Sharp Chain???

[shadow745]

I'm kind of a newbie at this, but how do you guys tell when your cutter teeth are at their sharpest? Certain look, feel, etc.... I like how my Dremel attachment gets all the teeth the same, but I'm trying to get serious about hand filing to get all the performance possible out of my chain. Right now I use a Husky guide that keeps everything in alignment and is fast to use. I also have an Oregon guide system that's identical to the Granberg (spelling OK?), but is more plastic. I like how adjustable it is, but is rather slow to get the hang of. Thanks for any info. Later!

 

[Wismer]

Sharp chain is visibly sharp because you can see the woodchips, a sharp chain will cut nice saw chips, where a duller chain will cut sawdust. A sharp chain you will just about need gloves to handle, and all the teeth should be the same, if some are shorter or lower, It can cause your saw to do wierd things in the cut.

good luck


Craig

 

[shadow745]

Thanks for the reply. Looking for chips versus shavings is what I look for while using the saw. What I should've asked is "how do you tell when the cutter teeth are sharp while sharpening." Thanks again. Later!

 

[timberwolf]

The edges of the cutter should be almost sticky if you carefully touch it with the tip of your finger.

Hold it up against a bright light and the edge it's self should reflect no light, if the edge reflects light it is not sharp.

 

[B_Turner]

With any wood cutting edge, one learns to judge the edge by looking at it. With a chainsaw chain, all you should see is the slight rolled bur, and the edge itself should really not be visible. Look at a dull tooth and compare. An old toothbrush helps.

As will all sharpening, it can be helpful to use a sharpie to mark the inside of tooth before you sharpen, and make sure you've removed all the color all the way to the edge. And it really helps you see where you are actually sharpening during the process. I don't mean to do this with all the teeth, just one or twoto see how you are doing.

 

[daemon2525]

I am with Timber...

I check mine by holding the chain up with one hand letting it hang down with the sharp side of the teeth pointing up.


Then I run my other hand down the chain (CAREFULLY) with the chain between my thumb on one side and index finger on the other. This is done
with NO pressure between your fingers or you will cut yourself.

As you run down the chain, they will "CATCH" on your fingers if it is sharp.
Also described as "STICKY"


Oh, yeah. I am not recommeding this procedure.

 

[Austin1]

All the replys to your post have been great! I could'nt agree more with them. I use the sharpie felt pen also but to mark were I started from. Some people think it is witchcraft to get a chain sharp but with a little practice you will get good at it in no time at least for round chain.
Square chain is a other ball game if you don't have a grinder I am still learning to sharpen square sometimes it works great other times I rather not talk about it! It is good that you want to sharpen your own chains you will save money and feel satisfaction from something you did yourself.

 

[blis]

All the replys to your post have been great! I could'nt agree more with them. I use the sharpie felt pen also but to mark were I started from. Some people think it is witchcraft to get a chain sharp but with a little practice you will get good at it in no time at least for round chain.
Square chain is a other ball game if you don't have a grinder I am still learning to sharpen square sometimes it works great other times I rather not talk about it! It is good that you want to sharpen your own chains you will save money and feel satisfaction from something you did yourself.

Chain after use is dirty and so are cutters, therefore, when all cutters shine with clean metal you have filed all cutters...

 

[Austin1]

Chain after use is dirty and so are cutters, therefore, when all cutters shine with clean metal you have filed all cutters...

Sometimes but not always as I find a new chain right out of the box not sharp enough for me. I like to give them a touch up then.

 

[romeo]

File enough and you just know by feel and look. Most of the time on work chains I don't check, you will eventually be able to tell if its getting sharp by the way file cuts. Race chain is another story.

 

[stihl 440]

yup!

File enough and you just know by feel and look. Most of the time on work chains I don't check, you will eventually be able to tell if its getting sharp by the way file cuts. Race chain is another story.

Yup! That is how I do it! Or you could hold the dull cutter above eye level under light and you will see a damaged/dull edge. Then take a few strokes off and look at it again, you will see that there is less of a dull edge there. Then you file it and keep repeating until the dull edge goes away and a sharp fine edge appears. And keep track of your strokes, that will tell you how many strokes you should have to take off to get it sharp. I only reccommend this to beginners though, it is slow. Fileing just takes time, practice and a lot of knowlege on fileing. :hmm3grin2orange: :biggrinbounce2: :greenchainsaw:

 

[jhellwig]

Like every one else has said: time, practice and patience. Take a light and really look at the chain before you file it. Run the file across it once. Look at it again. Repeat. Do it till you figure it out. Everyone has there own way of filing a chain. Find the way that suits you and gets the results you want.

Personally I put the bar of my saw in a vice and file till I feel it is good.

 

[GASoline71]

When I am in my shop I use a vice too. I hand file with no guides or anything... just a Pferd file and a pair of gloves.

When I am near my truck I just jam the end of the bar in the tailgate pocket an use my body weight to secure the saw. Works great with longer bars.

I got good at filin' freehand, cause that is how I was taught, and have always done it that way for nearly 30 years.

Oh yeah... always wear gloves when you file a saw chain... don't ask me how I know.:biggrinbounce2:

Gary

 

[romeo]

I also use a vice. You can just clamp it down while its on the saw. I also have a little 14" 3/8 .050 bar off of some kind of Poulan that I clamp in the vice for working on chains while they are off of the saws.

 

[stihl 440]

freehand!

When I am in my shop I use a vice too. I hand file with no guides or anything... just a Pferd file and a pair of gloves.

When I am near my truck I just jam the end of the bar in the tailgate pocket an use my body weight to secure the saw. Works great with longer bars.

I got good at filin' freehand, cause that is how I was taught, and have always done it that way for nearly 30 years.

Oh yeah... always wear gloves when you file a saw chain... don't ask me how I know.:biggrinbounce2:

Gary

Freehand filein' buddy! The fastest and easiest way to if you have enough expirence. That's the only way I file, freehand. I jam the bottom spikes into a stump and the saw stays still, sometimes. Stihl 3/8 is the only chain that is tricky to know when to switch to 13/64 from 7/32, because the tooth gets filed back so much that the 7/32 becomes too big and there is no normal corner and sideplate curve "hook". I switch when it is filed halfway back. :biggrinbounce2: :chainsawguy:

 

[SawTroll]

..... Stihl 3/8 is the only chain that is tricky to know when to switch to 13/64 from 7/32, because the tooth gets filed back so much that the 7/32 becomes too big and there is no normal corner and sideplate curve "hook". I switch when it is filed halfway back. :biggrinbounce2: :chainsawguy:

It also is a good idea to use a 13/64" the first few times on a new chain, as it can be hard to get the 7/32 into the correct position.

Stihl recommends that you use 13/64 all the way...........

 

[shadow745]

Thanks for all the replies. I really got down to sharpening yesterday. All the cutters are wickedly sharp and I have a few slices just from picking the chain up. I really think my problem was in the height of the "rakers". Like others on here (I did a search) I couldn't understand how to use the Husky guide/depth gauge properly. The pictures on the back look like they were drawn by a 1st grader. After seeing a pic on here on how to use it right all of my rakers were too high. Now I see why the chain was very sharp and I was still getting sawdust.

My saw is a 455 Rancher. Do any of you know what type of chain comes on it from the factory? I'm too new at this to identify it. They call it an H80 on a 20" bar, The rakers come up to a point and curve outward, unlike some other chains I've seen. Is this chisel, semi chisel, etc.....? What I tried to do while filing them was file the point flat until the depth was OK, then file it round to match the factory profile. Sound about right? Later!

 

[SWE#Kipp]

Try to whip somebody with the newly sharpened chain, most of the time you can both see and hear just how sharp your chain really is ,,,,, Hmmm I shouldn't really give out all my secrets in the art of getting a sharp chain but what the heck

 

[JoeCanuck]

Try to whip somebody with the newly sharpened chain, most of the time you can both see and hear just how sharp your chain really is ,,,,, Hmmm I shouldn't really give out all my secrets in the art of getting a sharp chain but what the heck

Wow, I thought I was the only one who did that.


Joe

 

[stihl 440]

I know

It also is a good idea to use a 13/64" the first few times on a new chain, as it can be hard to get the 7/32 into the correct position.

Stihl recommends that you use 13/64 all the way...........

I know, I used to use 13/64 all the way, but I file better with 7/32 anyway. Actually the BEST time to use 7/32 is on a new chain. You just have to file a little deeper at first (like 2 strokes) then it's good to go. Try it sometime sawtroll you might like it better, the way I do. I did some expirementing a long time ago on the old RS and found to start out with 7/32 worked best for me. And the same goes for RSC and I've also had good results with RSK with this technique also. :hmm3grin2orange: :biggrinbounce2: :greenchainsaw: