Sharpening Chain Saw

[benz]

Looking for some advice on sharpening the chain on my saw. After purchasing a little cabin in the woods last year the next purchase was a chain saw. Somehow during work around the cabin doesn't seem like work. Know hwat i mean? So i have been clearing some trees from "path" into the cabin site so the sun can hit it and dry out. But with about 1500 feet in there is a lot of cutting to do. I bought an 18" Husqy, but after running it for awhile it obviously became dull. At time of purchase I bought one of those sharpeners that mounts to the bar to sharpen the chain. Well i learned at the wrong time that it does not include a file with it! Not a problem if i was at home in suburbia but an hour later i was back in the woods with another chain and the correct file. However, after sharpening with this device the chain doesn't seem to cut well nearly as long as the new chain. Plus the bolt on sharpening guide seems slip once in a while come out of adjustment and is just plain clumsy. Or maybe that is me. After doing a lot searching and youtube watching it seems like the thing for me is an electric chain sharpener. I went to Northern Tool and got one for about $100 on sale, Oregon xxx .

What are other folks experience with sharpening chains?

My uncles say they like to just use the file and do it by hand, but i cant seem to make that last too long.

 

[anonomoose]

There is a big difference (at least I have found) between the hardness of the chains in some makers.

I suggest that you buy several chains from the major makers and then take your time sharpening them AT HOME in a vice with lots of light in the shop.

The file works good for a chain that needs touch ups, but for a dull chain the power unti will do it quicker and better.

It sounds like this is the first time you have owned a saw.???

Unless you are very skilled, (and even if you are)...let me suggest that you buy the "rest of the package" which includes ear muffs and eye protection, and the chainsaw leggings that will save your legs if you make a slip. It is a pain in the butt to put them on, but as you do it, imagine what a pain in the butt, heading to the hospital with blood gushing out and the nice scar or worse from that mistake.

Chainsaws are a wonderment to own and definitely are a great tool for the shed, but they are dangerous and it only takes one slip to put you in a place you really really regret for not taking the time and extra money to get set up correctly.

There is NOTHING like your own place in the woods to cut away and have some fun and enjoy the outdoors.....it adds true dimension to your life.....

You could be stuck in a hotbox like OLD NASH is where trees are scarce as hens teeth....eh?

 

[benz]

Thanks anonomoose. You are a good detective. It is my first time owning a saw. I have the helmet with ear muffs and eye protection. I do need to add the leggings.

Now with a young family i have sold the motorcycle. Will my "assless chaps" work, or are the leggings you are talking about much thicker and safer?

 

[Bradzoo]

Buy the regular chainsaw chaps, a 100.00 is alot cheaper than hospital bills, a chainsaw is the most deadly tool you can buy, be careful and respect it.

Now for a lighter note I run Stihl chains on all of my saws, 2 Husky's and a Stihl, I have about 4-5 chains for each, I use an electric chain sharpener, and have files with me when I go to the woods. Becareful with the grinder don't get the teeth to hot it will take the temper out of them, they become soft and get dull fast.

BTW nice cabin!!!

 

[jd]

benz-

The logging chaps are specially designed to shred and instantly fowl the chainsaw. A leather chap is just going to delay the saw from going into your leg by a half second or two.

I would also suggest that you use a good pair of work boots, especially ones with a steel toe. Feet are something that are easy to cut into when cutting wood. Some nice leather work gloves are nice too. Not a lot of extra protection, but they help to absorb some of the vibration from the saw.

As far as keeping the chains sharp, the files are best for touch up- as already mentioned. Once the teeth become so dull that the saw does not cut well at all, then you need to grind new bevels into them and a file really does not do that very well. As you cut more and more, you will be able to sense when the teeth are just beginning to dull a bit and that is when the file works. I have found the file guides you either mount to the bar or to help you with free hand filing to be a waste of time. Study the teeth and see how the bevels work and also alternate between each teeth and then have at it. It will take a few times to get good at touching up a chain with a file, but it does work.

I have not found much of a difference in sharpness longevity from one make to the other, but I would stick with true logging type brands like Oregon, etc... Also make sure you are getting a cross cut chain and not a ripping chain. Ripping chains are actually harder to come by and usually only get sold upon request, but someone not knowing what they are selling you could sell you the wrong chain by accident.

What I found works best for me is to have a half dozen or so chains and just take them all to be sharpened at one time. It ran me like 2-3 dollars per chain and they were done better than I could do myself. Then I have 6 chains that I can go through, which is more than you should need for a weekend of work.

The one thing that will dull a chain faster than anything (almost instantly) is to have the blades touch the ground or dirt on what you are cutting. If you are cutting clean wood and do not touch the ground, you should be able to cut for several hours straight (and I mean straight, like cutting a logging truck size stack of wood) with one chain.

A nice online supplier of logging stuff is Bailey's.

Have fun and be careful!

-John

 

[whitedust]

I always have 4-6 chains on hand & don't hand file anymore due to PIA factor & effort. 1 saw slip into the ground & chain is dulled so I change chains & keep cutting. Once I have have a couple of dull chains I take to the hardware store & they sharpen on a grinder for $6.00 have them back the next day.

 

[scott_b]

John beat me to it. Buy a bunch of chains and have them professionally sharpened, they come out much sharper and last longer than what you can do yourself.

 

[yamahauler]

I used a dremel with some fine grit stone an it works great

I would also recommend multiple chains and either have them sharpened or sharpen them all at the same time.

 

[farmermark]

Hey John, I thought you couldn't run a chain saw anymore with your pacemaker? A neighbor had the same problem and found some shielding to protect him from the spark plug interference

 

[bartski]

Benz, on your grinder make sure you have the right size stone for the size of your chain.
Bartski

 

[jd]

farmermark-

I am still quarantined from using a chain saw because of my defibulator. I was speaking on my past experience as a logger. The future may hold some changes for me that would allow me to use one again.

-John

 

[benz]

Thanks everyone for the advice, i wish i would have asked some of these questions before i bought the saw. Its been a bit of a learning curve. There are different gauge 18" chains, bar mount sharpener doesnt come with file, do the exact steps when starting saw (pull choke, prime 6x, pull start cord once, do 1 jumping jack, take choke off and pull start cord again).

I was hoping for the machinist Bradzoo to help out and got a bonus from the thorough admin response.

Thanks John, and glad to hear your getting well. Great journal entry describing your thoughts while at Mayo and driving away from it. With the explanation on how the logging chaps work i will definitely be looking into them, i thought they only offered minimal protection since it would take a lot to stop a running saw.

After trying in vane to bring back my chains with a file i bought a new chain and compared it with what i was getting done with a file. That made me decide to go the electric sharpener route. No amount of sharpening with the file was gonna get me close to the new chain. I thought about bringing the chains to a pro but I am being stubborn and want to figure this thing out.

Now its time to remove some stumps so the sled doesn't hit them... I will have to look that thread up.

Bartski, i have verified that the grinder comes with the right disc for my chain. That was the first thing I checked after not having a file with the bar sharpener.

 

[yamahauler]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hRAAi4wygs

Check out this video, it shows it better than I was going to explain it.

I was going to mention a diamond wheel to replace what you got with your saw as well.

Here is the website for the diamond wheel(it's in the video as wheel). There are a ton
of mfg's of diamond wheels but using one that someone else has used seems more logical.

http://www.diamondwheelinc.com/type1a1/

You just need to know what arbor hole and what diameter. Don't worry about concentration, you don't have much to choose from to make a difference.
If your chains aren't too beat up, I would go with a middle of the road grit. Otherwise, buy one course grit(80) and then one fine(120 or 150). Then you
will have to do a two step grind. Use the course to grind away the really bad spots and then go back at it with the fine to clean it up.

Heck, at the end of video you can even ask the guy a question by giving him a call.

One more thing, if you are getting burrs on your cutting edge after sharping, those need to be removed or you will never have a sharp edge.
Also, make sure you don't heat up the chain too hot when grinding or the metal will lose some of important hardening properties and won't
stay sharp as long.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[snow_monkey]

I learned very quickly to spend the big money on chainsaws. There are many different variations of chains for different saws. Anti kickback chains are made to prevent the chain from grabbing and causing the chain to kick. These chains work well but sacrifice cutting power. Once I upgraded to a stihl saw I realized the difference in chains can be night and day. I cut alot of wood and my chainsaw and chains last a long time, just keep them out of the sand and dirt and they will last. When the chain seems dull I use a round file and sharpen the chain quickly with a few swipes on each tooth. I can usually get 3 to 4 manual sharpenings in before the chain needs to go back to the shop for a re-do. I gave my homelite away once I picked up my new stihl !

 

[anonomoose]

I couldn't disagree more with John....what's he know anyways? Steel toed shoes are a pain in the butt and make your toes get all cramped and stuff.

Besides once you cut those toes off....on HOPEFULLY separate occasions, you never have to worry about stubbing your toes again, or cutting those darn in grown toe nails. They are just a nuisance anyways.

If you ever get a chance to look behind the seat of a logger's pickup truck you will find that he has 50 spare chains back there, mostly those with broken teeth and which no longer go around the bar very well, but they are there to provide moral support and just because a rookie might be looking back there to see if he really is a logger or not. The man with the most chainsaw blades...wins the prize. Can yah guess what that prize is????

 

[racerx]

I have not seen anyone mention the rakers as these will probably need to be touched when more the the tooth is ground off. If they are too high it will make the chain seem like it is dull as it is not allowing the tooth to cut like it was new.

Check the clearance of the rakers (depth gauge), the curved hook shaped links between the cutters. They should clear each cutting edge about one tenth of an inch lower than the cutter. This gauges the amount of chip that the cutter removes on each pass through the wood. A special tool that is laid on top of the blade is available from chainsaw dealers or hardware stores. If the gauge is too high, and must be filed, this tool protects the adjacent tooth as you file the gauge down.

 

[yamahauler]

I have not seen anyone mention the rakers as these will probably need to be touched when more the the tooth is ground off. If they are too high it will make the chain seem like it is dull as it is not allowing the tooth to cut like it was new.

Check the clearance of the rakers (depth gauge), the curved hook shaped links between the cutters. They should clear each cutting edge about one tenth of an inch lower than the cutter. This gauges the amount of chip that the cutter removes on each pass through the wood. A special tool that is laid on top of the blade is available from chainsaw dealers or hardware stores. If the gauge is too high, and must be filed, this tool protects the adjacent tooth as you file the gauge down.

The video covers the rakers and everything, it is actually a good video.

 

[jr37]

Lots of good advice hear. To get good at sharpening takes lots of practice.

It has been mentioned above, but I can not stress enough the importance of chaps. A saw to the leg would do serious damage. I had a close call that just nicked the skin, now I wear chaps all the time. They take a little getting used to, but it's worth it.

 

[whitedust]

Don't Be Stubborn

After trying in vane to bring back my chains with a file i bought a new chain and compared it with what i was getting done with a file. That made me decide to go the electric sharpener route. No amount of sharpening with the file was gonna get me close to the new chain. I thought about bringing the chains to a pro but I am being stubborn and want to figure this thing out.

I know what you mean about wanting to sharpen your own chains as I went the same route. Then I realized I was spending more time sharpening chains than sawing wood so took them in to the hardware store to be sharpened & never looked back. Save your money on electric grinders & just have the correct hand file in your box for a quick dress in the woods. Probably still faster to just change dull to a sharp chain & keep cutting than messing with a file but ok if you need to finish a cut then change. Everybody is advising a bunch of spare chains so consider a least 3-5 chains. 1 or 2 chains just not enough for what you want to cut & #1 chain is too far gone for you to sharpen so if you want to cut wood with the least effort on you & the saw sharp chain is good advice. What size saw did you buy? Hopefully you bought 18 -20 inch as that 4 inches from a 16 saves much pain in the back & much easier to upsaw than downsaw once you get the hang of it. Husky & Stihl among the best & the most HP gets the job done the fastest. If you did buy a 16 easy conversion to 18 or 20 just do it before you buy many spare chains & you will have both set ups but will learn to like 18-20 better less bending. One more thing stay alert think things thru all the what ifs on tree fall direction & limbing. Sooner or later a tree will fall opposite of your notch fall line just happens wind, slope, whatever.... whack & goes over backwards so expect it to happen & clear 360 degrees of all tools & people around the tree before you saw. If really has to go in one direction rope off so falls that way for sure.

 

[rp7x]

free sharpining lessons

any one that comes up to help cut john's wood this fall , i will teach you how to sharpen and cut the rakers. if you can't sharpen with just a file maybe you shouldn't be cutting? i never spend money to sharpen just a file when the teeth are gone spend 20$ for new chain , i challenge any one to change their chain quicker than i can sharpen mine