I hit metal and now make crooked cuts

[Philbert]

Chain cutters have to be sharp, and balanced along the loop. It is possible to do this with a file, grinder, etc., but it is not ‘automatic’.

File guides like the STIHL/Pferd 2-in1 are good at maintaining / touching up a balanced chain, but will not fix a damaged chain without some attention to detail.

Simplest thing would be to have someone who knows how to use a grinder take all the cutters back to a uniform condition, including the depth gauges, then use the 2-in-1 going forward.

If just 1 or 2 cutters in a loop get messed up and filed back, it’s usually not a big deal. When several get out of whack, it’s best to reset them all and start fresh.

Philbert

 

[singinwoodwackr]

That sucks.

Got worse…sharpened the chain…took. While. Made another cut 2-3 “ away…half way through…hit it again . That pretty much shot that day. The insulator was huge…about 6” long…we finally split it out of the wood.

 

[capetrees]

Got worse…sharpened the chain…took. While. Made another cut 2-3 “ away…half way through…hit it again . That pretty much shot that day. The insulator was huge…about 6” long…we finally split it out of the wood.

Similar.
Didn't realize the tree had grown around the 6' tall sign pole about 40 years ago. It was embedded into the middle of the tree trunk. Multiple cuts to drop the trunk. Eventually, after ruining 5-6 chains, we lifted the thing with an excavator, remaining part of the pole still sticking out of the bottom of the 6' tall trunk.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Similar.
Didn't realize the tree had grown around the 6' tall sign pole about 40 years ago. It was embedded into the middle of the tree trunk. Multiple cuts to drop the trunk. Eventually, after ruining 5-6 chains, we lifted the thing with an excavator, remaining part of the pole still sticking out of the bottom of the 6' tall trunk.

Beat the hell out my bad day, lol.

 

[onedash]

OP - Do you sharpen by number of strokes or until each tooth is sharp?

Yes, I normally do but i could tell some of the corners were still not "done" so in an attempt to keep em close I did 10 strokes per tooth but some did get even more until they looked good. Up until this I think I was keeping the chains as sharp or sharper than getting em done at the shop using the 2in1. I am horrible with just a file so i had always taken them in until i tried the 2in1. I thought id never take them in to be sharpened again until this. Maybe I will try doing the left teeth only before I do. it cuts to the right, now.

 

[onedash]

How many times do you sharpen a chain before replacing the file? i guess at some point they just stop grinding the teeth? I am still using the original files and have probably done my 25" chain at least 6-8 times. Sometimes it seems to be worn out but then I open the cover and turn the file a little and it starts working again.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

How many times do you sharpen a chain before replacing the file? i guess at some point they just stop grinding the teeth? I am still using the original files and have probably done my 25" chain at least 6-8 times. Sometimes it seems to be worn out but then I open the cover and turn the file a little and it starts working again.

When it stops cutting easily

 

[lone wolf]

When it stops cutting easily

Exactly.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Yes, I normally do but i could tell some of the corners were still not "done" so in an attempt to keep em close I did 10 strokes per tooth but some did get even more until they looked good. Up until this I think I was keeping the chains as sharp or sharper than getting em done at the shop using the 2in1. I am horrible with just a file so i had always taken them in until i tried the 2in1. I thought id never take them in to be sharpened again until this. Maybe I will try doing the left teeth only before I do. it cuts to the right, now.

Just stop counting strokes completely. It's not a helpful approach.

Sharpen each tooth until all damage is gone and the tooth is as sharp as is reasonable. If it takes 3 strokes or 50, it doesn't matter.

The 2/1 sharpeners can be tricky to keep the depth gauge file hard down on the depth gauges, especially when going in the opposite direction from your strong hand. So it's entirely possible that you have the depth gauges high on one side. This will absolutely cause the chain to cut crooked.

Do you have a progressive style depth gauge file guide? If so, go through the entire chain and check it. I bet you find that cutters in one direction have higher depth gauges than the other side.

 

[pdqdl]

Put a new chain on the saw and call it a day. Have your mower shop properly grind the destroyed chain, and save it for future embedded fence wire, and no trespassing sign nails.......

Yes. Everyone should have at least one spare chain. The old chain needs to be sharpened equally, and doing that with a machine is the best way, providing the "mower shop" actually sharpens correctly. Giving them a damaged chain is a good way to find out, too.

 

[pdqdl]

Rakers are as critical as a razor sharp chain, keeping the teeth all the same length is BS its all about the filing and rakers being managed after sharping cutters

Did you really suggest that keeping the teeth all the same length is unimportant?

That's just wrong, especially when one side of the chain has teeth that are considerably shorter than the other.

 

[pdqdl]

Number of strokes that’s a myth of bogus proportions, no such thing only thing that matters that you have a razor sharp tooth then use a raker gauge to each tooth

That sure looks mighty sharp.

 

[lone wolf]

Did you really suggest that keeping the teeth all the same length is unimportant?

That's just wrong, especially when one side of the chain has teeth that are considerably shorter than the other.

Yes he did and I have heard that a lot of people think they have to be even to cut straight but I have heard that is not true. I have seen saws that have uneven length cutters and cut straight.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Did you really suggest that keeping the teeth all the same length is unimportant?

That's just wrong, especially when one side of the chain has teeth that are considerably shorter than the other.

It's not wrong.

Tooth size is unimportant. Keep the depth gauges filed correctly for the tooth length and the chain will cut fine.

EDIT: My 500i behind me has cutters on the right side of the chain that are shorter than the left because the right side hit a rock twice...chain cuts just as straight as a brand new out of the box. I know because I just cut up some 30" wide ash with it. No issues.

 

[lone wolf]

It's not wrong.

Tooth size is unimportant. Keep the depth gauges filed correctly for the tooth length and the chain will cut fine.

EDIT: My 500i behind me has cutters on the right side of the chain that are shorter than the left because the right side hit a rock twice...chain cuts just as straight as a brand new out of the box. I know because I just cut up some 30" wide ash with it. No issues.

Well I was wondering if a long bar would change that but now I see it really don't. Good info.

 

[Squareground3691]

Did you really suggest that keeping the teeth all the same length is unimportant?

That's just wrong, especially when one side of the chain has teeth that are considerably shorter than the other.

Length of cutter is not the determining factor , the raker controls the depth of cut of each tooth , You can have teeth of different lengths but the rakers have to be in line with depth of each cutter . There’s numerous videos on YouTube showing it my chains cutters vary in length if I smash a cutter or two badly and you have to take off .030 to .05 thousands I’m not going to cut every tooth back that’s crazy just the one’s you hit then adjust each cutter to a raker gauge so there all cutting to the same depth

 

[Squareground3691]

Length of cutter is not the determining factor , the raker controls the depth of cut of each tooth , You can have teeth of different lengths but the rakers have to be in line with depth of each cutter . There’s numerous videos on YouTube showing it my chains cutters vary in length if I smash a cutter or two badly and you have to take off .030 to .05 thousands I’m not going to cut every tooth back that’s crazy just the one’s you hit then adjust each cutter to a raker gauge so there all cutting to the same depth

It’s all about the filing plane and simply

 

[Squareground3691]

It’s all about the filing plane and simply

Problem is a lot of people ignore the rakers witch is totally ignorant on there part , as I said previously the rakers are as critical as a razor sharp chain

 

[ValleyForge]

Length of cutter is not the determining factor , the raker controls the depth of cut of each tooth , You can have teeth of different lengths but the rakers have to be in line with depth of each cutter . There’s numerous videos on YouTube showing it my chains cutters vary in length if I smash a cutter or two badly and you have to take off .030 to .05 thousands I’m not going to cut every tooth back that’s crazy just the one’s you hit then adjust each cutter to a raker gauge so there all cutting to the same depth

If you have a low cutter with a high cutter in front and behind, the low cutter will not really do much work because the high cutters serve as rakers for the low cutter. Not a problem for one, but I never have just one with the crap I cut.

 

[arathol]

Length of cutter is not the determining factor , the raker controls the depth of cut of each tooth , You can have teeth of different lengths but the rakers have to be in line with depth of each cutter . There’s numerous videos on YouTube showing it my chains cutters vary in length if I smash a cutter or two badly and you have to take off .030 to .05 thousands I’m not going to cut every tooth back that’s crazy just the one’s you hit then adjust each cutter to a raker gauge so there all cutting to the same depth

Don't know where you heard that, but its just not right......
The raker controls the depth of the cut for each individual tooth, not the entire chain. If you have cutters that are different heights, the ones that are lower won't cut very much if at all, making for a very inefficient chain. You want to check the entire chain, see which tooth is the shortest and file the rest to match.