Chain Sharpening preperation

[Stroover]

Stupid question for you guys, but what is "noodling"?

Long wood pieces (instead of chips) coming from the cut. Usually happens if you are cutting with the grain of the wood vice across the grain.
An example would be if you were cutting a slab out of a tree trunk lengthwise for say a table top.

Oh, ok. Thanks!

[John Mc]

Sorry about that. I thought I'd already explained that ("The long chips that come with cutting with the grain"), but I guess I didn't do to well.

Basically, it's a ripping cut, rather than the cross-cut that is normally done with a chainsaw. As CLWW said, cutting a slab off a log, rather than cutting a log down to firewood length.  You can control the size of the noodles by varying the angle of the saw. Holding it perpendicular to the log (as a chainsaw mill typically does) gets smaller chips. Laying the saw down almost parallel to the wood makes longer chips. Some saws tend to clog up around the clutch drum if the noodles get too long.

[Stroover]

And did I understand correctly? You do this prior to filing the chain's chisels to kind of clean out the grime out of the chain?

Also, I find that I have to file my chain at every tank filling. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong? I just bought a brand new Stihl 261 two days ago, and haven't used it yet (I have a full-time job Mon-Fri, then I cut firewood on the weekends). Can I expect to follow this same procedure with the new one?(i.e.- filing the chain every time I tank 'er up?)

[beenthere]

Also, I find that I have to file my chain at every tank filling. Is this normal,

Depends on what you mean by "have to file".  Does it means your chain is so dull that it won't cut well, or does it mean the chain just needs to be touched up?

I normally file after every fill, but it is just a good stroke on each tooth to maintain sharpness.

If the saw chain ever touches the ground, or the logs have dirt in the bark, then the edge can come off very quick and filing is needed sooner. Can't stand to try to continue cutting if the edges are off the chain.

[John Mc]

Stroover - I do the noodling only SOMETIMES before I sharpen the chain. Most of the time, I just go ahead and sharpen (I'm hand sharpening with a file, not using a grinder).  If I notice that I've got a chain that's particularly loaded up with oil, dirt, or whatever, I might do a quick noodle cut. In general, I pay a lot more attention to how sharp my chain is than how clean it is.  Maybe I'd get better life out of my bars and chains if I cleaned it every time, bu tthings are holding up pretty well for me as it is, so I don't worry too much.  As Al Smith said, "it's a chainsaw, not a Swiss watch".
___________

I agree with what Beenthere said.

How often you have to sharpen will vary greatly depending on what you are cutting, and under what conditions. Obviously, if you hit the ground or a rock, all bets are off.  If you are cutting hardwood, the chain will dull a bit more quickly than cutting pine. It will last much longer if the wood is clean than if the log has been dragged through the dirt.

Most of the time, I'm cutting hardwoods that are fairly clean, since I buck them up to firewood lengths fairly close to where they fell (a 100 foot drag with the winch is about as far as my logs go before cutting, and many bet little or no drag). I do tend to touch up the chain at each tank of gas. If both the saw and I are in good shape, I might skip the touch up. As the day wears on, I force myself to stop and sharpen. I find taking a short break gives me the chance to assess myself as well as the saw. If I just dive right back in, I tend not to notice that I'm getting tired, dehydrated, or hungry (all of which are risk factors for an accident).

As one of my Game of Logging instructors once said, "You don't sharpen a chain because it got dull, you sharpen it to keep it from getting dull."  I've always found that a useful distinction.

If sharpening after each tank has been working for you, I wouldn't expect a new saw to change that (unless it ran significantly shorter or longer on a tank of gas than your old one). If you are cutting clean wood and you haven't hit anything you shouldn't, it should only take a light touch-up. If it's taking more than that, either you are cutting under tougher conditions than I am, or something else is going on.

[Oliver1655]

If you are in an area where there is a lot of sand/dirt being blown about you will also find it is imbedded in the bark of trees & can dull a chain without you realizing why.

[Stroover]

Ya, I tested it out in my back yard yesterday evening on a dead cedar, and I noticed the odd spark coming out of it. I found that odd, but it makes sence.

Also, have any of you used that new file which sharpens both the chisel and the raker simultaneously? (like the one they sell at some Home Hardwares for $40 canadian) I bought one, but haven't used it yet as I'm wondering if it's a good idea to shave down the rakers every time, though I know we're supposed to do it at some point. Views?

[beenthere]

I don't think your guide will shave more off the rakers than is necessary even if you use it at each filing. It has a depth limiter, I'd suspect.

I use the $10 Husky Pferd file "guide" with the two small rollers over which the round file travels, it works well and I can see what is happening better.   It also has the guide for taking down the rakers using a flat file. I only take down the rakers after every 5-10th time touching up the chain and very little needs filing off.

Use what feels the best. I've gone through many different methods, and all will work if knowing what the end results should be like. None of them do the job if one doesn't know what the end results should be like, IMO. So pick what you like.

Most sharpener jigs and guides sit on my workbench collecting dust.                                                               

[Stroover]

Thanks, BeenThere! And you're right: the file DOES indeed not touch the rakers until needed.

Great site, by the way. You guys are indeed quite a knowlegeable bunch and are being most helpful! Thanks, admin, for letting me join!

[John Mc]

Ya, I tested it out in my back yard yesterday evening on a dead cedar, and I noticed the odd spark coming out of it. I found that odd, but it makes sence.

For a soft wood, cedar will certainly wear out a chain quickly.  I sometimes see the sparks when sawing it it as well.  Something about that bark really seems to collect the minerals.

[7sleeper]

Stupid question for you guys, but what is "noodling"?

This is noodling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0PawSuuRa8&list=UUUoN2b400OylqwPebzgmSgg

Best firestarters in the world in my opinion! Let them dry and put them into garbage bags. Just a handful and a match is enough.

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[Stroover]

Cool! I've never done that! And you'd do this prior to sharpening the chain? How often?

[John Mc]

I do it if I happen to think of it. Most of the time, I don't, but then my chain generally isn't to badly loaded up with crud.

[7sleeper]

I do this mainly to unsplittable, crotch burdenend, branch berthing horrible pieces of wood, since I donot have a splitter, or for running in a new saw. To give it a nice constant load over a short period of time. Never done it before to clean a chain but it would work nicely!
I have never cared much how dirty the chain is prior grinding, but then again my chains are seldom dirty because I try to keep them out of the dirt. What I have done is simply blow them off with the compressor, just to get the worst off the chain.

7

[HolmenTree]

Ya, I tested it out in my back yard yesterday evening on a dead cedar, and I noticed the odd spark coming out of it. I found that odd, but it makes sence.

Stroover, if you notice sparks coming off the chain when the sun is down its not sparks coming off the wood, it's sparks coming off the chain's chassis impacting the drive sprocket when the cutters are impacting the dry hard wood.

That eastern white cedar can get tough wben it has been standing dead for a long time.
I also notice you're from New Brunswick and you probably are cutting lots of sappy balsam fir. Stuff can dirty up a chain pretty quick.  Cut some hardwood for a bit and the sap will disappear quick.
As joe indie from India said earlier they clean the cutter's gullets with a old starter rope, as he said in past threads they cut alot of rubber plant  trees which are notorious for sap.

[ely]

On my files I use some carb cleaner on them when they get dirty. Makes em cut better.

[Quadlinear]

Guess I can be a little anal but when my chains get extremely dirty or full of oil and sap. I boil them in a large pan on my wood stove with a 30/70 mix of dawn dishwasher soap. I use a timberline chain sharpener that uses a hand cranked carbide cutter that follows the shape of the original Stihl cutter teeth. I am just a part time cutter using smaller Stihl saws so 3/8" is the biggest I run.

Quadlinear

[7sleeper]

As long as you don't use your chains to please your anal tendencies....

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[thecfarm]

Quadlinear,welcome to the forum.