Critique my sharpening skills

[memory]

I have been using a Harbor Freight electric sharpener for a while and it did a really good job. But now it will not sharpen a chain for nothing. I don't know if it is me doing something wrong or the sharpener is a piece of junk.

Anyways, I am going back to hand filing and wanted to see what you guys think of my sharpening. The chain is a .325 pitch, .50 gauge and full chisel using a 3/16 file. After you sharpen, do you remove the burr on the flat side of the cutter? If so, how?

Here are some pics:
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[deye223]

opcorn:

 

[sachsmo]

Buy a new chain, that things been rocked pretty hard. You will never get a good square edge at the point because the cutter has been beveled.

Your gullets need more work too.

 

[sachsmo]

 

[SawTroll]

Buy a new chain, that things been rocked pretty hard. You will never get a good square edge at the point because the cutter has been beveled.

Your gullets need more work too.

:agree2: - and make it Oregon 20LPX or Stihl 23RSC/RS!

 

[sachsmo]

clean out those gullets give it some hook and reserve that chain for stumpin' or other known dirty jobs.

Get a new chain and set your grinder to those angles, and do dress your wheel often.

 

[memory]

I don't know why that chain is in such bad shape. I have not been hitting the ground with it.

I am not going to buy a new chain yet since I have other chains that I believe are in better shape. I will post a few pics of another chain whenever I take pics of it.

How do I go about dressing the wheel on the grinder? How often should that be done?

Got a question about save edge files, can anybody tell me how much they cost and are they worth it?

 

[J.W Younger]

Looks to me like that chain has been pushed on pretty hard(dull) or the bar or oiler has problems, lookin at the bottom of the tie straps in 2nd pic

 

[sachsmo]

yup.

When your rivets have flat spots it is never a good thing.

OP need to check his sprocket, (change sprocket) dress the bar and check that it has not spread out too far.

Buy a dozen files and yes save edge are very good.

Most people concentrate on the top plate, they need to get the working edge of the side plate sharp.

The point needs to be there for the tooth to yaw through the fibers, top plate is over rated.

 

[sachsmo]

one of our sponsors;

3/16" Round File

you can get them by the dozen from Baileys too, but shipping is better if you get some other thing while you're ordering.

I use a file all the time, dressing sticks aren't hard to find.

Look up borazon wheels, who ever stocks these should sell good dressing sticks.

 

[craig71]

That chain will not cut in that condition. Buy a new chain and observe the shape of the factory tooth and try and replicate it as much as possible. When I sharpen I always turn the saw/bar to get a look at the profile of the chain from side view to make sure all the cuttters have a relatively similar shape.

 

[memory]

As I said before, I am not going to buy a new chain yet since I have several other chains to use up first. I know the bar needs some dressing done to it but I am not familiar with that. What kind of tools would I need to do that? If I were to buy a new bar, what would be a good brand to get? There are so many different types on Baileys, I don't know where to start.

Here are some pics of a different chain.

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[adam32]

That chain is hammered too!

 

[SawTroll]

As I said before, I am not going to buy a new chain yet since I have several other chains to use up first. I know the bar needs some dressing done to it but I am not familiar with that. What kind of tools would I need to do that? If I were to buy a new bar, what would be a good brand to get? There are so many different types on Baileys, I don't know where to start.

Here are some pics of a different chain. ......

Looks about as bad, have you been digging ditches with your chains?

Edit; You can't make them sharp, unless you grind away all the damage to the top plates.

 

[Patrick62]

My $0.02

Second chain is rocked as well, but not as badly.
Both chains are salvagable.

The Harbor Freight grinder will work, but my recommendation is to just get the corner back and the gullet sort of good. Then, finish it up with a 3/16 file. Set your rakers at .025, and go throw some chips. Clobbering a rock or other substance not intending to be cut happens in 1/50th of a second.

That grinder... I have been there, done that. I can sharpen a chain far better with a file, but when it is necessary to remove a LOT of material then the grinder has it's purpose. Dressing the wheel means to keep it round. You can also flip the wheel and wear the other side. I reversed my motor, can't recall the details tho. Another point is keep the wheel clean when it gets dirty you generate heat instead of sparks. Then the tooth glows red, and you have pretty much destroyed the chain. Use a light touch, and take several passes around the chain. Watch the angles from left cutters to right cutters. The gauge is off, way off.

-Pat

 

[blsnelling]

Do you see where that top outside corner is not sharp? You have to grind back until that is all gone. You will loose a lot of tooth getting back that far. That's a job for a grinder, not a file.

 

[drumbum]

Yikes!

 

[ropensaddle]

You will not be sharp until all the rounded metal is filed out to a new edge and then you will need to attend to the drags. Sorry just the facts

 

[memory]

Well, crap. I didn't think both chains were that bad. I kind kind of figured the first one was but not the second one. It sounds like I have a lot of filing or grinding to do but the thing is both chains are still cutting pretty good. Another thing is I can buck logs just fine, it throws pretty decent chips but I have a little trouble noodling. I can noodle about half way then I have a hard time cutting any further but if I start a new cut, it will do the same thing, go down about half way and want to quit cutting. Having trouble noodling may or may not have any thing to do with what the chains look like, I don't know.

Besides hitting rock or dirt, what can cause these chains to get like this? I know the bar oilier(spelled right?) works.

What kind of tool would I need to dress the grinding wheel?

What kind of suggestions do you have for a new bar? Since ours does not have a replaceable tip, I thought about getting one that does. I just don't know what brands to look at. Another question, with the chain installed on the bar, how much side to side play should you have? I have some in mine, just don't know how much is too much.

Blsnelling, are you talking about the first set of pics or the second set?

 

[ropensaddle]

Well, crap. I didn't think both chains were that bad. I kind kind of figured the first one was but not the second one. It sounds like I have a lot of filing or grinding to do but the thing is both chains are still cutting pretty good. Another thing is I can buck logs just fine, it throws pretty decent chips but I have a little trouble noodling. I can noodle about half way then I have a hard time cutting any further but if I start a new cut, it will do the same thing, go down about half way and want to quit cutting. Having trouble noodling may or may not have any thing to do with what the chains look like, I don't know.

Besides hitting rock or dirt, what can cause these chains to get like this? I know the bar oilier(spelled right?) works.

What kind of tool would I need to dress the grinding wheel?

What kind of suggestions do you have for a new bar? Since ours does not have a replaceable tip, I thought about getting one that does. I just don't know what brands to look at. Another question, with the chain installed on the bar, how much side to side play should you have? I have some in mine, just don't know how much is too much.

Blsnelling, are you talking about the first set of pics or the second set?

Both chains not sharp, also the bar can be filed with a flat file or lightly ground to remove burr when you take off bar feel for burr file or grind the edge creating burr off just enough to remove burr not change rail hight. Most grinder come with dressing stone but that is whats needed and use shaping guide until you get a feel of proper dressing.