Filing rakers question

[John Mc]

Can this filing guide be used on stihl chain?

Yes, as can this style, which I find easier to hold.

[paulpieter]

I strongly suggest that you adjust the rakers correctly regardless. Some will file them down when the bite weakens off to compensate for a dull or poorly filed cutter. Too much bite increases the risk of kickback. 

[Holshot14]

That metal plate on that roller guide is what I use. Works well for me, if you don't have the safety chain.

If for hardwoods, use the side marked as such. Fit the small slot in behind the raker, and use a good fine flat file to file off what protrudes above the plate.

I find the roller guide the best way yet to hand file too. 

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

Hello, I am fairly new to the sharpening process, but I got a husky 3/8 in kit for my H47 chain. I have no idea how to use the thing with the rollers like you have in the picture.  Is that device used to file the rakers or the sharpen the chain? thanks for any advise or directions on how to use this thing.

[stonebroke]

I got directions with mine. I will try and find them. its is neat though for someone(Me ) who had no clue what he was doing.

Stonebroke

[Larry]

Here is a pic of the raker plate in position. Hope it helps.
(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

Most times I just hit em a lick or two...maybe three.

But..if you notice in beenthere's pic the only difference between soft and hard is the slot is further back.  Hard is 25 thousandths while soft is 30.  So...say your cutting hardwood and you don't have nuff bite with 25 but too much with 30.  File out the slot on the hardwood bout half way and it will give you 27 or so.

They used to make the plates without the roller, which in my opinion were a whole lot easier to use...and cheaper.  I have maybe 3 or 4 with a couple that I butchered to suit me.

[Holshot14]

Larry, thanks for your response, I did see your post prior to mine, I think I am ok on the raker depth guage, what I am unsure of is what the rollers are used for and how the "blue anodized" part of the device is utilized?

[stonebroke]

you lay that across the chain and use it to guide your round file to do the teeth.

Stonebroke

[Holshot14]

Well that's what I thought, but I could not figure out how to put it on right for the rollers to sit low enough to line up with the teeth! I don't know what's going on?

[footer]

Ive tried the hand file....I ususally run stihl chain, and havent found a file that will hardly touch the rakers. I usually end up using a dremel or hand grinder on them.

[beenthere]

Well that's what I thought, but I could not figure out how to put it on right for the rollers to sit low enough to line up with the teeth! I don't know what's going on?

Here is a pic of the guide using the rollers to file the teeth. The guide slips over the links between the teeth, and then just the angle of the file is manual, as the depth of the file in the tooth is fixed by the rollers.  Be sure you have the right diam. file for the chain, and you should be good to go.
 



I've found a flat file for the rakers works, but it needs to be like a sharp (not old and worn out which I found doesn't cut) Nicholson mill bastard. The file teeth are pretty fine, and just a couple passes takes the raker down.

[paulpieter]

Just thinking out loud here, but I have a problem understanding the application of the device in beenthere's picture.  The purpose for the “raker”is to act as a depth gauge for the saw tooth. The saw tooth is sloped back so that as you file the tooth back its profile gets lowered, ever so slightly but it does. So you file the raker only if the tooth profile is lowered. The way the raker file guide is applied in this picture, it does not account for the change in height of the tooth. The Oregon or Stihl file guides make more sense to me since they are laid across the tips of the teeth and thus adjust the raker accurately with respect to the teeth. I prefer the Oregon raker file guide myself since is straddles teeth on either side.

I have found that if you are cutting very clean softwood that you sharpen a lot less and the raker wears down as fast as, if not faster than the tooth and there is little raker adjustment to be made.

[John Mc]

Actually, Woodlot_Manager, the depth gauge shown does account for the change in the height of the tooth. In fact, I've found it does a much better job of "customizing" the height of the raker for each individual tooth. On the depth gauge tool you pictured, the tool straddles a number of teeth (4 or 5?), so the height of your depth gauge is set based on the highest tooth (or the two highest teeth). This works OK if you keep all of your teeth identical. However, if you are hand filing (as I do), you tend to get variations in the teeth. Some get a little longer than others. Even if you count out the same number of strokes on each tooth, as some people recommend, you still get some variation. (I sometimes get variation intentionally, since I'll file a damaged tooth down further than one that is not damaged.)

The depth gauge pictured earlier, or this one (that I find easier to hold onto while filing) :
 


Work by resting on top of one tooth, and sloping down in front of that tooth, over the raker, and resting near the base of the preceding tooth. The raker height is set based solely on the height of the tooth it precedes, which IMO, is how it should be.

[paulpieter]

Thanks for that. Since I posted, I did look up the Husqvarna website and just finished watching their sharpening video and just as you said it does sit on the tooth. I stand corrected.

Actually I have had one of those husky tools for some time and until now wasn't entirely sure how it worked. Live and learn.

Thanks John.

[timberjack240]

i used to use a file giude but mine slid over the tooth and the raker and clamepd over the file.. u couldnt set the angle it was jsut the depth i had a habit of filin to deep. go that startened up and now i jsut throw em up on a tree lean em a lil and file as for my rakers ... i take my time im not the best but if my chain is jsumpin i get a gauge and fond the hogh or low ones and go around em ... my suggestion to u tho is u lp chain its a double raker chain .. it runs smoohter than lg which is the single raker. if they get a lil uneven there not as quick to jump back at you . thats what i used till i got in practice then i switch to the lg chain .. jsut a suggestion

[Holshot14]

Well that's what I thought, but I could not figure out how to put it on right for the rollers to sit low enough to line up with the teeth! I don't know what's going on?

Here is a pic of the guide using the rollers to file the teeth. The guide slips over the links between the teeth, and then just the angle of the file is manual, as the depth of the file in the tooth is fixed by the rollers.  Be sure you have the right diam. file for the chain, and you should be good to go.
 

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

I've found a flat file for the rakers works, but it needs to be like a sharp (not old and worn out which I found doesn't cut) Nicholson mill bastard. The file teeth are pretty fine, and just a couple passes takes the raker down.

Thanks for the pic, I swear thats how I had it but it wouldnt work.  I have H47 3/8 chain and that is the sharpening kit I got at lowes, Ill just have to use your pic as a reference to make sure I have it sitting the right way..

[Rocky_J]

If you're buying chain at Lowe's then it has to be safety chain with some sort of additional hump in front of the raker to prevent the chain from taking too big of a bite. The safety feature may be interfering with the guide and not allowing it to sit down on the chain tie straps properly. You can thank Ralph Nader for that. 

[beenthere]

Rocky might just be on the right track. I'm not familiar with the H47 chain.

[Holshot14]

The chain itself came with the saw which was purchased from a local husky dealer, the filing kit cam from lowes and stated on it that it does H30's series and H 40"s series in 3/8's.  Just to be sure I will look to see if there is some sort of extra safety feature on the chain tho!!