

[THALL10326]

Yea... But you were running a freshly filed chain on the 046...
And an off the roll one on the 372...
:msp_sneaky:

I was slipping and sliding using that 372, too much oil pouring out of it, lost my footing,LOLOL

The 372 is a runner, awesome saw, I kinda like it but Husqvarna are a sorry bunch of suckers, of all the people they would sell a defective 372 to would be a bonified Stihl man. Oh well I didn't hold it againist them, bought me a 346xp later and its a nice little saw, still have that one and it doesn't leak oil, cheers!!!

 

[THALL10326]

I knew it!

You knew my azz, you didn't know I was gonna make you walk, get out of my Chevy and start thumbing, see ya in the funny paper, next time we run down to the cat house together you won't talk about my car will ya,:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[THALL10326]

Go easy now tom. I might have to send a few hundred chains down there for you to sharpen.

Welp I looked over your 200 chains sir , looks like 198 of em are unfit to be sharpened, your in luck though, I got 300 new ones in stock and it will be March 2014 before I can get to the 2 good ones ya have, so will it be 198 or 200 new ones, yup I hear its gonna be a freezing winter this year, better get that firewood cut soon,:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[spacemule]

Welp I looked over your 200 chains sir , looks like 198 of em are unfit to be sharpened, your in luck though, I got 300 new ones in stock and it will be March 2014 before I can get to the 2 good ones ya have, so will it be 198 or 200 new ones, yup I hear its gonna be a freezing winter this year, better get that firewood cut soon,:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

What's that I hear? Well hell! It's a Wendy's girl in an elvis suit with a fresh tub of bryl cream! Just out back? I'll watch the chains for you while you run check it out. :yoyo:

 

[THALL10326]

Owning and using a chainsaw and never sharpening a chain just ain't right!

Maybe I'm gettin old, or been filling chain too long. But it just ain't right...

Sunfish if you like sharpening chains high five to you, seems many on here love sharpening chains, high five to them too. Me, I've done over a 1000 year for many many years, I'm quite positive I've sharpened over 15,000 chans in the past 15 years, probably alot more. When you do that many its gets boring, real boring. I'm not the only one just so ya know. There's a big power equipment center 10 miles from us, they sell alot of stuff, Stihl, tractors, riders, the whole nine yards. The one thing they do not do is sharpen chains. They say they aren't paying a man to stand at a grinder all day fooling with chains when they can make alot more off him doing repairs. Theres another shop near DC that charges, get this, 17.00 a chain, thats their way of saying they don't want to be bothered with chains..

 

[THALL10326]

What's that I hear? Well hell! It's a Wendy's girl in an elvis suit with a fresh tub of bryl cream! Just out back? I'll watch the chains for you while you run check it out. :yoyo:

Cool, I'll go check her out. Luke you keep a eye on him, who's Luke, my pet grizzly, you thought that bear was stuffed didn't ya,:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[spacemule]

Cool, I'll go check her out. Luke you keep a eye on him, who's Luke, my pet grizzly, you thought that bear was stuffed didn't ya,:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

I *know* he is considering he's in your shop.

 

[Zombiechopper]

Ruger? S&W? or Husky?

Husky LOL. Never owned a .357. Only wheelgun I ever had was a stainless .45 Vaquero. Sold it cuz I wanted an American Western Arms but never gathered the cash for it. Still have .45 colt diesm brass, a bunch of powder too so it would be stupid not to buy another .45 right? Actually, that's a lie - I used to have a ruger single six as well. That's it for revolvers though.

I do have an M1 Garand to finish up. It's a dog's breakfast of new old stock parts with a cut rifled Krieger. Breda receiver that I reparkerized. I just had the chamber cut. Need to borrow or make some inserts to install the barrel now.

Speaking of which, I have a parkerizing tank now so I should bead blast a bar and dunk it to see how that looks....

Oh, and I need to polish the chamber in one of my 14" 870's too. It doesn't like to eject those cheap aluminum hull shells after I had it Vang'd

 

[edisto]

You knew my azz, you didn't know I was gonna make you walk, get out of my Chevy and start thumbing, see ya in the funny paper, next time we run down to the cat house together you won't talk about my car will ya,:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

Not until the ride home!

 

[Zombiechopper]

Well ole Zombie thats awesome you can do that. However it still doesn't change the fact I have never had anyone come in the shop and tell me to put a new chain on and sharpen it. If I had to sharpen a new chain out the box one thing is for certain, its the last dayumm time I would buy that brand. I agree a half worn out chain thats really sharp does seem to pick up some steam, my curiousty is how much. I myself am not wasting any precious metal to pick up a second in the cut, them chains cost money man, I know, I sell em, hehe

Now ya sound pretty pumped up there so surely your dying to show me you in action pulling a new chain out the box and sharpening it, awesome, I'm dying to see it, get that camera fired up and show me these new chains getting blown away by new chains thats been sharpened out the box. Seriously, I'm curious to see how much of a differance there is, gettter done, cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

not 'sharpen' with a grinder ya grump. Just a pass with a sharp file and two licks on the rakers. If I feel like it I go into the gullets first then a pass on the cutters.

How many guys gotta tell you a new factory ground chain is not the best there is? J/K LOL! You just want sharpnin instructions dontcha? Welp, I charge for lessons. You gotsta pay.

Hair needs doo goo. Chain needs a file. Simple as that young feller :msp_wink:

 

[diggers_dad]

I'll buy every once used loop of RSLK you have at $4 a piece. Throw them in a box and let me know how you want me to send you your money. :msp_w00t:

I'd like to be in line next.

 

[MCW]

MC I sat here with my stopie watch and timed those cuts as best I could. The slowest came out at 4.23, the fastest was 3.18. Now the spread may be greater, I'm no expert nor is my eye on the vid to my thumb on the watch button dead accruate but its close enuff for horseshoes. What I'm seeing with my watch is around a second and a tad faster with your hand filed chain. Its stettled for me, yup a sharpened chain can cut faster than a new one by a second or so. Also tells me theres no need to sharpen a new chain out the box unless I'm going over to NasTree to race my saw, haha.

Seriously I'm glad you put that vid up, I've always been curious about a sharpened chain verses a new one. I see now why some folk say they can makem faster than new, they can, worth it, not to me but thats just me, cheers!!!

In the video and with the cutting I do both a ground chain and filed chain is faster than one out of the box. However if I went from felling, to bore cutting, to stumping, to limbing, to cutting dead old hard Aussie hardwoods, to green softwoods etc etc one after the other a chain straight out of the box is about as good of a compromise as you'll get

 

[HDRock]

I didn't read the whole thread,but I just learned how to sharpen chains a couple weeks ago, and it's not that hard, and they are sharper than the new one I just got,
S0 !! use it once and get rid of it, NO :rolleyes2:

 

[Naked Arborist]

Sems like a how to sharpen chains thread is in order

Done early this AM. add to it please.

 

[Fish]

Done early this AM. add to it please.

I was wondering why Brad was so mad that someone was making his threads "sticky".

They will get sent to purgatory, where no one will read them.........