Need to sharpen my own chains!

[Bruce Hopf]

I use this rule: on the third filing, take the little flat file and do the rakers. It can be hard to remember though, if you are running more than one saw. I don't know how to sharpen with other than a round file and a flat file and a hand.

I love the background picture you have with your post. Would that Mountan be in Oregon?
I gaurentee, if you try one of those bench chain grinders, you will throw out the files. I know I sure did. The only thing that I use my old Oregon filler, that clamps on the bar is to measure one raker thooth, and file it down to spec, them I adjust the bench chain grinding machine to grind to that depth of the raker, and I grind the rest.
Every tooth, and raker is the exact same, after every sharpening. I can cut for longer periods of time, with a chain form sharpening with the bench chain grinder, inbetween sharpenings. Using a file is OK, but you are only touching it up, and after a few cuts, you are doing it all over again.
After awhile, of doing this, you get rounded fronts of the tooth, different lengths of cutters, more pitch on one side of the other, chain wants to lean to one side more, causing you gide bar to wear out the grove more on one side of the other. The list goes on and on. I have seen this time in and time out.
Bruce.

 

[Blowncrewcab]

I Know I haven't used a file since I got a grinder. My first grinder was the $30 Ebay version:censored: Save that $30 and apply it to your New Oregon Replica Grinder and don't look back. You'll catch them on sale sometimes for under $100.

 

[mantis]

i dont think you should use a dremel to sharpen chain. it gets the chain too hot wrecking the whole chain in the process. you can sharpen it all you want after that but it will dull out after every two cuts.
powered chain grinders arn't very high speed and i just think a dremel will heat it up too much.

Someone better tell that to my chains.Been working for me for years now

 

[Fish]

I don't say which size file it takes until I look at the cutter, as file size
is more critical than with a grinder, because the critical angle there is
made by the side of the wheel.

For an extreme example, would you use the same file on an Oregon 33 chain
and an Oregon 20lp?

What about when half of the cutter has been used?