Square Grinding the almost dead chains

[user 122190]

We need a file n guide for sharpening square chains. We could possibly change round ground chains to square.

I’m not sure how much faster the square teeth cut over my sharpening of round chains.

That is what I am doing. Changing a factory round filed chain to a square filed chain.

And this is what I am looking for in improvement.

 

[huskihl]

I have a square grinder if anyone wants to send a loop or 10

 

[Jeff Lary]

I am going to say something numb probably but where are they getting 3 angles from? 45-45-45 Ok this Billy guy says that alright lets see.
Swing the file handle back towards your belly, file tip toward the bar tip that is one angle.
Tilt the file handle down towards the floor, the file tip is pointed up toward the sky that is 2 angles.
Where and what is the 3rd angle?

 

[huskihl]

I am going to say something numb probably but where are they getting 3 angles from? 45-45-45 Ok this Billy guy says that alright lets see.
Swing the file handle back towards your belly, file tip toward the bar tip that is one angle.
Tilt the file handle down towards the floor, the file tip is pointed up toward the sky that is 2 angles.
Where and what is the 3rd angle?

You twist the file also about 45* to get a top plate angle of 15-20

 

[user 122190]

I am going to say something numb probably but where are they getting 3 angles from? 45-45-45 Ok this Billy guy says that alright lets see.
Swing the file handle back towards your belly, file tip toward the bar tip that is one angle.
Tilt the file handle down towards the floor, the file tip is pointed up toward the sky that is 2 angles.
Where and what is the 3rd angle?

The file is flat. There is no way to get a 3rd angle with a round file. Flat file: 1. Handle down, 2. handle back, 3. handle twisted.

 

[user 122190]

Hey, a jig for this does exist. A bit pricey, but for those with deep pockets....

https://www.baileysonline.com/atop-square-chisel-bit-filing-guide-assembly-15280.html

 

[Jeff Lary]

ok good to go I guess thanks

 

[James Miller]

December 14 first attempt at square filing.January 19 still ugly but getting thereApril 10 that's better.
It's taken months of practice but I think I finally got it.
Things I've learned Stihl chain is hard on files but Carlton is even harder. Oregon and trilink are like butter compared to the other two. You be disappointed in the looks of your cutter alot looking at it. Put it on the saw ugly cutters can surprise you how well they cut. The nice looking cutter in the bottom pic is slower then the ugly one at the top.

 

[user 122190]

@James Miller

The bottom picture is what mine looks like. I am curious about the knob left at the base of the cutter. Seem like some performance will be lost as that degrades and is left unattended in subsequent sharpenings. My first attempt back in Nov or Dec of last year had amazing performance with a simple flat file (called a bastard file?). I had little idea what I was doing and no expectations, but it was amazing. Not sure that chain is still around. I do expect the chain filing like your bottom picture to perform better, and I will know tomorrow, weather permitting.

 

[chipper1]

@James Miller

The bottom picture is what mine looks like. I am curious about the knob left at the base of the cutter. Seem like some performance will be lost as that degrades and is left unattended in subsequent sharpenings. My first attempt back in Nov or Dec of last year had amazing performance with a simple flat file (called a bastard file?). I had little idea what I was doing and no expectations, but it was amazing. Not sure that chain is still around. I do expect the chain filing like your bottom picture to perform better, and I will know tomorrow, weather permitting.

The little ledge is just fine, it will actually help hold the file when you freshen the chain up. You don't want it to extend out beyond the kerf of the cutter though so you will need to file the gullet out with a round file after a few times sharpening the cutters. When you file the gullet out you will want to stay back from the freshly sharpened cutter a little anyway unless you are making a race chain for a smaller cc saw or have a good size cutter and are removing the gullet from under where the sideplate has been filed with the double bevel file.
This one cut just fine, sideplate is a bit more aggressive than I usually go fo, but I was cutting green wood and it did great plunge cutting so it wasn't to aggressive. The next time I filed this chain(for video below) was for green black locust and I took some of the sideplate angle out, it was very smooth on my Muffler modded 2252 that is still breaking in.

 

[user 122190]

I tested the new square filed chain. Not the block buster improvement I had hoped for. Not even as good as an old round file chain I had in the field bag. I'll go over all the cutters and attempt to find and fix what "is" the problem. Oh, Well, it was my first attempt so expectations were not all the high.

 

[Skeans]

I tested the new square filed chain. Not the block buster improvement I had hoped for. Not even as good as an old round file chain I had in the field bag. I'll go over all the cutters and attempt to find and fix what "is" the problem. Oh, Well, it was my first attempt so expectations were not all the high.

Throw up a picture of the cutters you’re welcome to send one out my way but let’s start with square from day one to save the wheels and the cutters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[user 122190]

Soon I will. Right now we are cutting like mad men. The county is allowing as much cutting as we can, no permit required til June 1. CoronaVirus is the concern in running the Ranger Station.

Throw up a picture of the cutters you’re welcome to send one out my way but let’s start with square from day one to save the wheels and the cutters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[user 122190]

https://aboloxtools.com/Bahco-4-150-07-3-0

I'm resurrecting this thread. It took me a bit to find it again. Still the best price on these double bevel files. Now that I have about gone thru a chain that was square ground, I'm a BIG believer in square filed chains. Faster and smoother and more durable then round file, and to me it is not any more difficult. I am probably not filing as accurate from tooth to tooth, but the results in the wood is what matters.

I've ordered another 10 of these files. Elsewhere I'm seeing $200 per dozen. Yikes!!!