Depth gauge tool

[The Shooters Apprentice]

I dug around in my saw box today while out in the saw shed and found one of those husky roller guides. My issue with them is that they don't get the gullet out, and you cant get under the top plate and create a burr. But I'm sure they are great for the typical homeowner.

I still need to figure out how to harden the standard raker guages though. My current one is about done for.

 

[jellyroll]

I dug around in my saw box today while out in the saw shed and found one of those husky roller guides. My issue with them is that they don't get the gullet out, and you cant get under the top plate and create a burr. But I'm sure they are great for the typical homeowner.

I still need to figure out how to harden the standard raker guages though. My current one is about done for.

13/64 stihl file works well with a gullet cleaning on .325 chain.

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

13/64 stihl file works well with a gullet cleaning on .325 chain.

Lots of ways to clear the gullet, n=but you will need to go back and do it with that roller guage vs just being part of the sharpening with freehand.

 

[jellyroll]

Lots of ways to clear the gullet, n=but you will need to go back and do it with that roller guage vs just being part of the sharpening with freehand.

Never used a guide i have been freehand filing for years.

 

[Philbert]

I always round over my depth gauges, similar to the factory profile. I don’t want any sharp corners that might dig in.

I knew that I had an illustration of this somewhere. Not exact, but shows the idea.

No sharp corners on depth gauge to did in, regardless of the cutter angle / tilt.

Philbert

 

[PV Hiker]

The first picture you get with the guide that rides on the top cutters and you need to reshape the ramp. I do like the progressive depth gauge guide now that it will make a ramp for you and not needed to go back and take some swipes to reshape the ramp. The guide in place also protects the cutter from the flat file.

Does not the depth gauge also cause the cutter side of the link to rotate (pivot) up into the wood?

 

[Philbert]

Does not the depth gauge also cause the cutter side of the link to rotate (pivot) up into the wood?

My understanding:

- the top plate cutting edge stands out the furthest from the guide bar: it snags the wood;

- this causes the cutter to rock backwards, until the depth gauge hits the wood;

- because the chain is still moving forward, but the cutter is limited by the depth gauge, the cutter is lifted away from the guide bar, with the cutting edges digging into the wood, up to the limits allowed by the depth gauge, creating a slice of wood, about the thickness of the offset (typically about 0.025”);

- as the wood slice curls into the gullet, it breaks at the fiber lines when cross-cutting, becoming smaller ‘chips’;

- this chip production continues until the cutter falls out of the wood (other side of the log) and returns to the guide bar rails.

- When noodling with the grain, or with high clearance under the top plate, longer chips or noodles may be produced.

Without the limits of the depth gauges, the entire tooth would try to embed into the wood, and current chains would just snap, or stall the saw.

Philbert

 

[Okie]

Yeah, hard to get them to cut when there's no tooth.
Look at this guys lol.

I've got a pile of chains that I only use for clearing/cleaning fence rows and cutting stuff that I do not want to risk using/ruining a really good chain.
BUT, I reject them before the teeth get quite that weak. I keep a eye on the tangs and if they are worn distorted they get rejected so as to not ruin the drive or the bar tip.

Several of my fence row chains were given to me because farmers/ranchers who do not sharpen their own chains were sold new chains by a dealer.

 

[sean donato]

I've got a pile of chains that I only use for clearing/cleaning fence rows and cutting stuff that I do not want to risk using/ruining a really good chain.
BUT, I reject them before the teeth get quite that weak. I keep a eye on the tangs and if they are worn distorted they get rejected so as to not ruin the drive or the bar tip.

Several of my fence row chains were given to me because farmers/ranchers who do not sharpen their own chains were sold new chains by a dealer.

I think his video was more of a look how far back you can take them as opposed to how far back you should take them. I junk them before then too.

 

[cutter0103]

Please don't judge, this might sound silly.. I've been using saws for a long time yet I can't hand file for sh#t. I've been trying it for a couple of months and still.. even now it's always a mixed bag.. ha.. no consistency. This might sound stupid.. I've watched video after video but it's crazy how once you're sitting behind the saw ready to sharpen u get in and bam scewing up the chain .. that fast. Are there any videos or things on YouTube anyone recommends? Is there a facility/ company/ or somewhere a guy can go to get a 1 on 1 lesson. The videos I've seen just aren't sinking in, it seems so easy which feels like a harder kick in the ... suggestions

 

[chipper1]

I've got a pile of chains that I only use for clearing/cleaning fence rows and cutting stuff that I do not want to risk using/ruining a really good chain.
BUT, I reject them before the teeth get quite that weak. I keep a eye on the tangs and if they are worn distorted they get rejected so as to not ruin the drive or the bar tip.

Several of my fence row chains were given to me because farmers/ranchers who do not sharpen their own chains were sold new chains by a dealer.

I have lots of those as well. That being said, even flush cutting stumps I will many times get stuck without them and end up sticking a new or like new chain in the dirt, the good thing is when I'm doing that I've already calculated multiple sharpening into the equation. The bummer is usually more the pain in my elbow when I'm filing the third or fourth time in an hr session , that's more my concern than trashing a chain.
If a freshly ground square chain is all I have, it's more of a type situation; as now I'm wasting a great grind on my chain, I need to use an expensive file, and my elbow is hurting lol. I try to keep the square chains on my wrap handle saws, that way I'm not flush cutting with them in the dirt, normally anyway.

I think his video was more of a look how far back you can take them as opposed to how far back you should take them. I junk them before then too.

Exactly.
Got tired of hearing that a chain won't cut well if it's worn to near the witness marks and they won't cut straight even if they do. I had guys say that wood was soft/punky lol, they couldn't see the chain chattering on the wood I guess . I made a cut before the video, just to see if the cutters would stay on because I knew it was hard, I was surprised I didn't loose or bend more than I did.
Still managed to finish out that tank now fuel with it though, it became a semi skip, then a skip, then one of those hyper skip milling chains.

 

[chipper1]

Please don't judge, this might sound silly.. I've been using saws for a long time yet I can't hand file for sh#t. I've been trying it for a couple of months and still.. even now it's always a mixed bag.. ha.. no consistency. This might sound stupid.. I've watched video after video but it's crazy how once you're sitting behind the saw ready to sharpen u get in and bam scewing up the chain .. that fast. Are there any videos or things on YouTube anyone recommends? Is there a facility/ company/ or somewhere a guy can go to get a 1 on 1 lesson. The videos I've seen just aren't sinking in, it seems so easy which feels like a harder kick in the ... suggestions

I'm judging you right now, just not condemning .
At least you know you suck, that's the first part of "recovery" .
I feel this is where the jigs and guides come into play, they help you to learn proper file placement and help you to gain the muscle memory needed to sharpen a chain.
Step one, knowing what a sharp chain looks like/ what you desire your chain to look like after filing it (some people need some sort of magnification to help see it, im in this bracket of folks). If you don't know what you are trying to accomplish, then how will you ever know when you get there.
Step two, the proper tools. Without good sharp files, you'll be wasting your time, just like cutting wood with a dull chain.
Step three, knowing how to accomplish sharpening your chain, not just filing a chain. A filed chain is not necessarily a sharp chain, and a sharp chain is not necessarily a chain that will cut well if the rakers are not set properly(hence this conversation).
Step 4, doing it.
As the saying goes and as has been stated here, experience is what you get when things dogo as planned.
Filing a chain freehand is typically the result of practice with some form of a guide.
It's important to remember that what works for one doesn't work for everyone, find what works for you through trying different techniques until you find what works best for you. May guys get sick of trying to file and buy a grinder (which has its own learning curve), and they never look back. Others use a dremel attachment and like that. There are guide such as the roller guide, the guides that mount onto the file, the 3 in 1, and even guides that mount onto your bar and hold the file and the angles are set for you.
Keep seeking and you will find.
Ask, Seek, Knock, that's what I've read anyway, and it's worked for me .

 

[sean donato]

Now we're going back to the farm days and Mac saws... couldn't sharpen a chain to save my fat arse. Fast forward to today, I can round file pretty good. Square file... yeah still working on that. Takes time and lots and lots of practice.

 

[thenne1713]

The file I measured came with the kit.
Checked a pferd, wee bit smaller.
I'm caught up and may swipe the cutters and take the saw for a spin later.
Not going to use the raker thing, perhaps it does not play nice with this model chain. The "progressive" was the sales point for me. No worry, I have other ways. 6 degrees.

I know this is fiddle farting around.
I want a tach next lol.

Question. Are the .325 and LP roller jigs also 10 degree tilt?

Two Facts: EVEN LENGTH CUTTERS AND PROPER, EVEN HEIGHT DEPTH gives the smoothest, fastest cut. Uneven depth gages, esp. too low, lets cutter dig too deep, bogging engine; Uneven makes chain JERK/CHATTER, JUMP out of the cut= NOT removing wood, and vibration to the sawyer and saw. The REASON why SKIP Chain is used= MORE HP PER (CUTTER IN THE WOOD) to help compensate for smaller powerheads with longer bars. Can also add extra room to remove CHIPS in long bar cuts.

RE: file TILT= determine by finding/downloading MFR sharpening CHART, gives all angles for filing. Tilting file on cutter NOT so designed will leave PART of cutter NOT filed, I.e. you only file tilted when CUTTER Tilted at the factory.... STRAIGHT FILING a tilted cutter will also leave part of cutter not filed.

 

[cutter0103]

I'm judging you right now, just not condemning .
At least you know you suck, that's the first part of "recovery" .
I feel this is where the jigs and guides come into play, they help you to learn proper file placement and help you to gain the muscle memory needed to sharpen a chain.
Step one, knowing what a sharp chain looks like/ what you desire your chain to look like after filing it (some people need some sort of magnification to help see it, im in this bracket of folks). If you don't know what you are trying to accomplish, then how will you ever know when you get there.
Step two, the proper tools. Without good sharp files, you'll be wasting your time, just like cutting wood with a dull chain.
Step three, knowing how to accomplish sharpening your chain, not just filing a chain. A filed chain is not necessarily a sharp chain, and a sharp chain is not necessarily a chain that will cut well if the rakers are not set properly(hence this conversation).
Step 4, doing it.
As the saying goes and as has been stated here, experience is what you get when things dogo as planned.
Filing a chain freehand is typically the result of practice with some form of a guide.
It's important to remember that what works for one doesn't work for everyone, find what works for you through trying different techniques until you find what works best for you. May guys get sick of trying to file and buy a grinder (which has its own learning curve), and they never look back. Others use a dremel attachment and like that. There are guide such as the roller guide, the guides that mount onto the file, the 3 in 1, and even guides that mount onto your bar and hold the file and the angles are set for you.
Keep seeking and you will find.
Ask, Seek, Knock, that's what I've read anyway, and it's worked for me .

Wise words. Got a long way to go.

 

[chipper1]

One REASON why SKIP Chain is used= MORE HP PER (CUTTER IN THE WOOD) to help compensate for smaller powerheads with longer bars.

I changed one thing here, the first word.
Many simply use it to reduce the amount of cutters they have to sharpen.

RE: file TILT= determine by finding/downloading MFR sharpening CHART, gives all angles for filing. Tilting file on cutter NOT so designed could leave PART of cutter NOT filed, I.e. you only file tilted when CUTTER Tilted at the factory.... STRAIGHT FILING a tilted cutter could also leave part of cutter not filed.

Two here, will both times.
While it could cause areas of certain chains not to be filed, it's not the case on many.
I've seen this happen on some older stihl chain that called for a 10 degree tilt and the guy was sharpening without it. Very understandable for a guy used to stihl chains that mostly do not have the tilt incorporated into them.

Got a long way to go.

Not sure what you mean.

 

[cutter0103]

I changed one thing here, the first word.
Many simply use it to reduce the amount of cutters they have to sharpen.


Two here, will both times.
While it could cause areas of certain chains not to be filed, it's not the case on many.
I've seen this happen on some older stihl chain that called for a 10 degree tilt and the guy was sharpening without it. Very understandable for a guy used to stihl chains that mostly do not have the tilt incorporated into them.

Not sure what you mean.

Ha I mean dam seemed so simple but I guess my feel will take a long time to develop.

 

[chipper1]

Ha I mean dam seemed so simple but I guess my feel will take a long time to develop.

I see. It can take a while to get it, but I feel the guides are, well a great guide lol.
I thought you were the other guy I responded to .

 

[cutter0103]

I see. It can take a while to get it, but I feel the guides are, well a great guide lol.
I thought you were the other guy I responded to .

I hear you it's not so much the guides and angles for me it's like When you said what are you looking for at the end result it's like I get there and I feel like it's not sharp enough and I go a bit more than I have a rip and hook What I should do is is take it Layer by layer Sharpen a bit then cut and sharpen then cut.. Another thing I'm hung up on is I can get my my tooth looking How it's supposed to on on round full chisel But sometimes you don't pick up a burr.. On the top plate but yet You're hook and gullet are perfect So I'm like am I done but I never got a burr on the top plate.. So I'm back-and-forth with myself about a clean edge on the top plate and I keep going pulling back, and now I ruined my hook.. So yeah I can file but it's the end result what I'm looking for knowing when I see it. And the same thing with semi chisel, I know the point isn't supposed to come together like full chisel but still, knowing What the point comes to, what it's supposed to look like on semi chisel Is a little tricky for me.

 

[cutter0103]

And I know bunch of different people/ topics going on in this thread