square chisel

[J.W Younger]

Does square ground dull faster than round or is it just harder too sharpen?
Is there something I could try to keep square cutting as well as round while I learn how too sharpen it correctly. A grinder is not in the budget so files are my only option.
I do have a round grinder which I only use when chain gets rocked or otherwise screwed up bad.
I,ve heard the round sided "goofy" file can be used on square so I ordered a couple along with the beveled.
any help wood be apreciated.

 

[redprospector]

Does square ground dull faster than round or is it just harder too sharpen?
Is there something I could try to keep square cutting as well as round while I learn how too sharpen it correctly. A grinder is not in the budget so files are my only option.
I do have a round grinder which I only use when chain gets rocked or otherwise screwed up bad.
I,ve heard the round sided "goofy" file can be used on square so I ordered a couple along with the beveled.
any help wood be apreciated.

Whether it dulls faster or not is a relative term. If your wood is pretty clean, you may have to sharpen square in fewer minutes of cutting than round, but you should have more wood on the ground in those minutes also. Square chain is not hard to sharpen with a file once you learn how. But few have the patience to learn, it is totally different than filing round chain.
If you're cutting real dirty wood, or have a tendancy to touch the ground once in a while stick with the round file. Otherwise, give it a try.

In my opinion a goofy file is the easiest to learn with because it's a little bit more forgiving. A double bevel file has very little tollerance for mistakes, and you will make several learning to file on your own.

Good luck,
Andy

 

[tree md]

Whether it dulls faster or not is a relative term. If your wood is pretty clean, you may have to sharpen square in fewer minutes of cutting than round, but you should have more wood on the ground in those minutes also. Square chain is not hard to sharpen with a file once you learn how. But few have the patience to learn, it is totally different than filing round chain.
If you're cutting real dirty wood, or have a tendancy to touch the ground once in a while stick with the round file. Otherwise, give it a try.

In my opinion a goofy file is the easiest to learn with because it's a little bit more forgiving. A double bevel file has very little tollerance for mistakes, and you will make several learning to file on your own.

Good luck,
Andy

Andy, what exactly is a goofy file and where can I get one? I love the square grind but I just don't know how to hand file it. I've got 3 dull chains that are going nowhere...

 

[J.W Younger]

Thanks Andy, I,ll try not to bug you too much but you seem to be the one everyone looks up to.
Jerry

 

[redprospector]

Andy, what exactly is a goofy file and where can I get one? I love the square grind but I just don't know how to hand file it. I've got 3 dull chains that are going nowhere...

It's a flat file with rounded cutting edges. Crofter has posted several pictures of them before. I just looked & Save Edge has them.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

Thanks Andy, I,ll try not to bug you too much but you seem to be the one everyone looks up to.
Jerry

I don't know why they'd look up to me, I'm just another dog turd in the cantalope patch.

Andy

 

[J.W Younger]

I don't know why they'd look up to me, I'm just another dog turd in the cantalope patch.

Andy

Thats an easy one, they've seen your race chains in action.

 

[synness4]

I don't know why they'd look up to me, I'm just another dog turd in the cantalope patch.

Andy

and humble, it's best trait to have I think you rock. JW do a search on andy's posts and learn a lot I sure did, hes forgotten more on sharpening chain than I will ever Know!!!!

 

[redprospector]

I've procrastinated with this for a long time, but I broke down and took a couple of videos touching up a few cutters. This is how I touch up my work chains while I'm cutting. It may give those who don't know how an idea of how to file.




Andy

 

[super3]

Are there better angles to use for a work chain than out of the box square?

 

[tree md]

Thanks Andy. That helps a lot!

I'd rep ya but I'm outa bullets... Click, click.

 

[redprospector]

Are there better angles to use for a work chain than out of the box square?

Actually when you're first learning, if you will follow the same angles the factory uses you will be good. After you get everything figured out, and can consistantly sharpen good work chains you can experiment with the angles more.
One of the most important things is to make sure the corner of your file is exactly in the corner of the cutter. If the file's too high the chain won't cut, if it's too low it will cut good for a very short time.

Andy

 

[super3]

Red,
I think I'm doing real well on keeping the corner where it is supposed to be, no beaks one way or the other, and pretty consistant on keeping the top plate angle. I only have square for 2 saws so far and they have both been filed several times so I don't have an off the roll loop to compare the cuts. I was running the 262 one morning and thought to myself " man I sure got a kickass edge on this chain" then on the 3rd tank of fuel I noticed I had put the square loop on when I thought I had grabbed a round so that explained my edge. That was the first chance I had to cut that much in any clean wood so near as I can remember from when the loop was new I think I'm doing fairly good with the file...so far.

Oh by the way, I still cook up the eggs that you "made" me drive to town for to get the ingredients for that time some of us were disscusing "How do you cook your eggs" Good stuff man!!!

 

[redprospector]

Red,
I think I'm doing real well on keeping the corner where it is supposed to be, no beaks one way or the other, and pretty consistant on keeping the top plate angle. I only have square for 2 saws so far and they have both been filed several times so I don't have an off the roll loop to compare the cuts. I was running the 262 one morning and thought to myself " man I sure got a kickass edge on this chain" then on the 3rd tank of fuel I noticed I had put the square loop on when I thought I had grabbed a round so that explained my edge. That was the first chance I had to cut that much in any clean wood so near as I can remember from when the loop was new I think I'm doing fairly good with the file...so far.

Oh by the way, I still cook up the eggs that you "made" me drive to town for to get the ingredients for that time some of us were disscusing "How do you cook your eggs" Good stuff man!!!

Dem er sum good aigs, huh.
I'm glad you're doing good with your filing. Sometimes if I'm cutting all Ponderosa Pine I'll use a little sharper angle on the top plate, which makes the cutting angle on the side plate lean forward more. But generally for a work chain if your corner is right on the top of the cutter, and matches to the corner on the inside of the cutter the chain will cut well, and the edge will last longer.

Andy

 

[outdoorlivin247]

I have to learn this...I can sharpen a knife w/ the best of them and have a good steel in my desk drawer and glove box of my Jeep...But for some reason I have never graduated past round filing...

 

[super3]

I've thought about sharper angle but,as I mostly cut hardwoods the factory angles are prob best for now. Edges do hold up a lot better than I had expected with all the talk about sq dulls quicker.

 

[super3]

I have to learn this...I can sharpen a knife w/ the best of them and have a good steel in my desk drawer and glove box of my Jeep...But for some reason I have never graduated past round filing...

Well Red makes it look real easy in that vid. Takes me a LOT longer,and I do it in the vise with a magnifier.

corse my eyes aren't what they used to be.

 

[redprospector]

Well Red makes it look real easy in that vid. Takes me a LOT longer,and I do it in the vise with a magnifier.

corse my eyes aren't what they used to be.

Bi-focals have helped my filing tremendously.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

I have to learn this...I can sharpen a knife w/ the best of them and have a good steel in my desk drawer and glove box of my Jeep...But for some reason I have never graduated past round filing...

If you can sharpen a knife that well, you won't have any problem with square filing once you get the basics down.

Andy

 

[John Ellison]

Bi-focals have helped my filing tremendously.

Andy

Me too. I have had to wear glasses for the last 6...8 years to see to file or grind. If you cant see the chain will not ever be quite right.
Those are good videos of filing. It is exactly the same way I do it. You see a lot of different methods though and everybody has to work out there own way. It might be better for a guy to forget everything he knows about filing round chain because the square filing is so much different.