Sharpening Frequency

[buckwheat]

hypothetical....

You spend an afternoon cutting, using the same saw and chain. The job is uneventful, and it appears that the saw is cutting just as well on the final logs as it was when you started. You finish up, come back to the shop, and go over the saw.

Now.... would you touch up the cutters as good preventative maintenance; or would you leave well enough alone, figuring that the unecessary filing will just shorten the life of the chain?

 

[lync]

touch up

If you haven't hit the ground it should only take 2-3 strokes per tooth to bring it back to like new. I usually touch mine up after the 3rd tank of fuel. I agree that if you cut all day there's no way the chain can be as sharp as it was when you started. For a quick touchup on a 20" bar it would be less that 4-5 minutes.
It also lets the saw work easier, and lets you exert less effort to male the same cut. Definetly touch it up, and you'll be able to get a jump on the next job you do, rather than sharpening chain before you even get started.

corey

 

[eyolf]

Let's see...stop at mother and stepdad's, have cofee. Mosey out to the yard, eyeball the dying birch tree. Couple rotten spots in the trunk, could be a problem, but there's lots of room; call the neighbors and ask if we can drop over their driveway. Get Ok, neighbor wants to watch.

Top lays down so nice on the driveway; neighbor drags out old McC 2-10 with rewind on the "wrong side". Old clunker runs pretty good; neighbor bucks most of trunk while I clean up top and haul brush, stepdad starts splitting chunks. I take over splitting, old codgers stack. rake lawn, blow driveway clean, then suck up lawn with bagging mower. Looks pretty nice.

Out to garage for a beer. Then another. Say goodbye to mom, dump the brush, stop at town pump for another beer. or 3.

Afternoon shot, 1/3 tank of chainsaw gas, but chain is still sharp. So is wife's tongue, noticing that I'm partly gassed up too...decide not to sharpen chain.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

What if you don't cut at all with the saw, say it just sits in the shop for a week, then do you touch it up again before cutting?

 

[Rotax Robert]

It all depends on what bar oil is being used.

 

[jokers]

Robert, I like the sound of "bar lube" better, it offers so many more possibilities.

Russ

 

[Dave]

Hypothetically, if I sawed all afternoon with a chain that didn't lose any sharpness, I'd go back to the shop and turn the rest of that reel into loops. Then I'd throw out all my old chains and only use the ones made from Undullium. But to answer the original question two ways- if I sawed all afternoon I would sharpen, if the chain felt sharp, I wouldn't.

 

[mikecross23]

I've only been sharpening my own chains for about a month or so. I give a few strokes to any chains I might have used after each day of work for sure. A few times I've done touch ups btwn jobs or in the middle of a large ones when necessary.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Nothing is more annoying than a dull chain, or even a half dull chain.

OK, maybe Fish

 

[Dave]

Would that be a dull Fish or a half-dull Fish?

 

[Striker]

I never noticed Feesh to be dull. But then some might question how sharp he is.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

This idea is going to sound really stupid to most of youse guys, but what I do is, if the chain is dull I sharpen it, if it's sharp then I don't.
I never count how many tanks of fuel I've used, or how many cuts I've made, or even how long I've been cutting, I just look at the teeth, or if the saw is running and there is a log there, I make a cut. Dull sharpen, sharp do not.
If you run a saw much, you can tell sharp from dull. Sometimes you hit something in the first cut, then you have a dull chain, you should stop and sharpen it, not wait until you have burned up two more tanks of gas or cut one whole cord of wood.

Jokers wrote:
"I like the sound of "bar lube" better, it offers so many more possibilities."

I have heard whale sperm is a good lube, but I have a supply of a substitute product that I'll have to try.

 

[jokers]

Well actually Mike I was thinking of getting lubed at the bar, but of course there are many different strokes for different folks, eh? I read your approach to chain maintenance and I can`t possibly imagine how you expect that program to work, LOL. Way too freeform and flexible.

BTW, I don`t believe that a person can have a chain that isn`t razor sharp that doesn`t need sharpening. Chains are either sharp or dull, not much middle ground the way I see it. I believe that there are few people who can`t master freehand filing if they practice every time their chain is less than perfect.

Russ

 

[che]

Well, I had a pleasant surprise tonight....John L and his main squeeze, Susie, stopped by. After a bit of chitchat I got him to look at my chains....he commented that they were pretty sharp, and I felt that meant I must have done a good job. THEN, I remembered that this was an almost new chain...since I'd destroyed the last one when I threw it. He gave it a 90+ second tickle for me anyway.

Che

 

[che]

Susie took it all in stride. She must be used to sharing John's talents.

She did put her foot down about him filling up the few empty spaces in the truck with some of this osage orange 'wonder wood'. I guess a woman has to draw the line somewhere.

I've never seen freehand filing (offline)....I'd love to be able to learn someday, doubt I could pick it up on my own though.

Che

 

[fun_chopper]

Chain sharpening

Now heres my thought. I usually sharpen the chipper a few times whil heavy cutting, I can do it, with a bar file guide and a file its pretty easy.I have serious problems sharpening chisel chain, I make it more dull than it was to start, I normaly carry 3-4 extra chisles in the truck when I have to use chisel. Anyone know an effective quick way of sharpening chisel?-Matt

 

[Stihl088stock]

sixth or seventh ground contact?

Oh wait, that is how often every neighbor I have sharpens up

Hahaha, silly me?

 

[Rotax Robert]

fun_chopper, it is called practice and once you get the hang of it you will never go back to round/chipper...find a good filer/sawman in your area and I am sure he will give you a lesson on what to look for and what you are trying to attain. It takes time but is worth it. Rotax