Sharpen chain off bar

[Powers1976]

Looking for a good setup to sharpen chains not on a bar. Have multiple saws so looking for something that doesn’t require a bar.

 

[svk]

Chain vise from AS member Homelite410

 

[nathan4104]

If you can find an old bar...... I put the chain on an old bar, secure in vice, use a bungee cord to pull the chain tight (on the 'bottom' side pulling downward) .
I had an old saw gutted so i could tighten the chain up but doing many chains, that took a while to remount them. This way, it's fast, cheap and easy. The logs I get are usually sandy/lots of road grime and dull chains on the processor fast, sometimes i'm lucky to get a cord per chain.....

 

[merc_man]

Heres my set up

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

 

[Philbert]

Looking for a good setup to sharpen chains not on a bar. Have multiple saws so looking for something that doesn’t require a bar.

I do most of my chain sharpening off of the saw - mostly other people's chains, or I am doing them in batches of 6 - 20, and don't want to mount each one!

1. A chain grinder is an obvious choice, but not sure that is what you are asking for.
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/511a-grinder-improvements-tweaks.197073/
2. A Granberg File-and-Joint mounts on a guide bar, but it can be a 'scrap' bar of any length. It has a 'stop' and side guides to hold the chain steady while filing. Get an old guide bar for each gauge chain that you work with, and knock out the sprocket, so that is works with any pitch chain. Clamp the bar in a bench vise, mount the Granberg and chain, file away. The STIHL FG2 is another way to do this, but a bit harder to find and quite a bit more expensive.
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/granberg-file-n-joint-revisited.193630/
4. The Chainmeister!
https://www.treestuff.com/chainmeister-filing-device/https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/introducing-the-new-chainmeister.239225/
4. Here are some threads on chain vises:

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/philberts-low-tech-filing-vise.245004/
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/philberts-low-er-tech-filing-vise.277258/
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/my-new-saw-chain-vise.120500/ (several photos lost, some still there)

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/i-made-some-chain-vises.240935/
Philbert

 

[Ryan'smilling]

I have one of Mike(homelite410)'s vises. It's an excellent tool that does exactly what you're looking for.

 

[Jakers]

I have one of Mike(homelite410)'s vises. It's an excellent tool that does exactly what you're looking for.

I second (or third?) this. Although I don't use mine for sharpening the cutters, I can say it works great on filing the rakers down

 

[Brushwacker]

I second (or third?) this. Although I don't use mine for sharpening the cutters, I can say it works great on filing the rakers down

I clamp an unmounted bar in the vise , mount the chain backwards to prevent snagging the rear corner when rotating the chain.

 

[Philbert]

Have not heard back from the OP if any of these might work for him.

Thought of another option (slightly embarrassing, since it is one of my posts):
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/tecomec-stump-vise-with-chain-stop.325255/
Does not hold the chain as securely as the Granberg style file guides, which also have the side clamps. And I have not tried this on a bar without a powerhead attached to tension the chain. But with a spare bar clamped in a vise, and some kind of hanging weight to tension the chain, it could be a workable method.

Philbert