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Chain sharpening.

Started by Camp Run Farm, October 22, 2006, 03:35:36 AM

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Camp Run Farm

I saw the post about the Stihl vs. Oregon, I bought my first Oregon chain a couple of weeks ago and definitely noticed that it did not last as long as the Stihl chains I had been using.

Now to the real reason I am on here.  Does anyone have any thoughts on a decent sharpener for chains?  It seems I always end up with dull chains and I don't want to make that 32 mile round trip to the saw shop.  I have seen them on Ebay and I am always reluctant to buy something, particularly tools that seem to inexpensive but being the thrifty person that I am I hate to pay top dollar.  Does anyone have experience with a reasonably priced sharpener?

Thanks,  Ed

Ianab

A good hand file / guide will do a good job, maybe after a bit of practise anyway  ;)

You can do a good job, and sharpening doesn't come much more thrifty  ;D

Cheers

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Al_Smith

Get the file and use the guide until you get it down pat.Afterwards you can ditch the guide if you prefer.

Hand filing is just a learned thing,it is not difficult at all.Now certain things such as race chains are an entirely different matter but they are not used for every day cutting and would best be left thier intended usage.

If you prefer,Oregon makes a neat little "Dremel" type grinder that does a fair job.I have one myself that I basicaly use just to repair a chain that gets "rocked",kisses the ground,so to speak.That happens,no matter how careful you try to be.


















Kevin

Ed, you may have a problem with dirt in your logs or cutting too close to the ground so you would want to eliminate that first.
With clean wood you should be using a chisel cutter and with something less clean a chipper cutter.
The file strokes should be equal on left and right cutters to keep them even.
The oregon chain and roller file guide is what I use.
On the Stihl chains I use a bar mount guide.
To dress up uneven cutters over time I use an Oregon grinder.

pineywoods

I bought one of the cheap ($29.95 on sale) chain sharpeners from harbor freight. They are cheap plastic, but beleive it are not, they work just as good as the ones in the dealers shop. I highly recommend it. Use it 3 or 4 times and it's paid for itself.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

kderby

I am with Piney Woods on the utility of the cheap sharpeners.  I got one as part of a trade and took a couple hours to sharpen all the old loops of chain I had hanging.  The local saw shop charges ten dollars a loop.  The machine is paid for!

If I were a faller, I would invest in a fancy sharpening set up.  I run a sawmill.  While I depend on my saws, I do not use them all day every day.

I like to hand file on order to touch up the chain on the saw.  Has any one created a jig that would facilitate hand sharpening in the shop?  Perhaps using a vice, an old bar and some type of tensioner?

Meanwhile the cheap little grinder will get used up.


Dan_Shade

I know stihl made just that at one point in time, I haven't seen one other than pictures...

http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/acc_filing.html#benchmount
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

limbrat

Me and one of my son inlaws was cutting firewood today he was watching me touch up a chain. He wonted to learn so i told him like this. First off you aint touchin mine! Second start with a new chain and a old file so it wont cut much. When the chain first starts to get dull shut it down, lay the file in the chain till it matches the factory pattern and give it 2 or 3 strokes per tooth all away around the chain on both sides. Dont worry about cutting any metal are taking any nicks out just shine up the inside of the tooth. After that everytime it starts to get a little dull dont force it just shut it down and shine up the inside of the tooth. After the chain is half wore out you should have a feel for it and then you can go get a new file.
ben

beenthere

I have always hand filed, but lately have used this roller guide, by Husky. For me, it works well, is quick, and has a good depth gauge guide for hardwood and softwood bite.  About $8.  It sets down snug over the links fore and aft (slightly enlarged jig [filed slots] to fit the Stihl chain).  The chain shown in pic is near its end, but the jig works well for new down to 'over the hill' chain.


south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Greg Cook

I agree with Beenthere on the little Husky filing jig.  Always thought I did a decent job filing till the dealer threw one of these in with the new saw.  Mine came as a little kit, the jig, a round file, a flat file for rakers, and a plastic handle.  First time I tried to use it, it was filing the sharp edge off the cutters, just flattening them off.  Finally saw that the file Husky included wasn't the proper size for the kit, which was labeled for a .325/.050.  Once I used the right file, I'm never taking a chain to a shop again.  Way better than my old Dremel-type
"Ain't it GOOD to be alive and be in TENNESSEE!" Charlie Daniels

konrad695

I agree completely on the Husky jig.  It works great and is small enough to fit any pocket.  If you mess up a chain try a clamp on jig from Oregon.  Baileys has them and you can preset all angles.  Save this for your bench though.

ComputerUser

The Stihl benchmount file guide is a very nice setup.  They go for about $150 around here, and are the way to go if you don't want a grinder.  Much better tooth-to-tooth angle replication than freehand.

If you want to go for a grinder, the Oregon 511A/Tecomec 136 is the way to go.  It strikes a nice middle-ground between the high-end Silvey grinders ($800!) and the cheap Harbor Freight ones.  You should be able to get the Tecomec version on eBay for about $210, new in box.  It is identical to the Oregon one but for the color; parts are 100% interchangeable.  Tecomec actually makes the grinders over in Italy and Oregon re-badges them and charges more for "their" version. 

If you do any quantity of sharpening I think you'll find the convenience of a grinder well worth the money.  The tooth-to-tooth consistency with a grinder is going to be hard to duplicate by hand in any reasonable amount of time, and you'll have a much easier time fixing rocked chains with the grinder than doing dozens of swipes with a file per tooth by hand.  And with practice, you can get a file-quality edge on the chain, too - I can get long-lasting, razor sharp chains off of mine now that I've got the technique and ideal agles for my wood figured out.

alsayyed

 I am in doubt little here. I am using the 3/8 x 0.63 and 3/8 x.050 chains. I am trying to figure out will be the  file size for these two type sizes of chains and what will the grinder  stone size will be. Any help


KDJ

madsen saw site has great info on chain sharpening

i also use the harbor freight sharpener it dose a great job with little effort
i could never do the file thing some people are just more talented than i


kdj

Corley5

I bought a MAXX grinder and like it a lot.  Got mine new off E-bay.  Do a search for them.  I bought it for firewood processor chains and have just started using it for regular saw chain.  It does good.  I was a file purist before.  Used the Carleton File-O-Plate with great success.  It's still in my wallet just in case ;)  I got the CBN wheels for the grinder from Foley Belsaw and like them much better than the grit wheels.  Never need shaping and seem to do a better job sharpening too.
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

sawguy21

alsayed, use the same file for both chains. The guage difference is in the drive links, not the cutter. I am still curious why some markets use .063 in 3/8 and .325. Seems to be overkill and there is the added weight. We only see it in .404 from Stihl.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

alsayyed

For the first time I used 3/8 x .050 chains and found out that is really something it cuts very well and I practiced on two pieces of logs and find out the result was groovy. So are you telling me the lower thickness in gauge the better and faster cut i.e. 3/8 x .040 will be better than .050.

sawguy21

I am not impressed with the .043 mini-picco chain, particularily Stihl's. It is best suited for saws under 35cc but tends to break if it hits a large knot or nails. .050 or .058 works well for 3/8 and .325 chain, I am wondering why the need to go to the weight (and cost) of .063, not to mention a thicker bar.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

rebocardo

> I am not impressed with the .043 mini-picco chain, particularily Stihl's.

The stuff from Bailey's is way better for faster cutting. Of course, it is more dangerous too  ;)

> break if it hits a large knot or nails.

I would not doubt it, the chain is a bit on the small size. I have trouble sharpening it.

Camp Run Farm

Wow!! Thanks for all of the great information.  I am almost ashamed to say how much the local saw shop charges to resharpen a chain.  It is not the cost but the inconvenience, I always forget to take the chains when I go out and because of the kind of cutting I am doing chains don't last too long..  Would you believe $4 per chain?   Hmmm, saving money was never my motivation for doing things, I bought a new Woodmizer to make a few hundred BF of siding for a shed I was building.... It is not about needing something it is about wanting it!!!!

Dan_Shade

i can sharpen a chain as fast with a file...

I wouldn't grind a chain for less than $6 if I were doing it for money...
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

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