.325 stihl rm sharpening issues

[trains]

Hi Chaps,
fixed up a 261 non mtronic a while back, put some time on it, and it was time to re sharpen the chain.

Chain is .325 Stihl rm, has .325 stamped on the raker base, its semi chisel.
Might be worth saying the chain is new re use, but an old chain re age.

File is a vallorbe 3/16, or 4.8mm file, confirmed both by id stamp, and with micrometer, compared it to a stihl file of the same, and they both match up.
File guide is the pressed tin one that holds the file at each end with knurled knobs, stamped stihl .325 4.8mm etc.

Went to place the file into the tooth, and to put it at the 30 deg angle, it would first foul the front raker, and I could not file at the 30 angle, also the file would sit up almost half of the file above the tooth, I could not get it to sit lower, its mean to have 20% of the file above the tooth, this was nearer 40 or 45%, first few wipes I was hoping it would just drop down, but it did not and left a terrible angle on the tooth, no hook, and tooth looked almost like it was straight up, not round as the file would normally leave a tooth.

At this stage I measured all the files, re confirmed everything was correct, and then removed the file and free hand filed the chain, much better hook and tooth shape, but still not quite right.

This chain is quite old in age, but it was new when put on the saw.

Did stihl change its cutter shape and file requirement 10 or 15 years ago???

ive been hand filing for years, and have not had this issue before, have sharpened with stihl, husky, carlton, oregan, etc etc etc chains, and used many different file guides and gotten good results of fast self feeding chains that cut straight, I file to the point of teeth breaking off the chain as they get so thin, and have rescued many damaged, or thrown away chains and used them till they were well and truly worn out.

This one has me stumped, (pun intended, albeit bad).

sorry no photos as yet, will try and get some later, its a crazy busy week, wife is lauching her new book next week, along with a fashion parade to go with it, and ive got medical stuff to deal with too and a sick child at home for now, so appreciate your patience.

T

 

[memory]

This may not be exactly the same as your issue. I started using the 2in1 guide on 3/8 stihl chain, liked the results. I bought the .325 version and tried it on stihl .325 semi chisel chain and it does the same thing you are describing. All the files are the right size and everything seems correct. I tried it on other semi chisel chain and visually, it looked good. For whatever reason, the 2in1 guide does not like certain chains.

 

[trains]

Interesting, to hear a similar thing with the 2 in 1 on .325.

 

[trains]

As a follow up, I went in and bought a new flat type file guide for the .325

aka
https://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Prod...s/21072-1649/File-holder-with-round-file.aspx

did a few passes of the file, when resting on the tooth and raker, it sits in the correct spot, file does not foul the back side of the raker, and file is further down than the original one I posted about, and it sharpened the tooth well, so something is wrong with the original file guide I used.
It was stamped .325 4.8mm file, and has all the correct 30 deg angles etc, just that it held the file too far up the tooth, thus it hit fouled both the cutting edge and the back of the raker on a new chain.

Glasses also help with better illumination when looking at why something is not working too


Go figure.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Throw the file guide over your shoulder (being sure not to hit the wife in the process) and learn to use just the file.
Have had some success using files designed for 3/8LP on some (cannot remember type) .325 chain that was on a Jonsered 2045 for a while- seem to remember it being quite short on the face of the tooth and a hard file with the so called correct size.
I run with the horses for courses rule of thumb- if 3/16" is not working for you, grab a 5/32"and give it a whirl.
There has often been strong debate over which is correct for .325- 3/16"(4.8mm for you metric kids) or 5/32"(4mm metric)- I say use which ever suits the cutter of the particular chain you are filing!

 

[trains]

Throw the file guide over your shoulder (being sure not to hit the wife in the process) and learn to use just the file.
Have had some success using files designed for 3/8LP on some (cannot remember type) .325 chain that was on a Jonsered 2045 for a while- seem to remember it being quite short on the face of the tooth and a hard file with the so called correct size.
I run with the horses for courses rule of thumb- if 3/16" is not working for you, grab a 5/32"and give it a whirl.
There has often been strong debate over which is correct for .325- 3/16"(4.8mm for you metric kids) or 5/32"(4mm metric)- I say use which ever suits the cutter of the particular chain you are filing!

yeah, I can file free hand, but find when using the saws, and getting tired, I get better results with the guide on, only need a few passes with the file anyway, but when your hands are starting to cramp, the guide helps.
Have also moved to smaller files when the tooth is almost worn out on some chains, and it gives a good cutting edge angle.

My first post was to see if there had been any real changes with stihl chain, and if the file sized had changed for earlier chains, it was a reach, and an out there question.
I was surprised at how everything was out of whack with that guide that just looked like any other guide I have, and it didnt position the file correctly on that chain .
My first thought was wrong sized chain...nope, wrong sized file...nope, wrong or miss labeled type of file guide ie 3/8 instead of .325.....nope, it was the guide that was no good.

Thought others might find it useful at some stage if they come across something odd like that in the future.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

yeah, I can file free hand, but find when using the saws, and getting tired, I get better results with the guide on, only need a few passes with the file anyway, but when your hands are starting to cramp, the guide helps.
Have also moved to smaller files when the tooth is almost worn out on some chains, and it gives a good cutting edge angle.

My first post was to see if there had been any real changes with stihl chain, and if the file sized had changed for earlier chains, it was a reach, and an out there question.
I was surprised at how everything was out of whack with that guide that just looked like any other guide I have, and it didnt position the file correctly on that chain .
My first thought was wrong sized chain...nope, wrong sized file...nope, wrong or miss labeled type of file guide ie 3/8 instead of .325.....nope, it was the guide that was no good.

Thought others might find it useful at some stage if they come across something odd like that in the future.

Yep, the run of chain I was referencing may have been very similar to what you have "found". We didn't have much choice back then locally- you got .325 0063 at the Stihl shop, .325 0058 at the Husqvarna shop and .325 0058 Oregon at the Jonsered shop, so what I had was either Oregon or Oregon in disguise...... most probably, unless one of them had discovered a roll of something old stock sitting on a shelf somewhere, but I can remember it being short in height on the cutter face, maybe it was some wild step towards a more finer kerf .325 back in the day? I never used Stihl chain much back then- was kind of certain brand wool blind at that stage.

 

[trains]

Yep, the run of chain I was referencing may have been very similar to what you have "found". We didn't have much choice back then locally- you got .325 0063 at the Stihl shop, .325 0058 at the Husqvarna shop and .325 0058 Oregon at the Jonsered shop, so what I had was either Oregon or Oregon in disguise...... most probably, unless one of them had discovered a roll of something old stock sitting on a shelf somewhere, but I can remember it being short in height on the cutter face, maybe it was some wild step towards a more finer kerf .325 back in the day? I never used Stihl chain much back then- was kind of certain brand wool blind at that stage.

Yeah, it was at least 10 yr old .325 in 063, .325 was stamped on the raker side, checked and confirmed both by numbers id, and chain gauge card, and was stihl chain.
filed well just freehand with 4.8mm file.

ive tried stihl, husky, oregon, carlton, titan, etc, have a roll of carlton and some stihl, I like the husky too, all in 3/8 063 or 325 063, should get a stihl roll of the 3/8 pico too, but as I usually cut small stuff thats green with those chains, im not getting thru it like the 3/8 in dead dry gum.
I guess the oregon was rebadged husky chain at the time, their bars didnt impress me much, I like the husky roller guide, and that fits the carlton chain well too, that keeps an edge, is easy on files compared to the stihl chain I have, and ive worn out a few carlton chains now in 25" and 18" and its put plenty of firewood in the trailer.

Not tried archer yet tho.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

If ya want a real fright- try some ES chain from you know where- Excelsior Sharp I believe the ES stands for.
Less that $100 here for a 25'roll and it is not half bad!
It isn't RS or even Oregon, but for the price- it is better than most of similar value.
Only have limited use with Archer chain and only in 3/8LP, seemed okay- not life changing, but okay.

 

[Franny K]

Some obselet .325 chain called for a smaller file. Oregon 33 34 35 sl and lg for example. Even then the file kind of hangs up on first sharpening. 11/64.
I believe 2 is Stihl code for .325 with 3/16 file.