This belongs here. Sharp Advice From Stihl

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and for ease of sharpening you can use a dremel (or similiar) rotary tool. You pick up the right bits from your dealer, Way easier and 1/10 of the time of manual sharpening.
 
Sharpening chains

ValleyO'Giants said:
http://www.stihllibrary.com/pdf/SharpAdvice110606.pdf



Just found this spot on the ArboristSite.
Usually only visit the chainsaw section.
Wish more would post here as I am about to start sharpening my first chain soon.
Just got the chain sharpening kit form my Stihl dealer.

Any hints, tips?
Thanks
Click to expand...


For one thing, you need to get rid of that avatar of yours. I mean really, a vacuum cleaner? The big tree avatar was much better. Once you do that, you will be cleared to sharpen chains.

I use a dual method myself. We have a hand held Wagner sharpener (like a small Dremel tool). I have stones for that to touch up my chains between bar-mount file sharpening. Stone srarpening goes pretty fast, maybe 5 minutes per saw. After a while the angles get a tad off though. Bar mount filing is good becasue then I can get all the cutters the same length, and put a perfect angle and edge on each cutter. Takes longer though.

I have an Oregon bar mount filer that I got at a hardware store (in Oregon, no less) for $20. I file at 30 and 0 degrees. No 10 degree drop in cutter angle and the sharpness seems to last longer. I file very sharp edges (test with a light touch with your finger). Watch for filing too low into the cutter teeth. You want some of the file to ride above the top (or flat) of the cutters. Watch that you do not drop all the metal filings into the bar. I mark the first link that I file with a magic marker. There has been another thread about poor eyesight and having to mark the first link that you file, but marking the link makes it a no-brainer to know when to stop when you are around the loop. Note that I do all my chain sharpening on the saws, so make sure that the chain is good and snug before sharpening them.

Keeping your chains real sharp will greatly reduce the stress on the saw and bar and your back. You will also reduce chain stretch. You will also cut faster and with more ease and control. I would say that the biggest mistakes made by most novice (and some pro) chainsaw abusers is having a dull and loose chain. Keep 'em sharp and tight!
 
grinder wheel sizes

OK I have a chain sharpening question, could someone tell me what size grinding wheel to use on .325 chain and do you use only the two 60 and 30 degree angles or also the 10degree tilt on the bottom of the grinder. I got two different answers from two seperate stihl dealers.
Anyone?
 
1/8" wheel for .325 chain.

http://www.oregonchain.com/tech/manual_maint.htm
Go to the Oregon chain link above for detailed instructions on .325 chain, as the angles vary, depending on the chain type. The 60 60 remains fairly constant; but, the top angle can vary from 5 to 35 and the horizontal can vary from 0 to 10 for the angle.

What I do with my MAXX grinder, is fit the wheel to the tooth before I start grinding. A little experimenting and you will soon see that its 60 30 10 or 60 25 5, etc. The recommended angles vary with chain brands too, that's why I just adjust the angles of the wheel until it fits the tooth before I start grinding.
 
Last edited:
Filing contradiction

Good luck. Sorry, I do not know. I have some conflicting info in the guide that came wilth my Oregon file tool vs what Stihl has in the booklet that comes with their saws. The local Stihl dealer here in town says that he has been doing chainsaws for 20 some odd years, and he still does not know all that there is about what angels to grind all the chains to. He does not go by what Stihl says all the time. For example, rather than to use a 13/64 file, he uses a 7/32 for the first half of the teeth and 3/16 for the back half after they have worn down. *shrug*
 
windthrown said:
For one thing, you need to get rid of that avatar of yours. I mean really, a vacuum cleaner? The big tree avatar was much better. Once you do that, you will be cleared to sharpen chains.
Click to expand...

Happy now? :D
Hey at least it was a Stihl vac.



windthrown said:
I file at 30 and 0 degrees. No 10 degree drop in cutter angle and the sharpness seems to last longer.
Click to expand...

So do you mean 30 degree top plate filing angle? As in looking down at the top of the chain?
I have one round file that has a guide attached to it, it has the 30 angle marked for me so I just keep it parallel to the bar/chain while filing.
And I keep the file guide angle at what my stihl book calls a 90 degree which would be perpendicular to the bar/chain as looking at the end of the bar towards the saw.

Bear with me as this terminology is new to me!:bowdown:
:newbie:
Also I have no idea how the top plate cutting angle and the side plate angle are to be set with my file??
The stihl literature That I gave the link to at the beginning of this thread does not even mention them or what to do about them???

So basically I have been filing with the round file at 30 and keeping the file "level" with the bar (perpendicular).
Oh, and the flat file for the rakers, I get that!

Please help me understand! Or do I have enough info?

I'm thinking when the other angles get out of whack I take the chain to the shop for 5 bucks and let them at it!
Or maybe when things get too worn, time for a new chain.
For now my chain is gravy, only like 4 tanks run through the new MS310.

Thanks in advance,
Doug
 
Sounds like you are doing alright. How's it cut? As long as you pay attention to keeping the cutters close in length, and don't hit any rocks, you shouldn't need to have a dealer sharpen your chain. You said you had a depth gauge file, I take it you have a depth gauge too? When windthrown talked about a 0 degree angle, he means like you are doing, perpindicular to the bar. Some manufacturers recommend a 10 degree angle, that is coming up at the cutter.
 
One Way to Keep a Perfect Chian

This is a 1946 Mall Deck Chain Grinder that I use to grind the gullets and grind down the rakers (stops). It took some modification but I use it primarily for 3/8s and 404 Chain. It is time consuming but does a remarkable job of keeping the chain at its best performance. I grind the rakers down .030just like using your raker guage but much quicker and easier. My Silvey Razorsharp is my final tune-up which I grind for both hard and soft woods by changing the angle ever so slightly. In other words, if you are a professional these grinders are the key to maintaining a chain that cuts cleaner and lasts longer.
 
Hmmmm, didn't know we had a sharpening forum. Is this topic too specialized for the chainsaw forum? I look forward to the carb adjustment forum and the oil ratio forum!!!:D :D
 
I would say this forum is not too specialized. For a person like me that has only seen it done, I am glad that it has its own forum so I don't have to look through all the chainsaw threads to find info. I feel that this one is a good differentiation and an easy one to make.
 
windthrown said:
For one thing, you need to get rid of that avatar of yours. I mean really, a vacuum cleaner? The big tree avatar was much better. Once you do that, you will be cleared to sharpen chains.

I use a dual method myself. We have a hand held Wagner sharpener (like a small Dremel tool). I have stones for that to touch up my chains between bar-mount file sharpening. Stone srarpening goes pretty fast, maybe 5 minutes per saw. After a while the angles get a tad off though. Bar mount filing is good becasue then I can get all the cutters the same length, and put a perfect angle and edge on each cutter. Takes longer though.

I have an Oregon bar mount filer that I got at a hardware store (in Oregon, no less) for $20. I file at 30 and 0 degrees. No 10 degree drop in cutter angle and the sharpness seems to last longer. I file very sharp edges (test with a light touch with your finger). Watch for filing too low into the cutter teeth. You want some of the file to ride above the top (or flat) of the cutters. Watch that you do not drop all the metal filings into the bar. I mark the first link that I file with a magic marker. There has been another thread about poor eyesight and having to mark the first link that you file, but marking the link makes it a no-brainer to know when to stop when you are around the loop. Note that I do all my chain sharpening on the saws, so make sure that the chain is good and snug before sharpening them.

Keeping your chains real sharp will greatly reduce the stress on the saw and bar and your back. You will also reduce chain stretch. You will also cut faster and with more ease and control. I would say that the biggest mistakes made by most novice (and some pro) chainsaw abusers is having a dull and loose chain. Keep 'em sharp and tight!
Click to expand...

No offence here windthrown but from looking at your avatar picture you should be experienced enough to file freehand and not bother with all those filing jigs etc.:)
 
Wiredp said:
I would say this forum is not too specialized. For a person like me that has only seen it done, I am glad that it has its own forum so I don't have to look through all the chainsaw threads to find info. I feel that this one is a good differentiation and an easy one to make.
Click to expand...

Actually, I believe that when the chain sharpening forum was created in HOTSAWS.COM it was intended to be very specialized. Once again, evolution and political correctness has taken it's toll.
Any one else notice how "Hotsaws" isn't really about Hot Saws anymore?

Andy
 
HolmenTree said:
No offence here windthrown but from looking at your avatar picture you should be experienced enough to file freehand and not bother with all those filing jigs etc.:)
Click to expand...

Well, if you go by avatars, you might be led to think I have cut down 2 million trees or something. ;) In reality, if you know anything about that particular photograph and movie set of Sometimes a Great Notion, that shot was done on a platform built around a short stubby tree that was near a logging road. The pros made the cuts, set the saw in place, and Paul Newman walked up and took hold of the saw and they did the take.

I can file freehand, but I learned to file with a jig when I was about 10 on my daddy's Homelite. I have also found with experience that overall the chains last longer, stay sharper and run better when they are filed evenly with a jig.
 
redprospector said:
Actually, I believe that when the chain sharpening forum was created in HOTSAWS.COM it was intended to be very specialized. Once again, evolution and political correctness has taken it's toll.
Any one else notice how "Hotsaws" isn't really about Hot Saws anymore?

Andy
Click to expand...

Have to agree on this one. I would move chain sharpening under the standard chainsaw forum.

The Hotsaws forum used to be on a completely separate web site. They merged it maybe 2 years ago if I recall right. Since then it has toned down.
 
Hahaha. Toned down is an understatement.
Not many who race can post here.
Not many who post here can race.

That little combination has been the down fall of this forum.

Andy
 
I just looked in the competition announcement's forum.
There is a thread started by romeo for the Cloudcroft show on 9/23/07. The last thread in that forum was mine about the Cloudcroft show on 9/22/08.
There are only 6 thread's between these, 2 of them were started by me.

In all honesty, I'd say this place is in a coma and someone should pull the plug.

Andy
 
Do you mean to say that this is what hotsaws used to be about:

attachment.php


And this is what it has turned into?

attachment.php
 
Hahaha. Yep, that's a pretty good comparison.
Hotsaws ain't too hot any more.

Just for giggle's, here's what a stock chain cut's like on a sharp saw.:)



Andy
 

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