Okay, I give up. What am I doing wrong with my chain sharpening.

[rmh3481]

The corner does the cutting. Round file inside out, keep 10-20% of the file diameter above the top plate. With full chisel chain you can use a little down angle, say 10*, on the file handle to get into the corner. Set the rakers at .030 below the top plate. Lay a hacksaw blade across the top plate and look through the gap to the light to judge the raker depth.

Another trick is to put the saw in a vice held by the bar and loosen the chain slightly Use the brake to stop the chain if it wants to move. Work in the same spot with good light. If I have some damaged teeth, I use a crescent wrench to measure the shortest tooth and then file them all back to that size. The round files dont last, lay a rag under where your working to see what your removing. Twist the file with your wrist as your pushing the file through the tooth and cutting the angle. Dont drag the file back over the tooth.

A couple more tries and you will get it.

 

[M4-Gery]

I will let you in on a secret- ditch the guide, get some scrap chains and learn to file without it. Same thing with knives... no gadgets, get a set of stones and learn to hold everything on the right degree of angle.

Work slower. You are trying to learn, you have not mastered it yet... slow. There is no hurry. I hated that stupid guide and once I got rid of it, I could file my chains very sharp a lot faster by working slower.

 

[Tzed250]

Jigs, for most any situation, are made so you can work faster, with more repeatable results.

 

[SilverKing]

Did you miss my sigpic?

what are somes pros/cons to that square grind chaib in your pic?

 

[SilverKing]

what are somes pros/cons to that square grind chaib in your pic?

chain

 

[sachsmo]

that chain is what we call blunt, cooked, abused.

You may kill a new file on that one. I find many people fail at hand filing because they try to stretch the life of the file way past it's capability.

Try a new file (or two) file until you get a smooth like glass stroke. The first 5-6 stroke will chatter and grab. This is a good thing, you will be taking the bad metal off, and getting back to good chrome. Give her some uplift and don't be afraid to put some pressure on it.

Remember, files are consumables, but 'em by the dozen and change them out often.

I like to drag mine through TapMajic to keep them lubed and clear.

 

[Fish]

A general rule of thumb.

If you can easily see the edge, it is dull.

 

[Chris-PA]

Also, good lighting is important. Whenever I file in poor light I lend up looking at it later and wondering what I was doing.

 

[Whitespider]

Maybe it's just the lighting... but some of those cutter appear to have been "rocked" on the right side (or hit metal), especially the RSC chain.
Any and all damage must be removed from the cutters or it wont cut... and I do mean all damage, even if it means filing half the cutter away.
I know that sucks, but it-is-what-it-is.

 

[Frank Savage]

Jigs like the Husqvarna are perfect for filling off alot of material by number of strokes as you have to; simply because you need attention to less angles and heights. Personaly I consider the Husky roller-type the best. But real sharpening can be done just freehand, since there´s not enought "feel" of the edge in the jig.

 

[tengoose1]

What works for me is to file until I have a bur on the outside edge of the tooth on top all the way across, kind of like sharpening a knife you have to roll the bur off the edge except on the saw you let the wood knock it off in the cut on my full chisel I like for my leading corner edge to grab my finger when I'm done sharpening meaning you can't pull your finger across it without it grabbing you.

 

[Mpbowyer]

Closure.

 

[Saw Dr.]

The rakers and safety links on that green chain look too high to me. Also, you need to round the edge of the bumper links and rakers. The file guide gets you to the correct depth, but the edge still needs rounded off or angled on the front. Think of making a jump ramp for a bike when you were a kid. Not angling the edge of the rakers would be like trying to ride over a cinder block, rather than putting a board up to it for the ramp.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Closure.

Closure? Not yet , mang.

So who'd ya get to come cut your wood for ya?:jester:

Just kidding.

Tell us the story of how that wood got cut -- presumably with your saws, the chains in question, and your new found knowledge of how to sharpen em -- as badly damaged as the pics you provided indicated they obviously were.

Otherwise, it's just someone else's pics. C'mon, dude. Fess up!

opcorn:

 

[7sleeper]

Man don't want to see that dud's biceps after cutting up all that wood with a bow saw!

How about a new close up picture so we can rant on.

7

 

[Tzed250]

that chain is what we call blunt, cooked, abused.

You may kill a new file on that one. I find many people fail at hand filing because they try to stretch the life of the file way past it's capability.

Try a new file (or two) file until you get a smooth like glass stroke. The first 5-6 stroke will chatter and grab. This is a good thing, you will be taking the bad metal off, and getting back to good chrome. Give her some uplift and don't be afraid to put some pressure on it.

Remember, files are consumables, but 'em by the dozen and change them out often.

I like to drag mine through TapMajic to keep them lubed and clear.

Lubrication of files is not recommended. That is what file cards are for.

 

[SawTroll]

Did you miss my sigpic?

I have always wondered where the color differences of that cutting tooth comes from - it looks odd to me, and it doesn't look sharp either? :msp_confused:

 

[SawTroll]

Jigs like the Husqvarna are perfect for filling off alot of material by number of strokes as you have to; simply because you need attention to less angles and heights. Personaly I consider the Husky roller-type the best. But real sharpening can be done just freehand, since there´s not enought "feel" of the edge in the jig.

"Mass filing" of damaged chain is exactly what I use those guides for, for the reasons you said!

Apart from that, I freehand the cutters, as it is easier to see what exactly you are doing that way.

 

[RAMROD48]

I have always wondered where the color differences of that cutting tooth comes from - it looks odd to me, and it doesn't look sharp either? :msp_confused:

On this one we couldnt agree more...that pic to my eye looks like the outside of the tooth...I relize now that its still from under the tooth...my eye, just doesnt see it that way...

 

[SawTroll]

....
Do yourself a favor and get a filing guide like the Husqvarna model. That should help you out for the first few years.

You can get a kit like this Bailey's - Husqvarna Filing Kit for .325" Pitch Chainsaw Chain. They have them for all chain sizes.


no offense meant.

Good luck,
7

The 3/8" ones (blue) doesn't fit Stihl chain without slight modifications, as the Stihl cutters are lower up front, and take a smaller file (13/64 vs. 7/32).