Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
chain saw sharpening
john Lucas
>My files seem to get dull really fast, do yours. My old ones were Nichelson. My new ones came from Tractor Supply and didn't seem to cut all that well after just one sharpening.
What do you use and have you had this problem?
Re: chain saw sharpening
Jerry Whitaker
>John, I use a Dremel Tool. Dremel has a real neat little attachment that can be bought at Walmart for about $8.00. It screws right on the business end of the tool. I can sharpen a chain with it while still on the bar in less than 5 minutes and sharper than it was when new from the factory. I found at first that I was grinding away too much metal by using too much pressure. Also, it is better to sharpen often before the chain gets too dull.
Files
Jorge Castaneda in Maine
>Hi John,
I use files from a chain saw dealer, he gets Nicholson or Simmonds, either one is good, but sometimes you run into a soft one. I touch the chain after each tankful of gas is used, while the saw is cooling I touch the chain with the file, lightly, it works for me and when I see the file is not cutting well anymore, I use a new one.
I did use for a while a power sharpener, I got rid of it, it did a good job but the chains last quite a bit longer with the files.
Jorge
Re: chain saw sharpening
john Lucas
>Jerry
I thought about the Dremel. It would work good at home but I would never have it with me when I'm out searching for wood so I went back to the file system. I may look at it again. Thanks.
chain saw sharpening
Michael Stadulis, in Gloucester County, NJ
>My sharpener is really easy to use, and its fast w/ no files. It's made by Juncker Bros. in Indiana and is called the "Arnold Precision Chainsaw Sharpener". My Great Uncle had one 30 years ago and he used it to sharpen his saw to cut firewood. He s[poke so highly of his that I bought one too and have used it since. It's basically an adjustable jig that clamps onto the bar and holds a solid carbide mill that sharpens the teeth. Still make 'em. I think the company is now named AgTracks.
-Mike....21 degrees in Gloucester County, NJ
Re: chain saw sharpening
Wood Spinner
>John
You can buy a small inverter that pluge into the sig lighter and puts out enough to power your dremel. Look on E-Bay. You will need to know the wattage you need. Look on your dremel for amps. Amps x 120 = watts I would double the required watts by 2 for your need.
Good turning and be safe
Bill in Casa Grande, AZ.
Re: chain saw sharpening
Steve Worcester
>I use the cordless version of the Dremel with the chainsaw sharpening attachment. With a full charge, it will sharpen about 5 times in the "field". For home/shop sharpeneing, a few of us went in on a "real" sharpener at about $200+ it will take awhile for it to pay for itself, but it will be worth it.
Check out http://www.baileysonline.com/ for all the good stuff for chainsaws.
Re: chain saw sharpening
Jerry Whitaker
>Could be that the unit would fit on a battery operated Dremel. If not, you could get an inverter and run the Dremel from your car battery.
As you may imagine *LINK*
Mike Schwing from Md.
>I'm a freak about sharp chains. I just have no extra time to waste on a dull chain.
For me, electric grinders remove too much material when a few extra minutes will give you many many more sharpenings if you do it manually. I have the dremel chainsaw bits, but they're wildly uncontrollable compared to a good hand held guide. Higher dollar chainsaw grinders also cannot produce the round profile that your chains come with from the factory, and anyone that runs one will tell you they remove too much material for a home user who only buys a chain every now and then.
At home, I use an oregon file guide, which is an extremely nice tool. You can find it linked below. It is very highly adjustable and produces and extremely well controlled cutting action on the saw tooth when used with a good file. (I use Oregon files, too). Once you have it set up it is a snap to reuse. The old magic marker on the cutting edge trick works very well to see where the file is cutting. The pointy tip of the cutter is the most important edge to get right, and there are 3 intersecting angles that come into play, each affecting performance in a unique way.
Not to insult anyone's intelligence - but files should be used to cut in one direction only to keep them sharp - no push/pull cut strokes, they'll dull a file really quick.
The "stump vise" is a highly recommended tool as well, both for in shop sharpening and in the field. It holds the bar upright and stable off of the ground while you sharpen.
In the field I use a simple file holder with a flat, but I can get away without it and have a chain that touched earth resharpened in 2-3 minutes.
The Bailey's website has a HUGE store of information on chain types and sharpening. Highly worth a half hour or so reading.
www.baileysonline.com
Oregon file guide
Where's John Trant when I need him?
Mike Schwing from Md.
>He ran my saw a few weeks ago..sharp, eh John?
Re: chain saw sharpening
DaveZ
>I like the Pferd files best, which I get at Bailey's. Good stuff!
Re: chain saw sharpening
Darryl Hansen
>John, Oregon also makes a good electric sharpening tool, doesn't spin as fast as a Dremel. It runs on 12 volts so I use my battery charger in the shop and tractor battery when I'm out in the cold. You can get it at Lowes for about $20 or so. I have used mine for years and like the way the stones sharpen. You can get replacement stones at any shop that carries saws.
Re: chain saw sharpening
Sam Dean
>John,
I use a cordless dremel on mine, I think it's 9.6 volts. I can get 4 or 5 sharpenings out of a charge on a 20" bar. I'm much too impatient to file by hand and I look at the wasted metal from power sharpening as just one of the costs involved to have really sharp chains (fast!). I find that when the corners of the chain get too rounded over from dirt, wire, etc.. that no amount of sharpening will make them cut good again (especially for ripping), that I end up changing the chain before I run out of metal anyway.
Thanks,
Sam
Files from either...
BubbaBob
>...Masden or Bailey's..hand sharpen on saw, no jig. As for taking too long that way, if you don't wait till chain is dull as a butter knife, it takes less time than using a jig or removing/replacing chain for a grinder. Gets 'em just as sharp once you get the hang of freehanding the right angle.
BubbaBob
