Farmer Chainsaw Choice. How long do chains really last with good care?

[chilipeppermaniac]

I regularly true my bars & dress the rails & clean the groove every 4 sharpenings . Often I will flip the bar afterwards . I do not by greasable roller tip bars , the winter grade bar oil I use annually migrates & effectively oils the roller tip adequately . I have never wore out a bar tip . I like his bar dresser , I will check it out online .

Do you find that the bars are showing signs of being canted side to side that quickly " every 4 sharpenings?"

I also think of a trick I see guitar Luthiers use when checking for high frets and using straight sanding blocks to level high frets. I watched the demo's of bar truing for square rails and feel this guitar trick would be good to adopt as well. The Luthiers will take a Sharpie and mark the tops of the frets and as the sander passes over all the frets, the high ones will lose the Sharpie mark but the low ones will stay colored until all the high ones are lowered evenly. I can see myself using this on the bar rails and combine it with square checking with a carpenter's/ machinist square and sight down the entire bar.

 

[North by Northwest]

The frequency of dressing is not overwhelming with round grind chain , its more apparent with the square ground or with ripping chain . I like to keep ahead of any bar issues .The sharpie trick is tried & proven when I true the rails . The 48" carpenters square also ensures a more precise indication of an deviations (twist or sag) . I usually use my Verticle belt & Disc sander stand for this job . However you can utilize a handheld disc or belt sander & a good mill file to draw file the rail also . The rail groove sizing is also very important to inspect for wear or pinch points . I run a section of chain along the rail grooves to identify any run out or tight spots . Finally I use a rail tool to tighten or spread any deviation along the groove .

 

[LuDookie]

I sharpen my chains at least at the end of every day cutting. I sharpen them dozens of times. They rarely last me a season, but I get my moneys worth. I never have any issues making them last nearly to the wear marks. I use all gauges and pitches and file and grind them until they are gone. If they aren’t sharp or a saw isn’t oiling, they don’t get run.

 

[fields_mj]

So, I've sharpened this chain at least 10 times, and swapped it out for a new chain. Should I save it? I had actually thrown it in the trash, and took it out for these pics...




View attachment 1196692
Rich

That chain still has WAY over 50% of its life left in it. There's a small witness mark at the back edge of the top plate. When the cutting edge gets down to that point, the chain is done. That's why the mark is there. It denotes the recommended sharpening angle, and indicates when the chain is officially used up.

 

[North by Northwest]

That chain still has WAY over 50% of its life left in it. There's a small witness mark at the back edge of the top plate. When the cutting edge gets down to that point, the chain is done. That's why the mark is there. It denotes the recommended sharpening angle, and indicates when the chain is officially used up.

Just my 2 cents that chain has some usable service life yet , but you have rocked it hard . I can see a few teeth that the working corner has been knocked off . Metal or mother earth will destroy any chain especial full house .

 

[LuDookie]

If I rock a chain good, I’ll repair it and I’ll have a few short teeth. When those teeth hit the wear mark I’ll hang the chain in my Armageddon pile since they’ll still cut.

 

[thompsoncustom]

You'll know when the chain has been filed to much as the cutters will start to break off.

 

[fields_mj]

Just my 2 cents that chain has some usable service life yet , but you have rocked it hard . I can see a few teeth that the working corner has been knocked off . Metal or mother earth will destroy any chain especial full house .

To me it looks more like he has some issues with how he's sharpening the chain. It looks like he's not getting the file down into the gullet on those teeth. Might be worth taking it to someone with a grinder, AND who won't overheat the chain and have them reset it back to "factory specs." If you are still working on your sharpening techniques, it's not a bad idea to have someone grind them for you at about this point anyway.

 

[Stubby]

Thank you for the replies. I figured that there was life left in the chain, that's why I asked. I only swapped it out because of what I've read elsewhere, and what the user manuals say.

As far as sharpening, I am a works-in-progress on that. I never realized all the intricacies of chain sharpening, but because of this forum, I'm learning a lot!

Thanks, again...

Rich

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Stubby Rich, here is one good thing too. At least you found us, and your learning chain is relatively cheap. Be glad it wasn't a loop for a 32, 36 inch bar that you got dull and have 3x the work and cost to get it cutting well again.

I would suggest getting some files, a handle, and even some good magnifying reading glasses or lighted magnifier and maybe set yourself up a vise. Take it slow and try to get one or 2 of the least buggered up teeth looking real sharp like in the videos. Then once you feel the confidence build, work your way up to the next worst and so on until you are getting good and finish off with the worst of the teeth. The broken corners or curved top plates etc.

Remember, smooth, even strokes forward turn your file either as you go, or as you bring the file back for the next passes. Keep the angle consistent from start to follow through, and look for the burr to develop. Don't be in a rush and consider it as a passing the time much like a hobby such as model building, music etc. Practice will get you there and the cost is a minimal as I can think of having such a short chain and all.

 

[North by Northwest]

Thank you for the replies. I figured that there was life left in the chain, that's why I asked. I only swapped it out because of what I've read elsewhere, and what the user manuals say.

As far as sharpening, I am a works-in-progress on that. I never realized all the intricacies of chain sharpening, but because of this forum, I'm learning a lot!

Thanks, again...

Rich

Lots of good sharpening video's online , check them out trial & error , you can easily separate the wheat from the chaff brother !

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Lots of food video's online , check them out trial & error , you can easily separate the wheat from the chaff brother !

Food videos huh?

 

[North by Northwest]

Food videos huh?

Well , Ifin they don't find him handsome they had better find him handy , right ?

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Well , Ifin they don't find him handsome they had better find him handy , right ?

Hey Bro North, where are you in Canada? I have a few friends out in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and just met some ladies from Nova Scotia while on Vacation in the UK.

 

[Stubby]

Stubby Rich, here is one good thing too. At least you found us, and your learning chain is relatively cheap. Be glad it wasn't a loop for a 32, 36 inch bar that you got dull and have 3x the work and cost to get it cutting well again.

I would suggest getting some files, a handle, and even some good magnifying reading glasses or lighted magnifier and maybe set yourself up a vise. Take it slow and try to get one or 2 of the least buggered up teeth looking real sharp like in the videos. Then once you feel the confidence build, work your way up to the next worst and so on until you are getting good and finish off with the worst of the teeth. The broken corners or curved top plates etc.

Remember, smooth, even strokes forward turn your file either as you go, or as you bring the file back for the next passes. Keep the angle consistent from start to follow through, and look for the burr to develop. Don't be in a rush and consider it as a passing the time much like a hobby such as model building, music etc. Practice will get you there and the cost is a minimal as I can think of having such a short chain and all.

Thanks..I have all the necessary tools, etc. to get the job done ( I've been a self employed industrial metal fabricator for many decades). So now all I need to do is learn what to do, and how to do it. More practice, basically.

Rich

 

[Stubby]

Lots of good sharpening video's online , check them out trial & error , you can easily separate the wheat from the chaff brother !

I've watched Steve's Small Engine Saloon videos. I like the way that he explains things. Also a few other videos..

Rich

 

[North by Northwest]

Hey Bro North, where are you in Canada? I have a few friends out in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and just met some ladies from Nova Scotia while on Vacation in the UK.

Northern Ontario , East of Lake Superior .

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Thanks..I have all the necessary tools, etc. to get the job done ( I've been a self employed industrial metal fabricator for many decades). So now all I need to do is learn what to do, and how to do it. More practice, basically.

Rich

Rich, ever since my days in Jr High School when we had electronics class, wood and metal shop and drafting, all I needed was auto shop and I would have been in hog heaven. The worst part was when I was in elementary school, my dad had 0 mechanical skills or inclination. We had a total of about 7 tools. They were a rounded off Flat blade screwdriver, a Phillips Screw driver, a teeney wooden handled hammer, and a crescent wrench and maybe a pair of pliers. Then we had lawn and garden tools like a pruning saw, hedge clippers and a rotary mower and the Jacobson Gas mower he bought when I was maybe 11.

When Mom Left Dad when I was 12, I gained a few extra valuable tools with her marrying my stepdad. Socket set, wrenches and that manner of stuff.

Mom, rest her soul used to always brag on me. She said that she broke her kitchen tongs when I was about 4 years old. I bolted the 2 halves together and it never failed her from then on. I guess it must have had a rivet that failed. Cheap azz 60's junk. LOL

 

[Mad Professor]

Part of long lasting just taking enough metal off each cutter to get it sharp. If I have a few long cutters I'll give them extra stoke or two to even them out. You can tell when the corner is good and it's fresh metal. You can use a sharpie on the cutters too.

People using grinders can remove way too much off and/or overheat the metal.

 

[Stubby]

Rich, ever since my days in Jr High School when we had electronics class, wood and metal shop and drafting, all I needed was auto shop and I would have been in hog heaven. The worst part was when I was in elementary school, my dad had 0 mechanical skills or inclination. We had a total of about 7 tools. They were a rounded off Flat blade screwdriver, a Phillips Screw driver, a teeney wooden handled hammer, and a crescent wrench and maybe a pair of pliers. Then we had lawn and garden tools like a pruning saw, hedge clippers and a rotary mower and the Jacobson Gas mower he bought when I was maybe 11.

When Mom Left Dad when I was 12, I gained a few extra valuable tools with her marrying my stepdad. Socket set, wrenches and that manner of stuff.

Mom, rest her soul used to always brag on me. She said that she broke her kitchen tongs when I was about 4 years old. I bolted the 2 halves together and it never failed her from then on. I guess it must have had a rivet that failed. Cheap azz 60's junk. LOL

Hey...we all gotta start somewhere. I'll bet you've made up for lost time!

Rich