Sharpening Chains/Files

[beenthere]

That one should do a precision job, but is expensive.
I get a good job by hand filing. If rocked real bad, then I resort to dropping the chain off at the Stihl dealer. He is good and does a careful job. More than I can say about experience with other locals. 

[Brucer]

I don't have a "method" for sharpening chains, I have a system that is tailored to what I mainly do with the saw.

Most of my sawing is bucking up Douglas-Fir logs that I buy from a broker. D-Fir has a thick, fissured bark so it tends to pick up dirt and mud easily. I don't have any control over what happens in the broker's yard so I often have to deal with mud embedded in the bark.

That said ...

- I sharpen several chains on a wheel grinder.
- When I mount a new chain, I do a quick hand file using a Pferd file that takes down the depth gauges at the same time. I like a chain to be a little more aggressive than the Pferd holder makes it, so I take a flat safety file an give each depth gauge three quick strokes.
- When the chain gets a little dull, I hand file it with the holder.
- When I hid mud (or rocks) in the bark, I swap chains and take the damaged one home for grinding.

The wheel grinder resets all the teeth to the same length. The handfile resets all the depth gauges to the same height. So for my hand filing I just count strokes.

This works well for me in my situation. I'd probably do it completely differently if I was falling trees all day.

[lumberjack48]

Lean over the top of your saw, take a look at the cutters, if you see a shinny edge on the cutters its dull.   
I call this, the chain is looking back at you, so if the chain is looking back, you have to file it on till the shinny edge is gone. 
The biggest problem with hand filing guys have is to keep from rocking the file, guys take long slow straight strokes, now that is easy to remember. 

I always turned the file in to the cutter while i was filing

[T Welsh]

lumberjack48, Quote,Lean over the top of your saw, take a look at the cutters, if you see a shinny edge on the cutters its dull.   Sad
I call this, the chain is looking back at you, so if the chain is looking back, you have to file it on till the shinny edge is gone. I see you have been there and done that That,s the first thing I do when getting ready to use the saw. Tim