Swamp Yankee
Addicted to ArboristSite
Don't have a pair of dogs in this trunk, yet,
It ain't the tool, its knowing what to do with said tool that counts.
File or grind, makes absolutely no difference if you don't know what a "sharp" chain looks and feels like. Use whatever metal removal method you wish, until you grasp this concept all you're doing is randomly removing metal.
There are two primary factors that come into play in producing a "sharp" tooth. One as the name implies is keenness of edge, (think razor blade). The other and most misunderstood, as I see it, is the cutter geometry, aka tooth form, including rakers. A chain regardless of manufacturer simply will not cut to its potential or hold that "keen edge", if the two are not working in unison.
Along the same line, if one doesn't understand the end result they are trying to achieve during the sharpening process, how can they be expected to produce 30 plus consistently sharpened cutting teeth on the same chain, within the process tolerance of accuracy.
I've cut with a bunch of people over the years, long and short time loggers, arborists, firewood sellers and novices. Some people will develop a feel for and understanding of the process, some never will because they simply don't know what the end result is supposed to look like. I've often seen cases where the cutter has become so dull that even just getting in there and wailing indiscriminately with a file produces a better cutting chain than what they started with. The chain may not be "sharp" but it was so bad at the start that any type of results seem like a major improvement.
Best advice I can give is too hook up with someone that knows what they are doing, have them prepare a sample chain and use it as a guide when filing. Look at how they created the hook, look at the raker height, look at the straightness and consistency of the top and side plate angles.
Test your work in a log about 3/4 dia. of the bar length. Start a cut, with the top of the bar fully in the kerf, ease up on the grip on the front handle allowing the chain to feed itself. The chain should smoothly, but firmly without grabbing or dropping the engine rpms, pull itself into the cut and produce one consistent size chip. If you see large and small chips coming out of the clutch cover, something isn't right. At the same time as the saw is pulling itself through in the cut, it should be tracking perfectly straight. If the saw wants to pull left or right, or looses power if you try to bring it back straight, once again it's back to the drawing board. Keep touching up the chain and retesting. Before long you'll get a feel for what needs to be done to produce a well cutting chain.
As to modding Stihl RS out of the box, start by doing absolutely nothing, and performing the test above. Now mount the saw in a vise, and take one and only one lite pass on each raker with a raker file. They should go down about .005 inches. Repeat the kerf test and you'll start to feel the saw chain having more desire to feed itself, producing a slightly longer more rectangular chip than before. The rest of the out of the box mods you really need to work on and experiment with as your skills develop.
My thoughts on the subject, but I just cut wood and do not claim to be an expert. If any of this helps, great, if not that's cool too.
Take Care
It ain't the tool, its knowing what to do with said tool that counts.
File or grind, makes absolutely no difference if you don't know what a "sharp" chain looks and feels like. Use whatever metal removal method you wish, until you grasp this concept all you're doing is randomly removing metal.
There are two primary factors that come into play in producing a "sharp" tooth. One as the name implies is keenness of edge, (think razor blade). The other and most misunderstood, as I see it, is the cutter geometry, aka tooth form, including rakers. A chain regardless of manufacturer simply will not cut to its potential or hold that "keen edge", if the two are not working in unison.
Along the same line, if one doesn't understand the end result they are trying to achieve during the sharpening process, how can they be expected to produce 30 plus consistently sharpened cutting teeth on the same chain, within the process tolerance of accuracy.
I've cut with a bunch of people over the years, long and short time loggers, arborists, firewood sellers and novices. Some people will develop a feel for and understanding of the process, some never will because they simply don't know what the end result is supposed to look like. I've often seen cases where the cutter has become so dull that even just getting in there and wailing indiscriminately with a file produces a better cutting chain than what they started with. The chain may not be "sharp" but it was so bad at the start that any type of results seem like a major improvement.
Best advice I can give is too hook up with someone that knows what they are doing, have them prepare a sample chain and use it as a guide when filing. Look at how they created the hook, look at the raker height, look at the straightness and consistency of the top and side plate angles.
Test your work in a log about 3/4 dia. of the bar length. Start a cut, with the top of the bar fully in the kerf, ease up on the grip on the front handle allowing the chain to feed itself. The chain should smoothly, but firmly without grabbing or dropping the engine rpms, pull itself into the cut and produce one consistent size chip. If you see large and small chips coming out of the clutch cover, something isn't right. At the same time as the saw is pulling itself through in the cut, it should be tracking perfectly straight. If the saw wants to pull left or right, or looses power if you try to bring it back straight, once again it's back to the drawing board. Keep touching up the chain and retesting. Before long you'll get a feel for what needs to be done to produce a well cutting chain.
As to modding Stihl RS out of the box, start by doing absolutely nothing, and performing the test above. Now mount the saw in a vise, and take one and only one lite pass on each raker with a raker file. They should go down about .005 inches. Repeat the kerf test and you'll start to feel the saw chain having more desire to feed itself, producing a slightly longer more rectangular chip than before. The rest of the out of the box mods you really need to work on and experiment with as your skills develop.
My thoughts on the subject, but I just cut wood and do not claim to be an expert. If any of this helps, great, if not that's cool too.
Take Care
