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Begginer sharpening chains by hand or??

Started by opticsguy, March 16, 2012, 01:54:06 AM

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thecfarm

Too far for me to come help you. Something so easy can be so hard too. When you get it,you will be so happy. I know I was. About time I said. Probably not in your case,but at the High school Voc Center there was a guy that put on classes on how to sharpen a saw. I know of a couple guys that took it. Helped them alot.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

ArborJake

 I think your bar is probably shot. I look at saw's from many homeowners that i work for becuase they cut crooked. Most have unevenly warn out bars. Once they really wear uneven it's extremely difficult to get them back. Usually this happens from repeatedly trying to force a dull saw through a log. The chain gets hot and dry and wears away the bar unevenly becuase of hooking the bumper spikes in for leverage you apply uneven pressure.We always carry extra chain. If one gets dull throw on another. Sharpen them back at the shop on a vise like mentioned before.
thick and thin lumber company. qaulity manufacturer of saw dust and slab wood.

bandmiller2

Opticsguy,mayby you should just get one of those Origon chain grinders,if used with care will give you a sharp chain. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

opticsguy

Problem solved,  yes, my bar was worn out. 

A new bar and chain and I am now one very happy camper!!! Or saywer . . . .

Thanks everyone.


TK 1220 band mill,  1952 Ford F-2, 1925 Dodge touring, too many telescopes.

brianJ

Prospecting back thru old posts, what gold you can find.    Had the same issues and questions the OP wrote about.     Thought Id give this thread a bump so some of them visitors dont need to learn the hard way like I did.    

Now Im learning to recognize dull chains, high rakers, and uneven rails earlier so its a quick adjustment rather than time and cash for a repair.

One further question is how do you know a file is dull?   Is it like knowing your chain is dull?



btulloh

That's about right.  Dull is dull.  You can tell by how it feels against the tooth when you file.  It also sounds different.  You can tell the feel of a sharp file with your hand when you pick it up.  My suggestion would be to buy a new file and compare it to an old file.  Then you'd know.  Treat your file like an edge tool and don't just through it in with a bunch of hard stuff.  (Sometimes we all do that I guess, but it doesn't help the file.)  Ideally you shouldn't have several files snuggling up to each other in you tool box either.  
HM126

lxskllr

A new file feels "gritty" when you sharpen a tooth, and leaves a nice bit of dust on the file. You can feel it bite as you sharpen the tooth. A dull file slips over the tooth, and doesn't bite in. You *can* file with a dull file, but it's a strain, and your form goes bad. If you have to apply significant pressure, your file's probably too dull.

I second getting a new file(s) to compare. You can forget what it's supposed to feel like after awhile, and it slowly gets harder without you realizing it. I also suspect most of us are cheap, so it's tempting to use a file longer than is sensible. Don't consider a file as you would a nice wrench. Think of it more like gasoline. It's expendable, and when it's done, it's done. Just another operating cost of running a saw. Don't fight with old files.

thecfarm

A dull file,when it does not file. :D I buy my files by the box,12 at a time. When they don't grab,out they go. I don't want the file to feel like a piece of cold rolled steel when I am filing. ;D  I have a big saw and a small saw,so I have 2 sizes, 2 boxes of files. I have no idea how long a box last,6 months, a year? I think closer to a year.
I feel a sharp file helps me filing.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

samandothers

I read a thread about cleaning files.  I tried that and it did help.  After a while though a new file is in order!

btulloh

Cleaning is good, but it doesn't change dull.  Use a file carder.  A rotary brass bristled brush will do a good job of cleaning as well, but you end up with the dullest file ever known to mankind.  (Don't ask me how I know. ;))

I have soaked files in white vinegar for 24 hours and it makes them sharper.  Similar to the old trick of putting a file in sulphuric acid to sharpen it, but without the possibility of permanent disfigurement. I can't really say how sharp the result was compared to a new file, but it's worthwhile.  The vinegar is a good way to remove rust.  No matter how you go about it, a dull file is not a good thing.
HM126

samandothers

I used white vinegar to clean as well.  It did help.  As you may already be aware don't drag the file back as it dull the file as well.

Logger RK

If you can find the right size straw,  they make a good file protector. And the hunt for the straw can be a adventure also

John Mc

Quote from: Logger RK on July 29, 2018, 07:58:34 AM
If you can find the right size straw,  they make a good file protector. And the hunt for the straw can be a adventure also
Stock up now: there is a big "anti-plastic-straw" movement going on in the US now.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

teakwood

We are also starting here with this movement and i support it. straws are absolutely unnecessary unless you eat in your car. 

lots of straws end up in our oceans and the turtles (which Costa Rica is proud of protecting and they do a great job) chocks on them and can die from it.
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

John Mc

Quote from: teakwood on July 29, 2018, 11:47:02 AM
We are also starting here with this movement and i support it. straws are absolutely unnecessary unless you eat in your car.

lots of straws end up in our oceans and the turtles (which Costa Rica is proud of protecting and they do a great job) chocks on them and can die from it.
I also strongly support it. I tell restaurants not to bring them to the table. I do have what is probably a lifetime supply of round file protectors now, since my wife bought a 50-pack of straws for one of my kids birthday party a few years ago.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

btulloh

Not trying to be flippant or anything, but managing one's own litter, straws or whatever, would solve the problem.  I can't even imagine a situation where I would just toss litter on the ground, but I know that's just me.  It seems difficult to effectively legislate bad behavior out of existence. Turtles shouldn't have to live in fear of straws.  There is a lot of data out there on sources of ocean litter.  It's instructive to look at the data. 

I'm not a big straw user, but I do plan to start using some on round files.  I should also improve my handling of flat files, but they won't fit in straws.  I really just need to break some bad habits with my file storage.
HM126

samandothers

Yep, fall in that don't use a straw group.  My daughter works at Zoo Miami and reminds me of certain things when I am around her, straws are one.

lxskllr

Straws are pretty low on the trash harm scale, but they're also low hanging fruit. Straws are a frivolous affectation for the most part, and they simply aren't needed. Easy to get rid of. Work on the rest later.

teakwood

One thing is in countrys where trash gets recycled or burnt or correctly deposited. But here in a developing nation where the mind of half people isn't concerned about trash recycling and lots of trash gets trow in the streets and backyards where the rainwater carries it to the creek, rivers and finally the ocean it's another story 
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

Pulphook

All the above tips. When I get a new bar and chain, look carefully at both. Most chains have "witness marks" for the sharpening angle that wear after sometime. The tip to rotate the bar, file it on both sides, and check the grooves is right on. Files wear out and are cheap insurance for a good edge.
Also, both Stihl and Husky sell a Pferd hand sharpening rig ( "2 in 1" or other names) that does the edge AND raker in each pass. You get the Pferd for each sized chain.
It takes time and T & E.
....and, this straw thing is like a straw dog. :laugh:Too many more critical environmental crises to worry about
Two wood stoves ( Jotul Rangely ,Jotul Oslo ) heating 99 44/100%
24/7. No central heat. 6-8 cords firewood from the woodlot /year. Low low tech: ATV with trailer, 3 saws, 2 electric splitters, a worn pulphook, peavy, climbing line for skidding, Fiskars 27, an old back getting older.

moodnacreek

Study a new chain carefully and try to copy it when you file. Filing by eye is not perfect but if the angles average out l/h to r/h it will go but if one side is more aggressive , that's the way it will cut. The bar rails must be equal height and can be filed or ground flat. Most any wood saw in top condition will try to self feed and cut straight,

opticsguy

Gosh!!   I remember posting this originally way back in 2012.  Now 6 years ago and now converted to a straw thread?? 
 
What has happened in those 6 years?
-  My sharpening skills and maintenance is at a much higher level.
-  Purchased a Stihl MS 250 to replace my home-owner light weight saw.
- Traveled to Peru where I found the entire country covered in plastic, the deserts, the beaches and more. only the tourist areas were cleaned up. And i mean plastic EVERYWHERE.
- This last week, purchased a Milwaukee cordless chainsaw. will comment more about this when I get time on the new saw.
- Life is very good!!
TK 1220 band mill,  1952 Ford F-2, 1925 Dodge touring, too many telescopes.

gman98

When I first started working in the woods I couldn't file a saw to save my life.  This made my job absolutely miserable since all I did was buck pine logs.  I set it in my head one day that I wanted to learn how to file correctly and worked at it often, filing completely through a few chains even though I didn't cut with them.  I found that the best way for me to learn was to take the chain off the bar and put just the chain in a bench vise, with the drivers clamped into the vise.  I found that to be a much more stable working platform.  From there I could use both hands and the chain did not move one bit.  I learned that way and am now able to freehand file on a tailgate or even with a saw sitting on my lap, but I still always try to file my chains straight for the week in a vise on the weekends.
Forest technician and part time equipment operator.  Looking to get set up with some logging equipment of my own.

gspren

Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

Logger RK

How about tearing one end off the wrapper & blowing in the end to see how far the wrapper goes? 

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