Chain sharpening

[lucky]

Ok guys, I have read in many threads where members stress filing technique and that it takes much practice to become good.
Forgive me but I have always used the oregon type file guides. While this contraption isn't perfect, I can get the teeth sharp enough to cut my own fingers if accidently touched (chain not moving). Anyway I thought I did a good job with the file guide but some posters here believe hand filing is the proper method. If I can do better by hand filing than with a guide please tell me how to do so. In the past I have used semi chisel chain but lately I am using full chisel round filed since it cuts faster. 90% of the time I cut hard woods so I can't use square filed chain if that matters. Thanks, Lucky

 

[Mountainman]

I'm no expert, but I have been filing by hand for some time. Stihl has the correct angle scribed on top of every tooth on their chain. I just follow that angle on top, and make sure the side of each tooth follows a straight vertical line. And that works fine for me. If you're more comfortable with a guide, so be it. But I'll bet if you get in the habit of filing without the guide, the job of filing will go a bit more smoothly in time. Just my .02

MM

 

[Crofter]

Lucky;

The clamp to the bar file guides do a good job but they are a bit slow to set up and clumsy to take to the bush. Because they are slow to set up you tend to delay stopping the show to touch up your chain the moment it is even slightly dull. There are some good clamp to the file or slip over the tooth guides that do a reasonable job of positioning the file in the tooth at the right height (this is about the most important key) They also have a visual aid to give you the right top plate angle. They are virtually nothing to carry and not much slower than freehand. After a few dozen sharpenings using them the angles and positions get imprinted on your brain and you can then give a freehand 90 second tickle to the saw a la Gypo!. If the chain starts to get a bit out of whack you can occasionally clamp on the bar guide jig and true everthing up.

Frank

 

[tony marks]

lucky if u like that file guide ,,u are okay..
if your chain feeds into the wood,, well
and the saw does the work.. .. this will vary according to weight of the saw ..
if u got a good cutting chain ,,stay with
it .. u can practice a free,, stroke that is as close to the guide stroke as possible...
if the chain really cuts well,, i cant imagine u not knowing it tho..
im far from an expert and miss regularly in getting the chain rite...[especially on low pro chain.]
but when i get it rite ,,theres no doubt in my mind..once it hits the wood.. good luck..
dang u guys beat my post .
what they said lucky

 

[ehp]

i am under the idea that you cannot use square filed chain because the wood is hard , is that what you are saying?

 

[lucky]

I have heard that square filed chain is too aggressive for use in wood such as live oakk which I cut most of the time. I could be wrong.... its happened before. Lucky

 

[woodsjunkie]

I have heard that square filed chain is too aggressive for use in wood such as live oak

I have been running square ground chain now for some time.
I cut mostly hard wood and if you have your rackers set properly you will find square chain to be smoother faster and IMO stays sharper longer than round. Just wait a bit I'm sure you will get some more input from the guys that have ran it a lot longer than I have.feel free to send me one of your chains I will square it up and you be the judge.

 

[ehp]

woodsjunkie you are right, give this man a bone.
If you square file properly it will say sharper and cut faster and is alot smoother , round files chain cannot hold a candle stick to square chain for cutting in the bush . For bucking up the trees i still use round filed because you dull so much , square cut the trees faster but not rocks. Here your most common tree is rock maple , yellow birch, cherry , some oak . here they donot want to pay for soft wood so you walk right be it

 

[tony marks]

i would agree ive got some square filed fron eric .. havnt run it all day ,,but u can just look at the chain and tell it will hold up.. kinda makes me wonder where the idea came from that it wouldnt hold edge... note this is with full chisel lg chain or rit looks like it.

 

[lucky]

okay I may try some square filed chain if you guys think it will work in oak. Can you file it by hand or do you need a grinder?
If a grinder is necessary then sharpening would be an issue because I don't have one.
If you can hand file square chain can someone please tell me or show me how? Lucky

 

[lucky]

Which brand/model grinders do you prefer to use when sharpening square chain? What do they cost? Lucky