Sharpening a chain

[cliffreaves]

I've officially decided that I'm bad at sharpening a chain.  I have a 24" chisel chain that I can't seem to properly sharpen no matter what I've tried.  I tried straight up hand sharpening with no guide, a sharpening guide that shows me different angles but doesn't lock anything in, and a guide that actually attaches to the bar and locks in the correct angle.   Still can't cut for crap.  The depth is correct according to my guide.   Is there a sure fire way to get a chain sharp other than paying someone to do it?  Thanks, and all the best!

[coppice]

Stihl (and someone else, I think it comes in blue, so maybe Pfferd?) sell a nice handheld sharpener that holds two round files and a flat raker file, all in a single unit.  It is actually pretty decent at putting a consistent and predictable edge on.  $34.95, as I recall, for the Stihl version.  Buy this and try it out.  It should get you in the ballpark.

[thecfarm]

There was a night class at the local high school on sharpening and chainsaw care.
I had a hard time at it too. My father could do it all day long. Finally I got a log and told myself I can do this. Was not much left of the log and the chain was just about gone too,but I figured it out!!! I was and still am filing better on one side than the other. A stroke or 2 more when the motor is on the right keeps me nice and straight. The saw will go into the wood just about by itself. I suppose you are marking where you start, Count your strokes. If you take 3,do that the whole side of the chain. You must have witness marks on your teeth,need to keep those lines the same on both ends of the tooth.
A chain needs to be sharpened before you can really tell it needs it.
I myself don't use a guide,but don't see anything a matter with using one. If I used a guide,I would have to relearn all over again.
Must be lots of youtubes on sharpening.
Good luck. It's not that hard to do it.

[cliffreaves]

Thank you both! And I'm gonna give it a shot coppice and see how it goes.  I'll make my way down to the stihl shop and pick one up.

[Chop Shop]

Ditch the chisel and use a round file.

Much easier and edge last longer.


Chisel is best done on a machine,not by hand.  Same chain, just different file.

[danbuendgen]

There is nothing too hard with sharpening chisel chain with a round file. Most loggers around here do it. But, I know some loggers who can't sharpen by hand at all. Or they suck at it. For me, it took a wile to get good at it. What you need to learn is what to look for when sharpening. Or what angles to look for, and you need to teach you hands what strokes to make. I second looking at youtube and see if anything good shows up. When I was learning I had good luck with this: http://www.gemplers.com/product/212938/oregon-bar-mount-filing-guide?gclid=Cj0KEQjwt-G8BRDktsvwpPTn1PkBEiQA-MRsBQo_ChcScneixWCsJyOChOMsV6Zx5eaTH4Q4CLyf-54aAvPe8P8HAQ&CID=25SEPLA&ef_id=V5iU8AAAAVOcht8H:20160727110316:s
Its all about the proper angles.

On a side note, what kind of wood are you cutting with a 24" bar? I have a 24" I use occasionally if I am in big wood, but it just gets used at the landing. A 20" can cut a 40" log so that's what I typically use.

GOOD LUCK.

[Ada Shaker]

Practice and patience is a virtue. I can't see how sharp the chain is but I can feel it. Make sure the chain is on the bar fairly tight b4 you start or it might flop around. Get a good quality file and make sure its of the corect size. Nothing worse than trying to get good results from second class tools, if you have good tools your half way to getting great results.
Most inportant thing to filing correctly is your stance, and position relative to the working piece. I would recomend working at a comfortable hight. Learn how to hold the file correctly and how to apply the correct amount of pressure to the file and where to apply it. Don't rush it, it aint a race, being in a comfortable stance is just as impotant, and your end results will reflect this. If your stance is all over the place then chances are so will be your file. Good luck and hope you can get it right.

[DelawhereJoe]

Are you sharpening from the small end of the teeth or from the outside in, an cutting 10° up?

[cliffreaves]

Thanks for the replies.   I'll check out you tube when I'm off work.  I've been sharpening at 30° with a round 7/32 file.  That's what I have because I know that my ripping chains use that.  I haven't had to sharpen my ripping chains yet because my mill still hasn't come in yet.  Am I using the wrong file/angle?

[CTYank]

It should be mentioned also that the height of the file relative to the tooth is very important, since that determines the sharpness angle of the top plate of the cutter. Chain mfgs call for holding the file ht such that 1/5-1/10 of the file diameter is above the top of the cutter. M'self, I aim for about 1/4- works fine.

Once you have the cutters sharp (and keep them so) you'll want to make the depth gauges .025" below the cutters. I do this all, with some precision, using Granberg "File-N-Joint" guide, that clamps on bar. Been using the same one now for 35+ yrs. Haven't found anything better. Dozen new files every couple years.

[ZeroJunk]

I think if you just maintain the original angle and pressure the file a little upwards under the cutter things will work out fine unless you are in competition or something. If you will look at the bottom of the cutting edge any dark spots indicate that you didn't get that spot. You can hit your rakers with a flat file as you see fit, just remember that you can always take more off but you can't put it back.

[DelawhereJoe]

You said it was a 24" chain what pinch .325, 3/8, .404 ?

[btulloh]

Lot's of good suggestions here already.  There's gonna be some frustration, but nothing replaces a little experience.  Keep at it 'cause there's no substitute for a sharp chain.

Make sure the file is the right size for the chain - if the file fits the tooth profile perfectly you should be good to go.  You can really get in a heap of trouble if it's too big or too small.

One thing that took me a little too long to learn was putting the pressure in the right direction.  I had a tendency to get some pressure going DOWN rather than straight back.  Over time (a short time) that ruins the profile.  (The sharpening guides probably help with this, but I never used one.) 

It doesn't hurt to get some feedback from an experienced person if you have access.  They can see what you're doing and give some input that can speed up the learning curve.

[gspren]

  Some simple rules on filing, get the file lined up and then push straight (don't wobble), lift the file out to reposition (don't back-drag), keep trying. If you could watch someone good at it it would help.

[thecfarm]

I aslo like to put the bar into a vise to keep it steady.

[kenskip1]

Sir, first off is the bar oilier working? Why.do I ask?If not I do not care how sharp the chain is.If the bar is worn due to lack of oil then this may be part of your problem.What gauge is the chain?If the wrong gauge say a 050 and the bar is 058 then this may be a contributing factor. Yes I have seen this.Are your files shiny? If so, then they are toast.A sharp file should not reflect light. I started off with the Oregon tool and I still have it. I sharpened many chains with it. Do not give up.How long has the bar been on this saw? What is the condition of the rails? All these factors make a difference when sharpening a chain.Stay with it, Ken

[JohnW]

There's nothing any worse than to sharpen your chain, then find it still doesn't cut.  But if it doesn't, hit it again.  I say don't do anything extreme, just do what you're supposed to do.  If you're free handing it, you will sooner or later, get the touch. When you lay the file on the chain at a good angle, and give it a good steady stroke, you can feel it bite.  Then there's the matter of what your supposed to be doing.  Your file needs to make contact with the lower edge of the cutter (the top plate) and the working corner.  You can't really see this from above (or I can't), but that's what you need to sharpen.

Definitely, if you have occasion to sharpen a lot of chain, you will get the knack.

[cliffreaves]

Alright, I got home and mowed the lawn, then I went straight to youtube.  After watching and listening carefully to everyone's advice, I decided to examine my chain.  It's a 3/8 chain that came with the used 395 that I bought a few months ago so I'm not sure how old it is.  The chain was definitely sharp when I got it and has steadily declined as I have "sharpened" it.  On examining, I noticed that the top of the teeth were kinda long and really dull and I decided it was because I was putting too much downward pressure.   So I picked the ugliest longest looking tooth and really took my time free hand getting the right angle until that tooth was sharp and looked like a tooth on a new chain. I was careful to put upward pressure while filing.  I repeated that down one side then the other.  It definitely passes the eye and feel test, but it's too late to test it now.  You can bet I'll be out there as soon as I get off work tomorrow.  If it doesn't work, I'll try my bar mounted guide again tomorrow, it just feels a little more awkward than freehand.   Rakers are at a good height by the way.  Thanks again for the advice!

[John Mc]

Ditch the chisel and use a round file.

Much easier and edge last longer.

Chisel is best done on a machine,not by hand.  Same chain, just different file.

I think you are confusing your terminology. A chisel chain is sharpened with a round file (as is a semi-chisel chain). A square chisel (probably more clearly described as a "square-filed" or "square-ground" chisel) chain is not sharpened with a round file... and I agree, a Square Chisel chain is tough to sharpen by hand (at least it is for me).

[danbuendgen]

Most inportant thing to filing correctly is your stance, and position relative to the working piece. I would recomend working at a comfortable hight. Learn how to hold the file correctly and how to apply the correct amount of pressure to the file and where to apply it.

I agree with this for sure. I have a vice mounted onto the bumper of my work truck. It's at a comfortable height and makes it easy to see what I'm doing. I never sharpen my saws in the woods. I don't get the same results. If I have to sharpen in the woods, I use a stump vice, but still prefer the vice on the bumper. 

[cliffreaves]

The freehand sharpening I did last night was a success!  Thanks again for the guidance.  Now my saw's making more chips than frito lay.😀  one more problem though (because what would life be without them), I get my bar all the way into a cut and then my chain doesn't engage with the wood, it just spins unless I put a lot of force on it.  It's like it's pinched, but I'm just cutting cookies from the end of an elevated log.  I'm thinking I've potentially damaged the bar with all my dull cutting? 

[DelawhereJoe]

After enough use all bars need to be touched up, if you have a belt sander you can touch up your bar or buy a tool that will file them smooth. Do you have any idea how old you bar is, you can get after market bars for your saw relatively cheap from baileys, or go oem for more.

[Ada Shaker]

The freehand sharpening I did last night was a success!  Thanks again for the guidance.  Now my saw's making more chips than frito lay.😀  one more problem though (because what would life be without them), I get my bar all the way into a cut and then my chain doesn't engage with the wood, it just spins unless I put a lot of force on it.  It's like it's pinched, but I'm just cutting cookies from the end of an elevated log.  I'm thinking I've potentially damaged the bar with all my dull cutting?

Don't know, cant see the bar. Sometimes I have to drive a plastic wedge from the top when partway through a cut as sometimes it closes over. More often than not when the wood is green, even when just end cutting.

[cliffreaves]

It still had a very faint partial husqvarna logo on it when I got the saw 3 months ago if that helps at all.   It's cut 5 large trees 24" and up and about 5 around 12" or so, all various hardwoods.  I can take pictures tomorrow if you think that'll help.  I do have a belt sander.

[John Mc]

...one more problem though (because what would life be without them), I get my bar all the way into a cut and then my chain doesn't engage with the wood, it just spins unless I put a lot of force on it.  It's like it's pinched, but I'm just cutting cookies from the end of an elevated log.  I'm thinking I've potentially damaged the bar with all my dull cutting?

I suspect the bar is worn unevenly and probably has some pretty good burrs from cutting with a dull chain. Between burrs on the bar, and the rails work unevenly, the saw can start behaving strangely.

Does the saw also try to cut on a curve? That can be a sign of uneven bar wear. Often , you'll notice that it cuts "OK" until the back side of the bar enters the wood, then the problems really start happening.

The best hand tool I've found for addressing this is the Pferd Universal Edge Sharpener (link is to forum sponsor Comstock, who also has one of the better prices on this that I have found: $24.00). Remover the bar from the saw, and use the tool to dress the edges, removing burrs and evening up the bar rails. The tool has a guide edge to hold itself square as you use it, so no special skill is required to get things squared up.

In the future, the duller your chain is, the faster the bar wears and/or gets burrs (it's also harder on other saw components as well as the operator).