Why can't I sharpen my chain!?
- Thread starter DPDISXR4Ti
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Ken you
Ken you know that if you bought a few packages of files for maybe $50 that you could sharpen a couple hundred feet of chain for years to come. Apparently you do not want to as well as most do not want to look at dangling angles, but let the grinder figure it out. It takes me fifteen minutes to put my vice in a stump and file a chain while it is on the saw and go back to work. I dare say say nobody can set up a chain on a grinder as fast or cheaper. The wife might be so impressed with your effort that she might make your special meal and take you out to the movies too. Thanks
Bro those were not my chainsbut I will admit i hate sharpening chains I can do a decent job with a hand file its just tedious and time consuming (especially if I have any beer during the process)...so i bought one of those granberg 12 volt units about 2 years ago...perfect every time but just time consuming...then after ready several of Philberts chain challenges I was like...gee whiz....I can afford one of those high speed low drag grinders.... so i bought one..... I found except heavily rocked i can sharpen a chain very quickly, or take my time and make it perfect....but then it gets into my beer time again...Oh, and after buying it i found out something elses that was rather curious....that every one should know. when buying new tools that you think your better half has no clue about in so far as need vs cost etc. this will invariably lead you to sleeping on the couch like i am for the time being...
Ken you know that if you bought a few packages of files for maybe $50 that you could sharpen a couple hundred feet of chain for years to come. Apparently you do not want to as well as most do not want to look at dangling angles, but let the grinder figure it out. It takes me fifteen minutes to put my vice in a stump and file a chain while it is on the saw and go back to work. I dare say say nobody can set up a chain on a grinder as fast or cheaper. The wife might be so impressed with your effort that she might make your special meal and take you out to the movies too. Thanks
Very good description of the process. I find that the angles are not important at the beginning, but as time goes on the feel of the chain will become apparent. Fifty years ago I just tried to get the shape close to the new chain look then went on to changing the angles a little depending on what kind of wood I was cutting. For twenty years did not pay much attention to the rakers just filed the cutters nice, When I did file the rakers would file them too much until the saw jumped around like crazy. Maybe thirty years ago I figured if I sharpened the cutters and make the raker match the cutter then wow would cut better than any new chain. After much experience if the cutters are a little more blunt they last longer in old hard wood. For soft like Pine I go very low on the rakers and very sharp on the cutters to throw large chips far. Thanks
Robin, the first time I hit a rock I tried that method . It took forever to get back to undamaged chrome . I now use my raker file held sideways to file back to undamaged chrome .
yes it will be a time consuming process, the learning curve is very uphill for this skill. if the raker file works for you go for it, if it doesnt i will show a savage technique that requires abit strength but will cut back to the undamaged part very very quick. one more thing to consider is the hook angle, i dont know how flat file affects hook angle
no matter how you sharpen, rocks and sh!t will ruin a chain. just watch out for it
I use a Oregon clip on file guide to get the depth and hook back after the chrome is cleaned up .
Your savage method sounds interesting . What is it ?
we dont have fancy tools here, so i dont know how it works but sounds very comfortable lol
anyway the savage method is to put the file inside the cutter and while holding it back abit pull it upwards with some force
dont need to do it on forward stroke, just put the file which ever part you're comfortable with and pull it up.
use glove on the 1st few attempts until you get used to it, dont want you to hurt yourself
you can reach the clean part with 2 or 3 pull, then you need to work on your hook after that
as it will go way back and you'll lose the hook immediately
another tip to hit the hook quicker if its very bad is to use a smaller file
and file it without touching the cutter, do it once you're with done with the cutter
this is very advanced technique and any inconsistency will put you back quite abit
just for knowledge sake
its easier shown than said, maybe i'll get a video when im free
anyway the savage method is to put the file inside the cutter and while holding it back abit pull it upwards with some force
dont need to do it on forward stroke, just put the file which ever part you're comfortable with and pull it up.
use glove on the 1st few attempts until you get used to it, dont want you to hurt yourself
you can reach the clean part with 2 or 3 pull, then you need to work on your hook after that
as it will go way back and you'll lose the hook immediately
another tip to hit the hook quicker if its very bad is to use a smaller file
and file it without touching the cutter, do it once you're with done with the cutter
this is very advanced technique and any inconsistency will put you back quite abit
just for knowledge sake
its easier shown than said, maybe i'll get a video when im free
Some guys will use a Dremel stone to get back to undamaged parts of the cutter, then do the final shape / sharpen with a file.
Philbert
Philbert
yes i do, i even use a raker file without handle to set my gauge. i dont have depth gauge. i lay the flat file across the cutters and look for the gap between raker and file, for small saws i try to keep it at about an atm card thick. on big saws i go a little further
I use a flat bar and a wire type feeler gauge .
Don't have a atm card , retired it 20 years ago .
lol, imagine the card thickness roughly and see how it cuts. then you can get the feel of it
on small saws go very easy on the rakers, they dont have the balls to pull with low rakers
big saw can pull low rakers but dont go too crazy on them
low rakers will strain almost every component in a saw, i learnt the hard way during my younger days
Huskitoter
ArboristSite Operative
Some stop after the dremel. Not denying you can get it sharper by filing afterwards. It just seems like the razor edge is lost after a few cuts anyway.
Fwiw, I have files and guides but just using the dremel puts firewood on the trailer for me. I use the drum sanding bit to hit the rakers after sharpening, using a straight edge to check depth as mentioned above.
A problem with it is that the stone bits that come with the kit wear fast. A 3/16 bit looks more like a 5/32 after a couple of uses. The diamond-chip bits work better and last much longer.
Never been great at sharpening my chains.
Have an electric grinder sharpener and loads of file guide sharpeners.
Bought one of the Husqvarna file guides with the rollers on it and think it does a good job, better than the basic guide type.
Think I’m getting better edges.
Haven’t run this chain yet as it’s too late out here now
Have an electric grinder sharpener and loads of file guide sharpeners.
Bought one of the Husqvarna file guides with the rollers on it and think it does a good job, better than the basic guide type.
Think I’m getting better edges.
Haven’t run this chain yet as it’s too late out here now
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I have been sharpening chains since the 70’s.If you want a sharp chain you need to know what it looks like not what it feels like. Just like a knife,ax or any other cutting instrument you can see the dullness.I can look a a knife and tell you what part of the blade will shave you and what part will not.
so I "spiked" the dog snot out of both of my 28" chains this last weekend..... the tree I was falling had a damn spike of some sort (could have been a piece of steel shrapnel leftover from the war for all I know) it was right about deep enough. but man i sure fragged both chains....going to need to get the grinder setup and practice some more... which sucks cause I just bought 6 new chains from a member but I ordered all 20" as I go through those the fastest with the bits of wire, nails, and crap i find in the trees here.. I rarely get trees big enough to need the 28" bar so I only have two chains....racked both of them in the notch cut and had to jump to the 346 and walk the back of the cut very carefully as I had not brought any other chains..
RandyinTN
ArboristSite Operative
Tried files and guides, never once got the hang of it. Bought one of these for $33 and it makes short work of all my dull chains:
https://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Tool...836&sr=1-3&keywords=chain+saw+blade+sharpener
Once it is set up I can sharpen a chain in about 5-7 minutes. Nothing macho if you can use a file, or not. All wood I cut is within a short walk of my workshop and by the time the chain is dull I need a break anyhow
https://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Tool...836&sr=1-3&keywords=chain+saw+blade+sharpener
Once it is set up I can sharpen a chain in about 5-7 minutes. Nothing macho if you can use a file, or not. All wood I cut is within a short walk of my workshop and by the time the chain is dull I need a break anyhow
Once it is set up I can sharpen a chain in about 5-7 minutes. Nothing macho if you can use a file, or not. All wood I cut is within a short walk of my workshop and by the time the chain is dull I need a break anyhow
Was the exact same as me until I decided to just practice more. Have an electric sharpener too but find although it does give a good edge it really shortens chain life.
I’m still not there with my sharpening but getting better
