dremel for rakers?

[peckerwood]

Has anyone tried using a dremel type tool with a fine abrasive bit for filing and shaping rakers? It seems like it might work if you protected the cutters and were careful not to get too aggressive. Seems like it would be good to get rid of safety chain bumpers as well.

 

[gink595]

I've done the rakers with a Dremel, worked okay. A bench grinder is better for saftey chain.

 

[TDunk]

I use a 4 inch angle grinder. It's real quick and you can leave the chain on the saw.

 

[peckerwood]

I've got a 5 inch angle grinder, that will be even faster!

I hand file as long as possible until the chain starts to under-perform or some cutters get bunged up at which point I go to an electric bench mounted chain grinder and sharpen up the cutters, get them all the same length then do the rakers. I,ve been using the Carlton file-o-plate with various raker files, most from Bailey's. These raker files just don;t seem very aggressive and it seems to take a good deal of filing to remove much material. For me doing the rakers is quite a tedious process and I was just looking for a way to get them close then use a hand file for final touch up.

 

[LittleFella]

The raker files I get at the local Stihl dealer are some the sharpest files I've ever used. I have bought enough of them to use at home and at work at the cheese factory. I'm not sure of the brand though. They even work well on some of the hardened steels I've used them on.

 

[stihlaficionado]

angle grinder w/stihl guide

too much work using a file

 

[jack-the-ripper]

I also use the Stihl raker files. They have worked fine for me thus far. You want to use the height gauge keep the rakers the same as they determine the depth of each cutter. If you take too much off the rakers it will make the chain grabby.

 

[McC]

I use a dremel with a stone all the time. I guard the cutters with a plastic body putty spreader. You can give the raker a nice rounded shape.
Scott

 

[computeruser]

A couple swipes with the file, freehand, and she's good to go. I've tried it with dremels and with the 511A, and the file wins every time. Dremel or 511A works great for cleaning out the gullets, though.

 

[gink595]

I've got a 5 inch angle grinder, that will be even faster!

Oh yeah, well I'll top ya. I have a 9" Millwaukee grinder with a foundry hard disk on it, it will take the raker and the cutter off in no time flat:greenchainsaw: On top of that I even have a shaft driven Mall grinder with a 1HP electric motor on it, It will take your finger to nubs before you can say SOB

 

[peckerwood]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll give the Stihl files a try and see if they work better. I'll prolly give the dremel a try too. I had a fairly lightly used 28" full comp chain that got rocked pretty severely from a stump removal that I had to take the cutters back quite a ways to get them evened up and as a result had to file the rakers down quite a bit to get them right according to the file-o-plate - man it was tedious. Got me thinking there must be a better way.

 

[peckerwood]

Ha ! Yeah I bet that 9" would be fast.

Maybe my Porter Cable 3 X 21 belt sander with 60 grit would be another option.

 

[Evan]

hou bout 4" grinder with a sanding wheel probly work much better than grinding wheel and the cuters wont be in quite as much danger.

i seem to do akay with my matco flat file. it doesnt take much at all to knock them down a bit.

i bought safety chain one time and decided id make it a not so safe chain and cut the rackers all the way down. long story short first time it hit the wood the saw went eeeeeeeeeeeerp to a stop. i never did that again.

 

[AUSSIE1]

Freehand with a file, a light pass occasionally is the quickest, easiest way to go. Doing things by hand gives you the "feel" for things.

 

[gink595]

Here is a 4" for reference. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJdqIOIxAl0&feature=fvw

 

[ol'homey]

I've got a couple of grinders but I like my little air powered cutoff tool the best. It has a 3 x 1/16" disk that spins around 20K rpm. It's small, lightweight and FAST.

 

[user 122190]

I had to do my Rakers on two chains this morning. I usually do this with a file, by the time I got to the second chain, I got out the dremel. Much much easier, faster, more precise, and I can maintain the shape of the rakers while I'm removing metal. Never will I file again.

 

[Huskybill]

It’s just .025” to file it goes quickly once you get the rythem going. Remember to wear gloves when working on the chain.

 

[HarleyT]

There is a real good thread on here about making your own depth gauge tool!!!

 

[Huskitoter]

I had to do my Rakers on two chains this morning. I usually do this with a file, by the time I got to the second chain, I got out the dremel. Much much easier, faster, more precise, and I can maintain the shape of the rakers while I'm removing metal. Never will I file again.

It's not cool to admit using a dremel here. I only freehand file the cutters and rakers and only use Emory cloth to port a jug. However, I would rub the rakers with my drum sanding bit on 3/4 speed if I did use a dremel.