Chainsaw chain sharpening

[Steve Hayes]

I have a couple of chains that I need to sharpen. Any good suggestions? File, Dremel???

[Ed Labadie]

I use a bar mount file guide. It doesn't have a very big learning curve & works good.
I don't like freehand filing, to hard to hold a consistent angle after repeated sharpenings.
Baileys has them, stock# 15200

http://www.baileys-online.com/store/USA.htm

Ed

[Ernie Nyvall]

Steve, I've seen the dremel one work and although it says it works for three different sized chains, the guy had to hone out the holes to make it fit his 3/8" chain... it wouldn't sit deep enough in the chain to sharpen the whole tooth. Of course it could have been a bad one. I just use a file and have another file in a guide that I use from time to time to make sure the angle is right. When you get used to it, you can keep it pretty much on the money. Plus, if I'm in the woods, I don't have to worry about it. The key with the file is to not let the chain go too long before you hit it again and take real light cuts... it helps to keep the angle right on too.

Ernie

[Joe Tonich]

Steve,

This is what I use for my STIHL chains.....

http://www.forestapps.com/pferd/pferdtool.htm

Real easy to use. A couple swipes (I do about 3 per tooth....takes about 5 min) after I use it and my chains sharp for the next time I need it.

[Steve Clardy]

I just use a file, no holder. Been doing it too long. You'll get used to just a file after a while. Remember to use a flat file and take your drag down a bit after sharpening the teeth 3-4 times. There should be a gauge that came with your saw for this.

[Ron Ainge]

I recently recieved a battery operated Dremel and I can tell you that it took the work out of sharpening my chainsaw blade. It used to take me about 10 minutes to sharpen the blade that I now do in about one minute. The sharpening system comes with three sets of stones and one of them should fit most of the saw blades made. It is nice to be able to sharpen my saw while I am at the wood lot where there is no power to use other types of sharpening systems. I wish I had bought this little Dremel years ago.

[Dick Strauss]

Steve,
I do mine by hand. I use an Oregon file and guide to do the work. The guide has angle markings that align parallel with the bar to achieve the right angle. The guide slides over the teeth to achieve the right cutting depth for the teeth. They make a separate guide for taking the rakers down after every 3-4 sharpenings. Sharpening takes me less than 5 min for a 56 tooth chain.

Here is a link to general chainsaw maintenance info that also talks about chain sharpening. Obviously Oregon is trying to sell products. I'm not affiliated with Oregeon at all but have used their products and found their site helpful. Take their specific tool recommendations with a grain of salt. Other companies offer the same products. If you are on dial-up it will take a while to load but try this site...

http://www.oregonchain.com/tech/ms_manual/ms_02.pdf

[Jim DeLaney]

I use a file, and the Lee Valley file guide that clamps onto the bar. I can sharpen the chain on my Stihl (16" bar) in about five minutes or so.

[Ian Abraham]

I use a round file and a little guide plate that helps keep the angle right.

Sharpen the chain often, if it looks blunt it's way to far gone and will take a lot of file / grinder work to get the chain back into shape. If the chrome edge of the tooth gets rounded over you have to file back to a clean edge if you want it to stay sharp. By learning how to hand sharpen you can easily touch up the chain in the field after a couple of tanks of gas. Only takes a couple of strokes with the file to keep the edge keen. After cutting for an hour it's a nice break to sit down on a stump for 5 mins and touch up the chain.

If you hit a nail or a rock then a grinder is the best way to get the chain back into shape, but in that case I just drop the chain off at my local dealer and he knocks it back into shape for a few bucks.

And yeah, remember to check the raker heights, you dont have to do it every time, but eventually you have to take them down as the cutters wear back and get lower.

Cheers

Ian

[Wayne Kuhn]

After sharpening with a file for years I recently bout a dremel and stone sized for my chain. Dremel is way to go. Quick & easy. Going to buy a 12 volt for the road.

[Boyd Gathwright]

I have a couple of chains that I need to sharpen. Any good suggestions? File, Dremel???

.... I use a rattail file in the woods. A bench grinder in the shop, see pics

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=14988

.... Bench grinder tends to keep the angle true on both sides of the link. So as you cut, the saw does NOT favor the right or left side. A true straight line cut :).

.

[Curt Fuller]

I started out using a file then switched to a dremel. But I've gone back to the file. The dremel bits wear down too fast and once they start wearing the smaller diameter makes for a different angle on the tooth edge. I couldn't get a consistent edge all around the chain and it causes the saw to cut in a curve and ultimately bind. If you're going to use the dremel be very careful, they cut fast and wear fast. Replace the bits ever few sharpenings.

Also, if you sharpen with a dremel and then need to touch it up with a file in the field after nicking rocks or nails, the file probably won't match up with the grind of the dremel bit.

The cheap Oregon sharpening setups work pretty darned good.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I got the Oregon sharpening file guide thing, it works very well, and it is simple to use. I could sharpen the chain on my mill (two different angles, as it was a ripping chain) in about 15 minutes tops.

I bought the dremel bits too, but did not end up using them, they take off too much too easy, IMHO.

Cheers!

[John Hebert]

I found the Oregon jig to be fast, easy, and precise. Gives the perfect tooth shrpnes, undercut and angle on every tooth, and will out cut just about any shop sharpened chain any day. I couldn't find the oregon and got a Gransburg jig and it's identical to the oregon and got it through Baily's

http://www.cjohnhebert.com/sharpener.jpg
equally important is the raker tooth. I found this card jig to be pretty nice to use

http://www.cjohnhebert.com/rakergauge.jpg

[John Hebert]

http://www.cjohnhebert.com/fileraker.jpg

[Dennis Peacock]

This is a most interesting thread. This is yet another thing that I'm not all that good at....sharpening a chainsaw chain. Since I'm getting a new saw soon due to my other saw acting up, giving up and it's time to start gathering FREE firewood for next winter.....I REALLY NEED to learn how to sharpen a chainsaw correctly and effeciently. The MS361 comes with a hardwood chain, square cut type chain and also a great risk of kickback with this chain (at least that's what I've been reading).

I've read somewhere that it's best to sharpen with the nose of the saw pointed at about a 80 degree angle and set in a holding jig so that it would be easier for one to file the back and top of the tooth with less effort. Anybody ever try or even read about this? Does it work?

[tod evans]

dennis, i do like steve freehand, thats how i learned...if i hit a rock i`ll take it in to the saw shop...02 tod

[Mark Cothren]

My sharpening technique consists of purchasing 5 chains that I have sharpened occasionally at the saw shop about 2 miles from my house...:D I rarely cut enough in one trip to dull a chain very bad. If I have an "oops" then I have 2 or 3 extra chains with me.

I can sharpen one a little bit freehand, and can sharpen one fairly good with my Dremel and a guide. So in a pinch I can keep one cuttin'... but like has already been said - just like with a knife - the key is to not wear the edge(s) out before you put a fresh edge on it.

Bottom line? I'm lazy and I let somebody else do my work most of the time...:o

[John Shuk]

Steve,

This is what I use for my STIHL chains.....

http://www.forestapps.com/pferd/pferdtool.htm

Real easy to use. A couple swipes (I do about 3 per tooth....takes about 5 min) after I use it and my chains sharp for the next time I need it.
I use the same thing and it works well. I have a buddy with a professional wheel that he does once in a while too.

[Bob Johnson2]

I clamp the bar in the vise and use one of the cheap guides and a round file of the correct size, been doing it for years and it works just fine, takes about 5 minutes. I did have someone show me how though, the only trick is learning to keep the file/guide level with the bar/chain without rocking. I mark the first tooth with chaulk so I know when I'm done. Do one side, flip the saw around and do the 2nd side. If you hit it every time you use it it only takes a couple minutes.