For hire in your area: sharpen chains by hand

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Interesting.

I have accumulated a number of grinders (and file guides, etc.), due to an interest in sharpening, but do not have much experience outside of the Oregon/Tecomec variations, and the HF style cheap grinders that I played with for that thread. The 511A was a significant investment for me, and I was never tempted to buy some of the older, heavily used, Bell or Foley style grinders when they showed up on CraigsList for the same amount of money as one of those. Also don't have the room. There are guys who really seem to like their STIHL USG or Silvey grinders. And, of course, square grinders are their own world.

Spent a fair amount of time getting consistent with the ones I use, but maybe I would get spoiled if I tried some of the others!

Philbert

If you get a chance give the Stihl grinders a whirl. They are nice machines just left nut pricey for the design. The Foleys can be all over the place in terms of consistent grinding and have a learning curve to compensate for that which other types of grinders do not. Personally I usually recommend people purchase a 511 style grinder and a set of CBN wheels, those wheels all but eliminate the need for moving the vise in and out on the currently available chain pitch’s.

I usually do not recommend anybody spending much on any of the grinders, for most people it is just not needed. Spend the money on the CBN wheels, $110.00 each, make a $100.00 knock off grinder an enjoyable tool. For $350.00, a person can have a new setup that sharpens all of the currently available chain pitch’s consistently with a good file ready grind.
 
Personally I usually recommend people purchase a 511 style grinder and a set of CBN wheels . . . For $350.00, a person can have a new setup that sharpens all of the currently available chain pitch’s consistently with a good file ready grind.
Basic Tecomec grinder can found now for under $200 (!).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tecomec-Co...Mounted-sharpener-Oregon-520-120/381918670400

I have not been happy with the CBN wheels I got. Prefer the aluminum oxide 'pink' wheels - just dress them frequently.

Philbert
 
Basic Tecomec grinder can found now for under $200 (!).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tecomec-Co...Mounted-sharpener-Oregon-520-120/381918670400

I have not been happy with the CBN wheels I got. Prefer the aluminum oxide 'pink' wheels - just dress them frequently.

Philbert
I love my CBN wheels. Dress(clean) them often. Buy quality wheels. Diamond Brand CBN 6”for the lil chains. Silvey 8” on the Silvey grinders. Stihl Diamond wheel for carbide chains on the lil Silvey. About to get my Silvey Square grind back from a friend.
 
I have and do if I really need to but running production cutting I normally carry a few spare chains and grind at the end of the day on the pro sharp.


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Is it worth the hassle? I realise the pros and cons to running square but I just want to learn for the sake of it. I really enjoy filing a chain well and feel it's time to step up to the next level.

Will probably never buy a grinder it's an unjustifiable expense for me for what I do with saws.

I've hunted around on the interweb a bit but haven't really found a good resource for learning it and I am the saw guy in my circle of people lol and they all think I have issue's I only have a dozen saws so not bad yet
 
F3940C3F-2C2A-4A1F-81CB-9A9E17E8DBAD.jpeg 482FB6D8-F26E-499C-95B7-E6CB5E7A4DA7.png C41F2CD3-D730-4A33-92FE-440702F7793A.png Hey fellas, how ya doin,
There is a skill 100% to hand filing and grinding chains for sure. The key is to kiss the cutter so you don’t burn it. Folks send me chains like that all the time and I can fix that problem. Most people get to much in a hurry and only take the chain around once, but i take it around 2-3 times till it’s PERFECT. I designed my wheels and had a company make them up for me so I know exactly how they grind, yes it’s a lil costly but no one has my design and it’s well worth it I also clean all the chains and dry them( so no flash rust) a clean tool is a happy tool. No dirty chains on my machines.I also deburr the drive links if needed, then take the rakers down to specs or how the customer prefers. When i say it’s a skill to grind I mean that. Just cause I use a Franzen don’t mean it’s all gravy. I sit and watch all 3 machines to make sure they are doing what I want them to. Most shops who have the Franzens just put a chain on and let I go around once and then think it’s gonna be razor sharpNOT. You still have to know what your doing with it. Hand filing is awesome if you have the skills, BUT nobody wants to sit and do 10-50 chains by hand especially when they range from 12” to 44” and up.
I love what I do for a living and wouldn’t change it for nothing, I take pride in my work otherwise I wouldn’t do it I thank God for all I have and that I’m able to get paid to help others out and do what I love.
Just my thoughts, thanks Jeremy, Razzorsharp.com
 
View attachment 748999 View attachment 748997 View attachment 748996 Hey fellas, how ya doin,
There is a skill 100% to hand filing and grinding chains for sure. The key is to kiss the cutter so you don’t burn it. Folks send me chains like that all the time and I can fix that problem. Most people get to much in a hurry and only take the chain around once, but i take it around 2-3 times till it’s PERFECT. I designed my wheels and had a company make them up for me so I know exactly how they grind, yes it’s a lil costly but no one has my design and it’s well worth it I also clean all the chains and dry them( so no flash rust) a clean tool is a happy tool. No dirty chains on my machines.I also deburr the drive links if needed, then take the rakers down to specs or how the customer prefers. When i say it’s a skill to grind I mean that. Just cause I use a Franzen don’t mean it’s all gravy. I sit and watch all 3 machines to make sure they are doing what I want them to. Most shops who have the Franzens just put a chain on and let I go around once and then think it’s gonna be razor sharpNOT. You still have to know what your doing with it. Hand filing is awesome if you have the skills, BUT nobody wants to sit and do 10-50 chains by hand especially when they range from 12” to 44” and up.
I love what I do for a living and wouldn’t change it for nothing, I take pride in my work otherwise I wouldn’t do it I thank God for all I have and that I’m able to get paid to help others out and do what I love.
Just my thoughts, thanks Jeremy, Razzorsharp.com
Nice one. i love a bidness that takes pride in their work.
 
Overheat the cutters more than the AO wheels. Lift the chrome. Finish is just fair.

Might have got a bum pair? Diamond Brand wheel.

Philbert

I also use Diamond brand wheels, no issues so far and are they generally what I recommend people buy simply from the price point, availability, ease of use and grind.

Having said that, to each their own, not every tool fits in everyone’s toolbox. The pink vitrified wheels are my least favorite and also the type I own the most of.
 
Overheat the cutters more than the AO wheels. Lift the chrome. Finish is just fair.

Might have got a bum pair? Diamond Brand wheel.

Philbert
No issues here. We sharpened probably 250 chains on the one wheel.
I don't have one for .325" chain and the pink stones suck 8n comparsion.
 
Is it worth the hassle? I realise the pros and cons to running square but I just want to learn for the sake of it. I really enjoy filing a chain well and feel it's time to step up to the next level.

Will probably never buy a grinder it's an unjustifiable expense for me for what I do with saws.

I've hunted around on the interweb a bit but haven't really found a good resource for learning it and I am the saw guy in my circle of people lol and they all think I have issue's I only have a dozen saws so not bad yet

Is it worth my hassle no unless I’m trying real hard to finish my day out sharping a semi skip 32 can take a while let alone a full house chain. For yourself maybe, the biggest thing it making sure you have the corners matching up top on the corner as well as stroke outside in. Normally on the grinder I wear a set of safety glasses that change the light tone to make it easier to see the corner of the stone to the tooth corner, too much light is just as bad as not enough for me.


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I was thinking about putting a sign out front “CHAIN SAWS SHARPENED” but living in a rural are with farms most people here cut wood. How much can I charge to sharpen a saw chain doing the teeth and gullet only? Then how about the rakers? Then squaring the bar rails? Being available time wise you know everyone will of wanted yesterday. It would be a rush, hurry up job for everyone. A price depends on the length of the chain. Maybe the cost per tooth? Then how much is a new chain? I can see making money at it.
 
I was thinking about putting a sign out front “CHAIN SAWS SHARPENED” but living in a rural are with farms most people here cut wood. How much can I charge to sharpen a saw chain doing the teeth and gullet only? Then how about the rakers? Then squaring the bar rails? Being available time wise you know everyone will of wanted yesterday. It would be a rush, hurry up job for everyone. A price depends on the length of the chain. Maybe the cost per tooth? Then how much is a new chain? I can see making money at it.

9-20 is what they were charging in town here for square for up to 200 drivers, 3 up to 105 then, 5 for up to 135, 10 up from there for rakers, bars I didn’t look.


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I was thinking about putting a sign out front “CHAIN SAWS SHARPENED” but living in a rural are with farms most people here cut wood. How much can I charge to sharpen a saw chain doing the teeth and gullet only? Then how about the rakers? Then squaring the bar rails? Being available time wise you know everyone will of wanted yesterday. It would be a rush, hurry up job for everyone. A price depends on the length of the chain. Maybe the cost per tooth? Then how much is a new chain? I can see making money at it.

Just to give you a idea. I charge $5 per chain up to 24" on or off saw no biggie to me. When I check rakers and if they need set another $1.

I hate doing chains for folks myself. So repetition doing one after another. Thats the whole reason I bought the USG on right.
Folks were dropping off 5-10 mangled chains at a time and hand filing wasnt cost effective. Reason the time needed to straighten out cutters that looked like they cut concrete with.

I really hate doing 44"-60" 404 chains. :(

I even tried offering square filed chain local and there is no $ in it local here. The local loggers and firewood cutters here just wanted round.

silveyx.jpg
 
Hey
Just to give you a idea. I charge $5 per chain up to 24" on or off saw no biggie to me. When I check rakers and if they need set another $1.

I hate doing chains for folks myself. So repetition doing one after another. Thats the whole reason I bought the USG on right.
Folks were dropping off 5-10 mangled chains at a time and hand filing wasnt cost effective. Reason the time needed to straighten out cutters that looked like they cut concrete with.

I really hate doing 44"-60" 404 chains. :(

I even tried offering square filed chain local and there is no $ in it local here. The local loggers and firewood cutters here just wanted round.

View attachment 749068
like your set up Kev and your right those 44”-60” do suck, even with my machines.
 
Hey

like your set up Kev and your right those 44”-60” do suck, even with my machines.

Put 2 more of those chains you did for me on some saws I got set up for sale yesterday. Both style of chain passed with flying colors again in the test cuts in dry ash.

If you recall I sent different brands and styles to see how the machines did with them.
 
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