Chain saw cuts crooked

[outofmytree]

Sure you don't mean back of each tooth to the tip of same tooth? Measure length of each tooth in other words?

You could do that but you have no allowance for stretch in the chain then. Just touch one end of the jig/guide to the back of the tooth then swing it down to the cutting tip of the next tooth.

The key to a straight cutting chain is uniformity.

 

[garyischofield]

chain sharpening

Everybody has a strong and weak side sharpening.Being right handed,I need to give the left side cutters 1-2 more strokes.It is important that you keep the file producing the same shape cutter.A lot of greenhorns push the file too deep on their weak side.Even with the same amount of strokes ,you are removing too much metal in the gullet producing different length top plate and too much hook .A cheap tool for relative cutter length would be a small adjustable wrench.Just compare cutters and adjust accordingly.I am an old dog who has to run small saws and the chains need to be perfect to get any production.I will do a quick check with the wrench if I have doubts.It's been my experience, 35 years, the chain is 95% of cutting straight,until the bar gets so worn even a properly sharpened chain will go haywire.Also top plate angle should be equal.Sharpening is a art.My chains are better now than 20 years ago when I thought I had nothing to learn.Even after all this time still like the challenge.

 

[randyg]

I sharpened the chain on my Husky and now it is cutting the log to the left instead of a straight cut. I am sure this means I sharpened it unevenly and one side of the chain needs to be sharpened more, but which side?

If you stay on this site, go to Equipment - Chainsaw - Sharpening, you will find volumes of great (some not so much) information on this subject. Good Luck to you!

 

[TomSawyered]

I just use the Granberg File-N-Joint and set the length I want to cut on the worst cutter. Then I get the same amount of filing on each cutter.

 

[Crofter]

The notion that the sharper side of the chain drops easier into the wood and the duller side will take the inside of the turn and that really complicates correcting the problem. If you accept as fact that about 2/3 of the energy gets spent establishing the kerf by cutting end grain and that the more inefficient or lazy cutter will shy away from hard work (cutting the end grain) and that the more willing cutter will dig in and have to do more of its share, you can see that the cut will move away from the problem side. If you use the analogy that your car will pull towards the half flat tire, you will be wrong in applying it to a saw chain!

It seems a contradiction, but if the dull side cutters happens to be already shorter, even though they are more in need of sharpening, you may well have to file more metal off the sharp side first, to bring its cutters back to the same length as the other side of the chain. Another possible contradiction that has already been mentioned is that if you are trying to compensate for out of level bar rails or worn groove you can get some weird results.

Once you have been there and got it straight in your head what is happening it seems simple but it sure can be difficult to get your mind around it at first.

 

[tomtrees58]

sharping the chain the same wont help a lot of the time wen you cut with a dull chain you wear the drives on the chain buy a new chain we have a bar grinder four the bars check your balls wen you get good filing your chain all you need is a file handle never drage your file backwards and after you used a file 5 times put it in the trash there's more but do that first tom trees