Square ground chain - File

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TK

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May or may not be a foolish question, but I haven't seen in any of the square threads anything about the file used. Plenty on the grinder. And there's nothing in any distributor book that I have referencing a file for square chain.

Standard small flat file on its side?
Three corner file?
Special square chisel file?

Who ever answers feel free to smack me on the back of the head.
 
I use a round file. I think that's the general practice. Everyone I know use a round file on the square chains. Works good.
 
It looks like a flat file the difference being that on the sides it has a triangular shape and has a filling edge there as well not sure what you'd call it or even if this description makes any sense...
 
I recall the correct term and type of file for square is " double bevel " so imagine a flat raker file with a cuttin edge on the edge of the file. This extra edge is also shaped like the top of the letter A I hope this makes some sense !!

Beat me to it Alex D !
 
Madsen's:

Types Of Files

We sell several different files for sharpening square-ground chain. The most popular is the hexagonal or "triangular" chisel file as it is more commonly known. It does actually have six sides, but it has three "corners" or filing edges. This gives it one additional filing edge than the other chisel files. It is also the smallest file and fits into the throat of 3/8" pitch chain well for most people.

Other choices include a double-bevel file and what's known as a "goofy" file. Both have two corners for sharpening, but offer the additional benefit of being able to lower depth gauges with the wide top and bottom surfaces.
 
Other choices include a double-bevel file and what's known as a "goofy" file. Both have two corners for sharpening, but offer the additional benefit of being able to lower depth gauges with the wide top and bottom surfaces.

Overheard at Mickey Mouse's divorce hearing:

"I didn't say she was weird Your Honor, I said she was F-ing Goofy!"
 
My favorite is save edge double bevels:msp_thumbsup:
 
ive been using these

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Awesome, thanks!!

Which yields the best results, double bit or triangular?
 
ive been using these

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Your better than me then!! I tried that thing, seemed like it was to little to be able to ''eyeball'' the angles in right.....probably me though.


I like the save edge double bevels. Im still learning, but it was easier for me to ''pick it up'' with the double bevels. I thought they had a better feel, and they're wide enough to stay consistant....JMO :cheers:
 
I used both starting out and the 6 sided seemed to be easier to get a side beak or too high with. The double bevel are a little more stable. I don't like using a file handle on them either.
 
try 'em all-let the wood sort it out.

another reason you don't see a lot of reference to files for square-ground/cut cutters is that properly hand-filing square is NOthing near as easy as round filing. the file must track precisely to the outside corner (see Madsen's or Silvey literature) and the best result comes with filing _in_ to the tooth which is hard on the file and the filer.

my totally ignorant guess is that a minority of cutters use square-excepting maybe pnw-and that less than half of those file their chains-beyond quick touch-ups, the rest are ground. someone should do a poll. There was a post/poll around here about how may had tried and given up filing square.

good luck, be patient, enjoy.
 
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let me say i touch up with the file i posted above. when they get out of wack, just a matter of time, i switch to round hahaha.
 
I have all the patience in the world to learn how to do it properly. I spent/wasted a bunch of time today on another chain. Cut the rakers down, thinned em, cleared gullets completely. Going to hit it a bit more with the Dremel tomorrow.


This is what happens when we have no snow in January and my saw is a thousand miles away lol. I have no idea why im bothering with this chain.
 

I wondered that too.

Wouldn't a round file make the square cut round? Unless there's a round file that has a flat side - which would make it not a round file...
 
:dizzy:

it would just make it a round ground chain,(no longer square). it files find round but that is not what the op was asking for he wanted to know witch square file
 

I wondered that too.

Wouldn't a round file make the square cut round? Unless there's a round file that has a flat side - which would make it not a round file...

:dizzy:

it would just make it a round ground chain,(no longer square). it files find round but that is not what the op was asking for he wanted to know witch square file

I ignored it as i reckon he'd get a lesson in what real square is, unless as a lot do, they file it round after buying a roll of square.

I did have the one of the young blokes in our local bushfire brigade try to tell me one of the chains with the 064 on the tanker was "square chain" as it had full chisel cutters, or in his words "had square corners". :hmm3grin2orange:
 

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