I have both of the bailey's tools below... I would recommend the rail closer as there isn't really a better way to handle closing the rails. The blue file can be replaced by a steady hand and a good flat file. In facty i find it easier to control the flat vs the blue palm file. I have also used a dremel with grinding stones and my angle grinder with a flack wheel if I need to speed the process. This is what I call a flack wheel
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRuFNQ9mqZHu3aEKvDwocl1buvqq8yS3DYfHgJdAhdNcVxfictqAAhYnc0p Even if I use one of these to speed the process I still go back and hand file the bar rails so they are perfectly perpendicular to the bar sides.
1.) Some don't realize this:
DON'T use bad chain! What I mean by this is if you have a chain that has belled out either way on the bottom (where ir tuns on the rails), QUIT USING IT! I've seen guys take a bad chain off and dress their bar only to put the same chain back on??? Stupid... and then they wonder why their bar get chewed up so quick!
2.) buy quality chain and bars if you want them to last a long time. it blows peoples minds to spend $75 on a Total super bar, Sthil bar, or sugi... But you will outlast cheap bars by 10 fold making it cheaper to run a good bar in the long run. This is the get what you pay for senerio... Cheap bars will wear quicker, need more dressings, and cost you more in the long run!
3.) Hand Files: For those that don't know files are made to run in
ONE direction! If you run the file in a back and fourth like a hand saw you will quickly find out that you CAN dull a file! Running a file in the opposing direction it was made for will dull the file and you'll have to replace them 5x quicker! This goes for all your hand files round, flat, curved, etc!
4.) Clean out the Rails: I actually took an old screwdriver I didn't care about and ground it down until it was skinny enough to get into the bed of the rails. I cut a small hook into the end to help scrape the old saw dust and junk out of the bar. cheap way to save $5-$10 not having to buy the tool somewhere. one of my buddies made 2 of them out of a old metal ruler... use what you have around and a hair of injanuity and you'll be better off.