dull chain saga

[jedisawyer]

howdy
just stumbled across this site on the internet and there seems to be a lot of good knowledge here
what prompted my search was a recent problem with this persistently dull chain that had me pretty bummed out for about a week.
(note: i am not a pro from dover sawyer as my avatar would suggest- have run saw for about 3 months a year since '98, professionally)
here's the deal:
honker coast live oak (@ 200 years) keels over in the parking lot.
so me and another sawyer are trying to keep the chipper fed and the swampers swamping. i'm new to this crew. got 1 026 and 1 fairly new chain.
also bucking up limbs After theyve been dragged through the mud by the excavator. so had to put a few licks on this chain several times that day.
the last time, in a rush, put the 'C' in way too deep and the teeth curl right over after a few minutes of cutting, escpecially the leftside cutters (go figure, im right handed).
so, 1- dealt with this before, thought id just stand the teeth back up with the big file (7/32). doesnt work.
2- put the proper 'C' back in with the right file (3/16). doesnt work.
(j cutting to the right, bad, couple bar widths down and its no-go)
3- check the tooth length, angles, raker hieghths, everything looks fine.
4- find a new chain, thank god, it works. establish the bar's not bent.
5- sharpen again, freehand, doesnt work. note: we have no solvent bucket or wire brushes so i'm looking at a gummed up chain.
also, and this is huge: was at the point now where the chain was short enough to go from factory 30 deg. angle to 35 deg. angle which matches the hash mark on the tooth (when its new the files too fat and will hit the raker at at a 35, this poorly affected change is possible problem cause A)
6- hit the rakers. doesnt work. makes problem worse. (immediate j cutting.)
7- so i had noticed that the tips of the left side cutters were dull on top, leaden. i was also suspicious of them cause the saw was puling to the right.
(assumption: jcut to right, right side cutters taking too much)
so i read on the internet about a chromoly finish on teeth thats what really does all the cutting (possible problem cause B)
8- so i break out the training wheels, threw on the jig, put like 8 licks on it with a new file and now the saw cuts like a champ, as in hatori honzo steel sharp ("if, on your journey, you should meet god- he will be cut!" -from kill bill)
didnt have time to work on it in one session, it was more like ten minutes here ten minutes there. haven't had a chain give me this much grief in a while. any thoughts?

 

[BarkBuster20]

Hey not trying to sound like a smart @ss or make you sound inexperienced (sounds like you have a bit more experience running a saw than me) but in any case i would suggest getting a file with a guide - it just makes it so much easier not to mess up the depth which seems to be something that people tend to mess up most often, especially in a hurry. - just my .2

 

[jedisawyer]

i hear ya barkbuster. know guides are more consistant, its just that i usually do ok by hand. this time really had me baffled though. i'm thinking now it was a combination of problems A and B. anyway using the jig was a good reminder but will probably stick w/ hand sharpening, just not so much in a rush next time. really dont even have a good reason to not like the guides...

 

[BarkBuster20]

i dunno i like the guides. you still have to get the angle right and keep it level the only advantage of the guide is that its impossible to mess up the depth. also gives you a line for 30 degrees and 15 not that it helps a lot in that aspect

 

[ironman_gq]

I think if its pulling to the right the left side teeth are cutting faster and the right side teeth are holding you back causing the curved cuts

 

[Burvol]

Try lightly running your chain through some clean bark before you pull it when it's getting dull. This will prevent the gummed up chain.