sharpening a chain

[alex carey]

I have an Oregon file thats fits my big Stihl chainsaw but I don't have any files for my smaller electric chainsaws. Instead I decided to use my Dremel. Is that a bad idea, is it a good replacement for the oregon file or do you think that is more like taking it in to be professionally sharpened, am I removing too much material.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have an adapter that fits my dremel for saw sharpening. It works pretty good. The stihl dealer gave me some dremel stones to use.

[Ryan Baker]

Are you using the Oregon Dremel bits, or just some random Dremel stone?

IMHO, yes you are removing too much. Unless you are letting your chain get really messed up before sharpening, you don't need power tools. It only takes a couple light strokes with a good file to get them sharp. I can sharpen my chain just as fast and more accurately by hand than I could with something like a dremel, as long as the teeth are kept touched up.

[Roger Chandler]

I have an Oregon file thats fits my big Stihl chainsaw but I don't have any files for my smaller electric chainsaws. Instead I decided to use my Dremel. Is that a bad idea, is it a good replacement for the oregon file or do you think that is more like taking it in to be professionally sharpened, am I removing too much material.

Alex,

I can give you a tip on sharpening chains for a chainsaw, that is one of the best $29.00 I ever spent. Harbor Freight has an electric disk sharpener that works very well, and works like the Oregon 511A sharpening system.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Why don't you just buy a chainsaw file for the smaller chains? They're available at virtually any hardware store and Sears...... They even come with that cool handle/guide.

Learning to use a file is great. You can touch up the chains in the field, and not have to wait to get home for electricity.

[Scott Crumpton]

I use these in a Dremel MiniMite between professional sharpenings.

http://www.eze-lap.com/product/chainsaw.htm

[alex carey]

kk, thanks for the info.

[Hilel Salomon]

Alex,

Although I have two mounted electric sharpeners (One Italian, the other Chinese) I find that I seldom use them. Instead I use a small, cheap device made by Pferd (though Husqvarna also sells them under their own name). The advantage of the Pferd is that it controls the height of the depth gauge by using a flat file in tandem with the round one. This is quite important. If you just use an electric or hand filer your depth gauge will stay the same height, and that is not good!

Here is a site that explains this:

http://www.chainsawsharpenertips.com/chainsaw-depth-gauges/

Hilel

[Reed Gray]

I have been using the hand files for years now, and have never taken a chain in to the saw shop for sharpening. Really pretty simple, light strokes, push cut only, take the same number of strokes on each tooth, wear gloves in case your hand slips. It took a while, but my chains cut straight, and the guys who really know how to sharpen no longer laugh at me. The occasional tune up of the chip limiter tooth is simple to do as well. Handy gage available from your local shop.

robo hippy