Some people make the same mistakes for years and call it experience!
My Chain Sharpening Tutorial
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Affect, not effect.
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I find it hard to take advice from a young kid when I have been doing this my whole adult life. I give him a lot of credit for putting forth the effort, though. Furthermore, I don't stand where he does perpendicular to the bar and chain I stand, so I can look down the bar from the power head, so I can watch my filing angle more accurately. It would be better if he showed the angles and final results and I would like to see how it cuts wood and the size of the chips that fly off also, maybe even a speed test versus a brand-new chain. I don't think that is ready to represent him on YouTube yet.
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Yes. Short form content has destroyed the YouTube ecosystem making it so that anybody who is a beginner looking to sharpen a chainsaw is not likely to click on a video any longer than 11 minutes then watch the whole thing. I was going to do an entire demonstration and show the different ways that you can sharpen with different tools, but that would just be too long.
ICKKK!!!! Safety Chain!
Well first you have to master the whole thing before you gain any credibility, I have been sharpening for 45 years. I don't think you have any experience, how long have you been doing it?! You are putting the cart before the horse, be patient. Not to discourage you, soon you will get good, but you are getting way too crazy too fast ! What's next tell people how to remove trees?
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nope. I have only felled a couple of trees.
Well, how many years you have been filing chains? The thing is you should be learning from people, not teaching them.
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As for back dragging a file, When I was a technical school I was shown to draw the backwards still do it to this day. Anyhow here a video enjoy.....................
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That's not very long man give it some time, it takes 7 years of practicing all the time to become proficient.
I don't know, I quit doing that in junior high cuz the shop teacher would grab you by the ear and tell you to stop it.
rtrsam
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Regards dragging a file backwards through the tooth: the outer layer of a saw tooth is coated in a layer of chrome, much harder than the steel of the tooth.
That's also why you file from the inside out on a tooth, the file is cutting aways the softer base steel of the tooth itself, and undermining the thin chrome layer; sometimes' you'll actually see a little fleck of the chrome left behind after filing. If you drag the file or file from the outside into the tooth, the file is engaging the harder material and trying to cut it, wearing out the file faster.
Also discuss using the entire length of the file: you paid for 8" of file, might as well use it. I've seen countless files discarded by others as worn out and dull when only the middle third was used up, the outer third and back by the handle were almost new.
As others have discussed, mentioning top plate angle and side plate angle as a function of the correct file size and depth is important, as well as perhaps a graphic (photo or drawing) of how the file should extend about 20% of its diameter above the top of the tooth.
Also as others note, need to show a closeup of a sharp tooth and a dull tooth, including just being able to see a little shiner at the working corner where the top plate meets the side plate. The objective is a razor sharp chain as sharp as it was when new. Once you can see what a sharp tooth looks like, instead of counting strokes you just file each tooth until it looks the way it's supposed to look.
Correct file size is not determined by pitch, it's specific to each chain as described by the chain manufacturer: 5/32, 3/16, 13/64, 7/32, 1/4. Plus various "goofy" or other square files for chisel chain
I have filed untold thousands of saws by hand, usually just a file and maybe a file handle. Good focus on safety; my worst saw injuries have been while filing. However, the importance of correct sharpening is not to make the chain engage with chaps correctly. A sharp chain wants to cut wood, reducing the chance of kickback or other saw behavior that's less safe. If the saw hits the chaps, you've already lost
That's also why you file from the inside out on a tooth, the file is cutting aways the softer base steel of the tooth itself, and undermining the thin chrome layer; sometimes' you'll actually see a little fleck of the chrome left behind after filing. If you drag the file or file from the outside into the tooth, the file is engaging the harder material and trying to cut it, wearing out the file faster.
Also discuss using the entire length of the file: you paid for 8" of file, might as well use it. I've seen countless files discarded by others as worn out and dull when only the middle third was used up, the outer third and back by the handle were almost new.
As others have discussed, mentioning top plate angle and side plate angle as a function of the correct file size and depth is important, as well as perhaps a graphic (photo or drawing) of how the file should extend about 20% of its diameter above the top of the tooth.
Also as others note, need to show a closeup of a sharp tooth and a dull tooth, including just being able to see a little shiner at the working corner where the top plate meets the side plate. The objective is a razor sharp chain as sharp as it was when new. Once you can see what a sharp tooth looks like, instead of counting strokes you just file each tooth until it looks the way it's supposed to look.
Correct file size is not determined by pitch, it's specific to each chain as described by the chain manufacturer: 5/32, 3/16, 13/64, 7/32, 1/4. Plus various "goofy" or other square files for chisel chain
I have filed untold thousands of saws by hand, usually just a file and maybe a file handle. Good focus on safety; my worst saw injuries have been while filing. However, the importance of correct sharpening is not to make the chain engage with chaps correctly. A sharp chain wants to cut wood, reducing the chance of kickback or other saw behavior that's less safe. If the saw hits the chaps, you've already lost
Why on earth is your saw sideways?
Listen to your workpiece. If you get only low grrrr, grrrr and not a single skriik skriik then you are most likely doing something right. Turn that vise 90DEG cw, stand or sit so that your chin is somewhere upwards from chainbrake lever. Look down and simsalabim. You are positioned like a surgeon and can really see angles. I prefer having chain very tight AND still I do support the tooth with the side of my index finger.
This way 99% of skriiks can be avoided.
Pressure/force direction wise I'd say it is something like 30DEG up and back. Otherwise there will be too much hook.
Other orientation as per guideline on top of the tooth.
If one has problems keeping it correct then it is better to pick berries or something.
Listen to your workpiece. If you get only low grrrr, grrrr and not a single skriik skriik then you are most likely doing something right. Turn that vise 90DEG cw, stand or sit so that your chin is somewhere upwards from chainbrake lever. Look down and simsalabim. You are positioned like a surgeon and can really see angles. I prefer having chain very tight AND still I do support the tooth with the side of my index finger.
This way 99% of skriiks can be avoided.
Pressure/force direction wise I'd say it is something like 30DEG up and back. Otherwise there will be too much hook.
Other orientation as per guideline on top of the tooth.
If one has problems keeping it correct then it is better to pick berries or something.
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