Sharpening, necessary or just picky?

[Am leaf]

I've been teaching myself how to hand file and made a couple mistakes. Suffice to say the chain is grabby now and obviously needs to be corrected.

I've been using a different chain now and through touch ups I can see an improvement so now I want to fix the other one

The teeth need go be equalized, im not saying I don't want to sit here for hours with a micrometer and a 5x glass trying to get everything perfect, im just asking what my tolerance is.

Can't find this information anywhere. Same with tge drags, 0.025. Ok ±what though?

Does everyone just use a guide? Do you only balance pairs instead of the whole chain and if so what s the threshold for that?

Attached pica for reference, it's not fubar'd, just has an inconsistent jerky pull to it

Thanks in advance

 

[heimannm]

If you use a progressive depth gauge (Carlton File-O-Plate, Husqvarna roller guide, etc.) the cutters do not have to be perfectly uniform since the depth gauge on each cutter will be based on the cutter height. As the cutters get shorter, the depth gauge needs to be lower to get a good bite. Lower powered saws need less clearance but I consider .025" about the minimum. For some of my bigger saws and longer bars I will go .040-.050" and even more on the gear drive saws.

If you get the depth gauge too low and the chain becomes too grabby, just file the cutters back a bit further.

Mark

 

[Lawless]

I have been sharpening chains since I was a teen, I still use a guide

 

[Am leaf]

If you use a progressive depth gauge (Carlton File-O-Plate, Husqvarna roller guide, etc.) the cutters do not have to be perfectly uniform since the depth gauge on each cutter will be based on the cutter height. As the cutters get shorter, the depth gauge needs to be lower to get a good bite. Lower powered saws need less clearance but I consider .025" about the minimum. For some of my bigger saws and longer bars I will go .040-.050" and even more on the gear drive saws.

If you get the depth gauge too low and the chain becomes too grabby, just file the cutters back a bit further.

Mark

Ok I can make sensevf that. Maybe that's the whole problem after all. The manual suggests .025 but what could a 630 super 2 effectively cut with a fresh ground chain?

 

[Am leaf]

I have been sharpening chains since I was a teen, I still use a guide

I just used a feeler gauge and a straight edge.... it..is annoying

 

[old guy]

When I put a new chain on a powerful saw I take three swipes off the rakers with a 6 inch file befor I cut with it

 

[Lawless]

I just used a feeler gauge and a straight edge.... it..is annoying

 

[heimannm]

Here is some of the most helpful chain filing information I can find.

Mark

 

[rms61moparman]

I've been teaching myself how to hand file and made a couple mistakes. Suffice to say the chain is grabby now and obviously needs to be corrected.

I've been using a different chain now and through touch ups I can see an improvement so now I want to fix the other one

The teeth need go be equalized, im not saying I don't want to sit here for hours with a micrometer and a 5x glass trying to get everything perfect, im just asking what my tolerance is.

Can't find this information anywhere. Same with tge drags, 0.025. Ok ±what though?

Does everyone just use a guide? Do you only balance pairs instead of the whole chain and if so what s the threshold for that?

Attached pica for reference, it's not fubar'd, just has an inconsistent jerky pull to it

Thanks in advance

Your "teeth" do NOT need to be equalized!
Unless there is a huge variation in a great number of right hand or left hand cutters, you won't notice a huge difference.
Each cutter is an individual cutting device and as long as it is performing to its potential that is all you need.
I relate it this way. Do you sharpen every knife in your knife block when one knife gets dull?
That isn't to say that it never matters. If all of your right hand cutters get dramatically shorter than you left hand cutters (a common occurrence with new right handed saw sharpeners) it will cut crooked. However a few shorter cutters in a chain won't make the time difference in a truckload that correcting it will take.


Mike

 

[Woody912]

I lay a file across the tops of 2 teeth and look for about enough clearance to lay a dime on top of the rakers.

 

[NSEric]

I use the husky depth gauge, it's the progressive style that does one tooth at a time so they can be different lengths and the chain cuts fine.
I use the soft wood setting in hardwood on my saws, they pull it fine without being too grabby. Try the hardwood setting first and see how it cuts, if it's not self feeding enough use the soft wood setting.
My 066 clone that's running a short bar gets an extra swipe off the depth gauges after using the soft wood setting but it's not normal.

 

[Okie]

Be patient Patience is your friend.

. It's a good thing to LEARN how to hand file for yourself.
You WILL MAKE mistakes even when you think you know it all when hand filing.

Also keep in mind that the file guide shown in post #7 will actually dull a tooth if the raker gets too high (as the cutter tooth gets shorter) the file will ride too high on the cutter as you are filing because the raker is holding the guide too high. Make sure the rakers are at least .015 lower before using that type guide and those guides are also file size specific. .015 on the rakers is enough on a small trimming saw also.
Most generally when a chain starts grabbing you have filed the rakers (depth gauges) down too far.
A wake up notice that you filed them down too low is when on a very cold day you go to cut a limber limb at head high and the limb whips you across the face hard and may even stay hung in the chain.
A Oregon 556418 Bar and chainsaw gauge is also a handy thing to keep around. Lets you quickly determine the pitch, gauge, etc, to help make sure you are not suing the wrong file, etc, especially if you are doing different pitch chains.

 

[slowp]

I sharpen freehand--no gauges. It's one less piece of equipment to have to lug around in the woods. I learned to sharpen with saw on the ground or on a stump while working on a thinning crew. It takes practice. If the saw is throwing out chips that hurt your face while cutting--it is sharp. If it also cuts straight, it's OK. A chaser told me to give the rakers a couple of hits about every 3 or 4th sharpening. Those guys know what they are talking about when it comes to the art of sharpening by hand. I'd say more so than fallers.

My saw sharpening has won several PNW 032 races and improved the speed of another one. Them's my qualifications.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Eyeball everything like cutter lengths and use the progressive gauges. Once you get better your eye is all you really need. Depth gauges are easy to eyeball with a straight edge on top. Use a simple paper template on cutter lengths to get close if you need a gauge. Locking adjustable wrench also works or a common open end wrench. Vicegrips or anything you can adjust is even more accurate. It's not critical. 0.008 is fine. 0.010 in length of cutters means little. 0.010 in depth is huge. Tread lightly there.

 

[heimannm]

 

[SteveSr]

I've been teaching myself how to hand file and made a couple mistakes. Suffice to say the chain is grabby now and obviously needs to be corrected.

I've been using a different chain now and through touch ups I can see an improvement so now I want to fix the other one

The teeth need go be equalized, im not saying I don't want to sit here for hours with a micrometer and a 5x glass trying to get everything perfect, im just asking what my tolerance is.

Can't find this information anywhere. Same with tge drags, 0.025. Ok ±what though?

Does everyone just use a guide? Do you only balance pairs instead of the whole chain and if so what s the threshold for that?

Attached pica for reference, it's not fubar'd, just has an inconsistent jerky pull to it

Thanks in advance

"Grabby" comes from depth gauges too low or too much hook (side plate angle) in the tooth which appears to be your problem in your photos. This comes from going too low in the cutter with the file. The correct giude for your chain as shown in post #7 will fix that and prevent it from recurring.

 

[rtrsam]

Recently I've discovered the value (requirement!) of wearing my bifocals or cheaters when filing. Aside from that, the right size file is essential and at least a handle. Once when using a piece of an old sledge hammer handle (cut about 2" long) with a hole drilled in it for a file handle, I was tapping the file on the work bench to set the tang into the handle. The file fell out, balanced perfectly for a second vertically on the bench top, just long enough for me to bring the handle back down, missing the handle but driving the file through my middle finger. Hurt! My worst chainsaw injury to date.

 

[rogue60]

People aim so low nowadays...
The norm seems? as far as sharpening chainsaw chain nowadays is the equivalent of taking an angle grinder to a samurai sword

 

[Lawless]

Recently I've discovered the value (requirement!) of wearing my bifocals or cheaters when filing.

Me too brother. I also now wear them under my welding helmet and I’m back to being the welding g-d I used to be.

 

[Lawless]

I am sure that there are folks who can freehand file with a bare file the best chain on the planet. Just like there are folks who can use a straight razor like I would wipe a rag around……

I am not taking a thing away from people who have “the touch” but using a file guide and a little bit of practice will get you great results without a ton of time.

A depth gauge and a flat file will get you right without a lot of voodoo.

It isn’t hard with proper tools to get a sharp chain and there’s no shame in using tools vs. being a free spirit filing wizard.