Share your tips for sharpening in the field..

[RBC2404]

I have a vice in my shop that I sharpen my saw with but when I'm out cutting wood and I need to sharpen it I'm having a hard time holding it steady while trying to sharpen the chain. My current strategy is to rest the chain on bark or a root and kneel with the saw between my legs. It kinda works but isn't great for my back or bad knee lol. The bigger saw. - stihl ms 362 c with the 25" (I think) bar is most difficult. 
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[lxskllr]

Larger saws, I put the powerhead on the ground, and rest the bar in my lap. Small saws, I hold the whole thing in my lap. For the infrequent times I have a nice stump at a convenient height, I'll stick the saw on that, and sit next to it to sharpen. In all cases, I grab the whole bar(gloves on of course) to position it for sharpening.

[Southside]

I just put on a different loop.

[thecfarm]

Are you out there with a tractor? Has to be a place to mount a vise on there somewhere. Maybe make a receiver for the vice. Take it off when not needed?
I use to cut wood where I live now. I carried a few chains with me than. 

[hedgerow]

I just put on a different loop.

Plus 1

[lxskllr]

I hate changing chains. I can do it faster than sharpening, but it feels like it takes forever. I carry a spare chain in case of disaster, but it doesn't get used til the one that's on gets scrapped.

[teakwood]

I mounted a vise on my atv.

Or buy a stump vise

[Pine Ridge]

Watch the short youtube video " build a stump vise ". They work good , you can also cut them off the stump and move it wherever you want. 

[Al_Smith]

If you are bucking make a cut about half the distance deep as the bar width in the log .There ya go ready made vise .Simple things from a simple man  ;D

[Al_Smith]

Forgot to add ,rather than do all the lefts, then the rights ,my way .From the back looking down on the chain, left,right left, then move the chain and repeat until you hit them all .For me I can see the angle better .

[lxskllr]

Welp, I did a stupid today, and cut my fingertip sharpening my saw. The file got away from me, and I slid my finger across the top plate. I pretty much always wear gloves, but I didn't have them immediately on me cause I was milling, and they're less useful there. I was getting ready to start sharpening, thought about putting my gloves on, then thought "Nah. It'll be alright"  Idiot!  :^D

Plus side, when a tailgate's available, a 36" bar(114dl) goes a good bit faster than you might expect. Start at the powerhead, and work towards the tip, then advance a bunch of chain when you get there. Saves advancing on every cutter or two.

[thecfarm]

I seem to get the cutters on my knuckles. I wear the leather cloth with the cloth on top of the fingers. One slip and the cutter goes through the cloth. As you,I always use to take the chance. Now I have a right, all leather glove, that I wear when I sharpen the chain. Have one in the garage and have one on the tractor. Makes my knuckles look and feel better. ;D  Seem like those cuts take longer to heal. While not seem,they do. Must be the wood.

[Al_Smith]

There are as many opinions of how to file, what if any type of a guide etc as there are mix oils and ratios and gasoline .
About the only time I do not use a guide is on occasion opening up the gullet so it carries a larger chip .It doesn't have be done that often nor do the depth guides need taken down that often .
I found some nice quides at TSC that are like the older Oregon guides until that company really turned them into a piece of cheap junk .Using these type of quides you won't get your poor old fingers sliced up .
I've seen those clamp over the bar deals which I think some people like as they really expound on them .My two cents I just want a sharp chain not have to make love to it to get it that way .Takes me about 5 minutes to do a 20" loop .

[teakwood]

I seem to get the cutters on my knuckles. I wear the leather cloth with the cloth on top of the fingers. One slip and the cutter goes through the cloth. As you,I always use to take the chance. Now I have a right, all leather glove, that I wear when I sharpen the chain. Have one in the garage and have one on the tractor. Makes my knuckles look and feel better. ;D  Seem like those cuts take longer to heal. While not seem,they do. Must be the wood.

Buy a 2in1, so much faster and safer, no way you will cut a finger with this device.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Well yet another variation on a topic that gets brought up every few weeks. I guess we all never get tired of looking for a better way. ;D
 I don't use a vise, I have one, just never used it, I should try it some day. I lay the saw up on something solid, or if the ground is the only thing available, I will use that but don't like it much, too low. I prefer the tailgate on my Mule, just the right height. Then I put my upper chest on the saw handle so I am looking down the bar and out the front of the saw. I use a Husky roller guide. Laying on the saw keeps it solid and gives me a good line of sight over the tops of the teeth. Then I do all the rights using my right hand, than all the lefts using my left hand, then the rakers if they need it. I find this makes it easy for me to keep my top plate angle true and uniform. Of course, this is for round filing. Working left handed takes some practice, but over time, you get good at it. It's just like playing an instrument.
 This method works well on the larger saw (372) but also on my smaller one(450). I am not so sure how it would feel on anything smaller or a top handle.
 When I use the square chisel file it seems easier to work on each side of the bar to watch the tooth profile form up and keep the corner of the file right where it needs to be, which is critical. There is no guide for this, so seeing where you are on the tooth means everything.

[Al_Smith]

The tailgate of my Ranger pick me up works good .The baby truck has a plastic bed liner and a plastic tailgate gizmo . Sit on a 5 gallon bucket and  get-er -done .I've got some nicks on the gate liner but to me a truck is a tool not a cowboy limousine .60 thou for a truck, never thought I'd see that day .Wish I never did . :D

[thecfarm]

@teakwood,than I would have to retrain myself and spend money too.  ;D   I am more worried about the retraining part. I can do wonders with a chain just freehand.  The chain will draw itself into the wood all by itself. A right hand leather gloves last a long time,if I only use it to sharpen a chain.

[snobdds]

The best way I've seen yet...

How to FIle a Chainsaw, by Logger Wade - YouTube

[Old Greenhorn]

The tailgate of my Ranger pick me up works good .The baby truck has a plastic bed liner and a plastic tailgate gizmo . 

Funny you mention this Al. I was working at a job out of my pickup a couple of weeks ago and I tried using my method on the pickup tailgate with the plastic gizmo. The saw was sliding all over like it was on a frozen pond. Finally wound up sticking the bar tip under the gate cable to stabilize it. My tail gate is s bit too high to be comfortable anyway. I'll have to make one of them simple jigs like MM has. I just never get a round tuit.

[Al_Smith]

I sit up close and stab the dog .The plastic partly wraps over the tail gate on mine .I found that "over the top " from a guy on the net who sells plans for chainsaw mills and it works good for me .Might not for other people .What ever works---works .
You can do the same thing on top of a big log .Roll up a round to sit on and have at it .If you make a little cut ,maybe 3 inches deep it won't go any where . 

[ManjiSann]

I use the little jig that is shown in the the Logger Wade video snobdds posted. Never could figure out how to use the gauge for the rakers on it till watching that video just now so thanks for posting that snobdds!

I'm still learning how to sharpen the chains to perfection so I appreciate this discussion!


Question for those that sharpen without a jig, do you use the chain brake on the chainsaw to keep it from moving while you sharpen? I've tried freehanding it once or twice on a really bad chain I didn't care about and find I have a hard time keeping the file from digging into the lower link part and the chain moves a lot because of the amount of pressure I'm trying to use.

Brandon 

[lxskllr]

I don't set the brake, but I grab the whole b&c while sharpening. I've watched videos of people sharpening, and it looks like they aren't using the brake. Not sure that would work with the way I sharpen. I'm kind of heavy handed, and sort of pull in, and sometimes up(to get the top plate well, and reduce hook) with the file. I think the chain would move too much if it were free.

[btulloh]

Shouldn't need to set the brake.  It shouldn't require so much pressure that the chain moves.  Avoid down pressure.  Pressure towards the saw head, a little up sometimes like lxskllr said if you're getting too much hook.  That video a couple posts back is good.  That's the way various loggers taught me.  No muss no fuss.  

However you go about it, if you're getting the chain sharp and it's cutting straight and smooth, you're good.  

[longtime lurker]

Drop a sapling say 8-10" across at waist height, put a vertical cut down into the top of that to about bar depth, put the saw into that cut with the bumper spikes half dug in the bark and maybe 1/3 the bar exposed at the top, then use the screwdriver end of the bar spanner as a wedge beside the bar to stop it slipping.... instant stump vice.

Most of my machines have a vice on them somewhere anyway.

Use .404 chain - because I can halfway see it when I forget my glasses. How did it ever get to a point where I cant see a chain to sharpen it without glasses on???

[lxskllr]

I'm the other way with glasses. I have to take mine off to see close. I used to be able to see with them on, but that ability has disappeared with age.

edit:
Good question Manjisann. It's got me thinking about my sharpening technique. I'm gonna try to be mindful of the pressure I'm applying, and try to keep it reduced. I tend to be heavy handed with everything, and it's a bad habit. I overtorque almost every bolt I touch  :^/