Ms261 Chain filing feedback w pic of chips

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

SomewhatStock

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Messages
48
Reaction score
14
Location
NY
Hi guys,

Ive read theads on sharpening and have watched videos to exhaustion to try and get this right. I dulled a few chaines in a tree that I couldnt see had dirt in it. One chain was a stihl 26rs67. Filing took between 6 and 9 strokes to get them sharp and even within .010. I tested it today on some firewood and want to know if the chips look right. Some are a couple inches long which is not like any that ive seen with the RM chains. Is this a function of having a RS chain on a saw where RM is recommended or did I mess up?

The saw is a Stihl MS261 all stock.
Chain in question is Stihl 26RS67 (yellow fill chisel)
Filing was 30 degrees to the cutter and i did my best to be 90 to the bar.
Cutter sizes are all within .010 verified with a caliper.
I did not touch the rakers.
The chain was so dull before i filed it, that it barely even made any saw dust.

What are your thoughts based on the pic.

Thanks!
 

Attachments

  • 20190907_122737.jpg
    20190907_122737.jpg
    3.3 MB · Views: 84
Thanks. I think most chips were good . I was concerned with these long strands specifically.

Here are the cutters. Sorry for the bad lighting.
 

Attachments

  • 20190907_151524.jpg
    20190907_151524.jpg
    873.6 KB · Views: 90
  • 20190907_151404.jpg
    20190907_151404.jpg
    890.7 KB · Views: 85
  • 20190907_151231.jpg
    20190907_151231.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 70
  • 20190907_151358.jpg
    20190907_151358.jpg
    895.9 KB · Views: 86
  • 20190907_150924.jpg
    20190907_150924.jpg
    1,016.4 KB · Views: 79
Looks usable from the pics I can see, the depth gauges may be a tad high, would need to be checked with a proper gauge. Those long strands often come from cutting with the grain of the wood, the shorter chips come from cross cutting the grain as when bucking up common straight stems of a tree.
 
Thanks guys.

I have a husqvarna progressive raker gauge on the way. Ill hit the gullets with a wire brush and work on rakers. Then use it until it needs another sharpening.

I appreciate the feedback. I just started sharpening this week.
 
Thanks again! I really obsessed over watching vids and reading the forums. I even read the comments on peoples videos to see what was correct and what was BS.

Whats the bump in the gullet for?
 
That bump is the result from filing the chain, the file removes metal from the upper part of the cutter, its not large or wide enough to clean out the front of the cutter all the way down to the chain chassis. Removing that bump allows extra clearance for chip removal.
 
Thanks again! I really obsessed over watching vids and reading the forums. I even read the comments on peoples videos to see what was correct and what was BS.

Whats the bump in the gullet for?
As you file the chain back it just forms so every so often you gotta clean it up

I guess i was too slow:laugh:
 
Ill get pics of the file in the cutter. They are 3/16 Oregon files which is what the box has listed for that chain. I only filed the top of the cutter doing my best to keep 90 degrees to the bar. Also, these pics are after testing the chain so arent as clean looking as they were when i first filed it.

Is the same length cutter thing a myth? I feel like everything i read and watched insisted that they be the same length to avoid crooked cuts.
 
Yeah, I reposted your pic so we can easily magnify it for a close look at that cutter. Just click on the pic.
The crescent of the file looks low, and far from the top, and maybe a little small of a file. One can use a smaller file to a degree, but the file should meet the top to get the desired cutting angle, and get a sharp edge.
I am no expert on filing, but use a grinder, and the top edge meets the side of the wheel, but since a file is round,
where it meets the cutter is extremely important.
 
The sharpening job before that, the file looks too big, as the top cutting angle is @ 85 degrees, and should be more like 60. The second file passes look too low, missing the top angle altogether, and giving the chisel 2 profiles.
The 2nd file might be a good diameter, just too low. The stock reply of a certain file size for a certain pitch chain can
be wrong, which is why I like to see the file in the chain's gullet.
 
Back
Top