Nail strike
- Thread starter rgamble
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cuinrearview
Red saw lover
Lots of meat left. Fix your chain
Socalmisfit
ArboristSite Operative
Yeah man start filing, or find someone good with a grinder. After you take that out you will still have over half the life of the chain.
nathan4104
ArboristSite Operative
I get most of my chain from a dumpster at work. Most are worse than that. A good heavy filing and she’s new again. When you take lots of meat off, check the depth gauges (rakers) and file them down too. One of those Sthil 2-1 files is supposed to be good. Get extra files and toss them when they start feeling dull.
I have a sthil 2n1 as well as a grinder. When I bought the 2n1, I gave the grinder to a buddy of mine. When my buggy retired and sold his stump grinder, he gave my chain grinder back. I havent used the grinder once since getting it back. Not to say that if I had a badly damaged chain I wouldnt drag it out to get things back to where they should be before hitting the chain a few licks with the 2n1. My biggest gripe using the 2n1 is the files dont seem to last as long as my regular files do.
It's on a 20" chain I had just touched up (with a 2in1) so the rakers should be filed ok when the damaged cutters are brought back to spec.
I was at the end of the day anyway.
A grinder certainly would make it a quick task. I know that full file sensation.
I was at the end of the day anyway.
A grinder certainly would make it a quick task. I know that full file sensation.
If you learn how to use a progressive depth gauge guide all you have to do is take the damage teeth back to good metal. The non damaged teeth get filed back to good metal, too.
The Stihl, Pferd, etc. 2 in 1 guides are not progressive.
I realize that this is pretty far over your head Rgamble, but the info is easily found here and other places on how to maintain saw chain like a real pro.
P.S. I aspire to sharpen chain like a pro. It is an elusive goal.
The Stihl, Pferd, etc. 2 in 1 guides are not progressive.
I realize that this is pretty far over your head Rgamble, but the info is easily found here and other places on how to maintain saw chain like a real pro.
P.S. I aspire to sharpen chain like a pro. It is an elusive goal.
I just buy a new chain.
If it’s just a couple of teeth, file those back, and let the rest of the teeth ‘catch up’ over time. if it’s a bunch of teeth, file back the worst one until it’s usable, then take the rest of the teeth back to the same length.
Be sure to adjust the depth gauges.
Philbert
Be sure to adjust the depth gauges.
Philbert
cuinrearview
Red saw lover
If you can get your hands on these they're great. Sure make a chain look like it won't cut though. I have a 66dl loop that every single cutter looks a different length to the naked eye.
Thank you for the information all. Especially Del_ and Fillbert.
Replacing the chain is certainly an attractive option however I will restore the damaged cutters using a progressive depth gauge once I research what that is.
Rick
Replacing the chain is certainly an attractive option however I will restore the damaged cutters using a progressive depth gauge once I research what that is.
Rick
Make sure you file correctly. Find the worst tooth and file that first. Count how many strokes it takes. Then file every tooth that same number of strokes. The goal is to have every tooth the same height.
good YouTube vids on all of this.
good YouTube vids on all of this.
Check this out unclemoustache:
Buckin' Billy Ray Smith does a video with some teeth short, almost to the line, and others almost full tooth. He set depth gauge on rakers and files.
The result is shown cutting a 1/4" thick cookie in a 24" dia. log. Tooth length doesn't matter... depth of rakers does.
I have sworn by the Stihl 2-1 gauge. Used the Grandberg gauge before that. Got okay results.
I saw the Buckin's video and he says something about three stroke guys, and that's me. It, the chain, begins to not pull itself. I stop and give it three or four strokes with the 2-1. Back at it, cutting and making firewood.
Well, Buckin's comment kind of rubbed me wrong. So I got a file out and removed the gullet like he shows. And I lifted up on the file to cut the top plate.
Razor sharp, but only lasted ten cuts. Back to the vise. I got a larger file to reduce the cutting angle top to bottom on the top plate. I watched some other videos.
And there is something to this.
I started by taking chains in to get sharpened the first month or so, before getting a grand berg jig. I wore one out, and could not find a descent replacement. The knobs were all too small, and it was different every time it was mounted. the Stihl 2-1 was a huge improvement, and it is quick. But...
I've been hand sharpening this week. Lots of it, due to wet dirt that doesn't brush off well even with a wire brush.
The hand sharpening is by far a five step improvement over a jig. It's a wow! moment.
It takes longer, but not much. And my edge is lasting much longer than when I started, about a pallet worth which is a 1/4 to 1/3 cord.
Tooth length doesn't matter. What takes longer hand sharpening is doing the rakers, or depth gauges, where the 2-1 does it when filing the top and side plate. And a little more time per tooth doing the gullet.
After forty years of jigs, I'm done with them, and learning to file has been fun.
I probably could have cut more wood using the jig this week, but next week, and the weeks after may prove different. It's certainly a grin to get it right in a 10" round.
I'm in small hardwood and running full house, on a 357p and 562xp. Bench vise mounted on rear rack of quad. Have yet to try a skip tooth.
Buckin' Billy Ray Smith does a video with some teeth short, almost to the line, and others almost full tooth. He set depth gauge on rakers and files.
The result is shown cutting a 1/4" thick cookie in a 24" dia. log. Tooth length doesn't matter... depth of rakers does.
I have sworn by the Stihl 2-1 gauge. Used the Grandberg gauge before that. Got okay results.
I saw the Buckin's video and he says something about three stroke guys, and that's me. It, the chain, begins to not pull itself. I stop and give it three or four strokes with the 2-1. Back at it, cutting and making firewood.
Well, Buckin's comment kind of rubbed me wrong. So I got a file out and removed the gullet like he shows. And I lifted up on the file to cut the top plate.
Razor sharp, but only lasted ten cuts. Back to the vise. I got a larger file to reduce the cutting angle top to bottom on the top plate. I watched some other videos.
And there is something to this.
I started by taking chains in to get sharpened the first month or so, before getting a grand berg jig. I wore one out, and could not find a descent replacement. The knobs were all too small, and it was different every time it was mounted. the Stihl 2-1 was a huge improvement, and it is quick. But...
I've been hand sharpening this week. Lots of it, due to wet dirt that doesn't brush off well even with a wire brush.
The hand sharpening is by far a five step improvement over a jig. It's a wow! moment.
It takes longer, but not much. And my edge is lasting much longer than when I started, about a pallet worth which is a 1/4 to 1/3 cord.
Tooth length doesn't matter. What takes longer hand sharpening is doing the rakers, or depth gauges, where the 2-1 does it when filing the top and side plate. And a little more time per tooth doing the gullet.
After forty years of jigs, I'm done with them, and learning to file has been fun.
I probably could have cut more wood using the jig this week, but next week, and the weeks after may prove different. It's certainly a grin to get it right in a 10" round.
I'm in small hardwood and running full house, on a 357p and 562xp. Bench vise mounted on rear rack of quad. Have yet to try a skip tooth.
There is more to it than that.
Making every tooth the same length also 'joints' (each tooth the same height) and 'sets' (each tooth cuts the same kerf width) - these are basic functions for sharpening any saw (hand, circular, band, etc.). Teeth the same length will provide a smoother, more efficient cut.
You can drive a truck down the road with different pressure in each tire too, but it is not as good an idea as keeping them all the same.
I prefer to measure each tooth (small ruler, caliper, scrap of paper, holding them back-to-back, etc.) rather than count strokes, since cutters may start out at different lengths, and it is possible to apply more pressure sometimes, especially between right and left cutters.
Once you have your teeth sharpened, jointed, and set, the depth gauge setting is very important.
Philbert
After writing earlier this morning about sharpening, I had a frustrating day cutting. Try it again tomorrow. I think maybe my angles from horizontal are different side to side. And wet logs with occasional dirt from getting under them up with forks.
Makes sense from your illustration that if the 'set' is different from tooth to tooth, than a short tooth would be narrower or "lazy" and another would have to recut the kerf.
