Advice on chainsaw sharpener

[logbutcher]

Hand vs. Grinder

"What we've got here is a problem of communication":deadhorse:

If I had to do 20 chains ,the power grinder is the right tool. Out in the wild woods, hand filing when needed is fast, gives the user the ease of efficiency, and skill every 2-3 tanks. With the NSCSG (Not-So-Cheap-Stihl-Grinder ):hmm3grin2orange: , you Stihl have to set it up, "plug" it in, set the tool for the correct angles.......then put it away.
IN THE FIELD, with a Pferd (SharpForce) super-duper hand filer, you just follow the witness line on the chain top, file away with that skilled hand and eye, and you're done . And, TA-TAAA, the edge and depth gauge/raker are done thye right way. And, you Stihl have to move the NSCSG around the chain......don't you ????
Now what is it for the NSCSG, $30. or $499. ? In these parts, we could feast on fried clams or lobster for a loooooong time. :biggrinbounce2: You buy.
P.S. The Pferd (SharpForce) is +/- $15. at Bailey's.

 

[046]

got a Oregon grinder that almost never gets used.
hand filing is the only way to go. unless you're grinding yourself, count on getting your chain back with 1/3 less teeth and loss temper to boot. at least that's been my experience sending chains out. your mileage my veri..

hand filing has a steep learning curve, but once you figure out. you can get your chain sharp in the field in a few minutes.

stihl makes an excellent clamp-on manual sharpener that works great!
I'll use that to set my teeth angles back, instead of the Oregon grinder.

never had any luck using hand held 12V grinders. pretty worthless...

 

[roahboah]

Thank you for the info! I think I AM gonna go with that Stihl bar-mount sharpener.
Thank you again, sirs!
regards,
roah

 

[logbutcher]

"yes, Sir" !

Thank you for the info! I think I AM gonna go with that Stihl bar-mount sharpener.
Thank you again, sirs!
regards,
roah

Why I haven't been called "sir" since 1969. Thanks, it does feel good. Please salute .....now.

The clamp-on hand sharpeners work, but they are a PITA. C'mon, look for the Pferd/Sharpforce filers. The good S & H dealers carry them. Don't you Andy ?
Get a stump vise, or saw a groove into a stump to hold the saw steady when filing by hand.
It doesn't take long to figure out the witness lines on top of the chain, or to get the angles right, to get hand filing down pat. Then it's fast, easy. and correct. Maybe 10-15 bad filing jobs.:hmm3grin2orange:
Save the grinding for when you hit rocks (never):angry2: , dirt (rarely, yuh sure), your steel toe ( once or twice), or just dirty bark and cambium that sucks up that sand into dead oaks . And when you're back in that warm, wood-heated shop.

 

[roahboah]

Why I haven't been called "sir" since 1969. Thanks, it does feel good. Please salute .....now.

The clamp-on hand sharpeners work, but they are a PITA. C'mon, look for the Pferd/Sharpforce filers. The good S & H dealers carry them. Don't you Andy ?
Get a stump vise, or saw a groove into a stump to hold the saw steady when filing by hand.
It doesn't take long to figure out the witness lines on top of the chain, or to get the angles right, to get hand filing down pat. Then it's fast, easy. and correct. Maybe 10-15 bad filing jobs.:hmm3grin2orange:
Save the grinding for when you hit rocks (never):angry2: , dirt (rarely, yuh sure), your steel toe ( once or twice), or just dirty bark and cambium that sucks up that sand into dead oaks . And when you're back in that warm, wood-heated shop.

Yassir, right away sir....(saluting over and over and over)
Well, I'm hand-filing now, and doing okay - but that's the extent of it. I feel a tad frustrated because I seem to do a better job on one side of the cutters than the other (left-handed, maybe). You're right - I'm not going to get a grinder or anything like that, but I AM interested in doing a better, more consistent job when sharpening on my own, you know? The bar-mount jobs looked good to me because I could set the angles and do a good job consistently. Plus, it seems like I could use the bar-mount guide to do the rakers (with the appropriate flat file, o'course). So what's the deal - am I way off in my assumptions? Wouldn't be the first time!
thanks in advance for your input,
roah

 

[046]

took me 2+ years to figure how to hand sharpen.... wish it was only 10-15 bad filing jobs

what turned on the light bulb, for me was to clamp entire saw down on a solid vise, tighten chain up to reduce wobble and use a pair of jeweler magnifiers. that way your chain is not moving around and you can SEE to maintain those angles.

pretty much exactly what the stihl clamp-on unit does, only without the hassle of set-up time. really like stihl clamp-on because you can repeat exact angle everytime without overheating tooth. but it's a pita to use.

note the file holder on right of pic... that's an old homelite file holder. works better than any other I've tried. but personal preferences rules. some don't like any holders at all. use only quality files the correct size, like stihl files.

you'll be hand filing like a pro... in no time!

It doesn't take long to figure out the witness lines on top of the chain, or to get the angles right, to get hand filing down pat. Then it's fast, easy. and correct. Maybe 10-15 bad filing jobs.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[buckwheat]

I used to handfile everything and did a passible job. But in the interest of speed I now use a Dremel with the Oregon stones. I still carry hand files out in the field in case I need to do a "90 second tickle"; but learning how to hand file also teaches you the proper way to use a grinder.

 

[ktm rider]

"What we've got here is a problem of communication":deadhorse:

If I had to do 20 chains ,the power grinder is the right tool. Out in the wild woods, hand filing when needed is fast, gives the user the ease of efficiency, and skill every 2-3 tanks. With the NSCSG (Not-So-Cheap-Stihl-Grinder ):hmm3grin2orange: , you Stihl have to set it up, "plug" it in, set the tool for the correct angles.......then put it away.
IN THE FIELD, with a Pferd (SharpForce) super-duper hand filer, you just follow the witness line on the chain top, file away with that skilled hand and eye, and you're done . And, TA-TAAA, the edge and depth gauge/raker are done thye right way. And, you Stihl have to move the NSCSG around the chain......don't you ????
Now what is it for the NSCSG, $30. or $499. ? In these parts, we could feast on fried clams or lobster for a loooooong time. :biggrinbounce2: You buy.
P.S. The Pferd (SharpForce) is +/- $15. at Bailey's.

O.K. The price for the Stihl hand held chain sharpener is $30 I explained my type "O" in my last post.

There is nothing to attach to the saw. no clamps, nothing... You just follow the witness marks just like you do with you hand file. There is NO SETTING THE CORRECT ANGLE !!!:bang:

Yes you are correct that you actually have to get it out AND put it away. I do have to plug it into the cigarette lighter in my Rhino ( that is usually sitting right beside me) That is not an all day job really.

technology is a wonderful thing.............

 

[ktm rider]

It seems as if the original poster should have named this thread " Talk me out of an electric chain sharpener "

He was asking for opinions on electric sharpeners, NOT why he shouldn't get one.

 

[Corley5]

For a simple, effective and cheap guide to handfile chains get a Carlton File-O-Plate. Bailey's has them and they work. I've used them for years and still carry one in my wallet just in case. CBN wheels for grinders seem to do a better job than the grit wheels and don't need to be dressed

 

[Big Woody]

I have used the red oregon brand 12 Volt one for years. Just open the truck hood, hook it up and away you go. Works great and faster than hand filing. they are about $30 or so. Also has a spare battery in the shop so used it there as well. Just put saw in the vice and sharpen away.


Since I got the 110V Tecomec, reversible motor, bench grinder that is all I use anymore.

Ever wonder why they don't hand file chains when you take them in to the local shop?

 

[logbutcher]

$30.00 it Is

O.K. The price for the Stihl hand held chain sharpener is $30 I explained my type "O" in my last post.

There is nothing to attach to the saw. no clamps, nothing... You just follow the witness marks just like you do with you hand file. There is NO SETTING THE CORRECT ANGLE !!!:bang:

Yes you are correct that you actually have to get it out AND put it away. I do have to plug it into the cigarette lighter in my Rhino ( that is usually sitting right beside me) That is not an all day job really.

technology is a wonderful thing.............

You are correct..... excuze moi !
Some of us howver are near LUDDITES. Some technology is good, some is NRFPTD (Not ready for prime time dear). I LIKE to hand file out in the field. For example: I do not like to go to a store to hear innane pap--always loud on cell phones . How do so many have so little to say....can you say "DUMBING DOWN" ?
And the greatest tool for sharpening since sliced bananas is the Pferd. Can you believe, no digital camera here for a jpeg of the tool in action. Luddite !Look it up in Bailey's. You'll never use anything else
There, I'm outed . "Don't ask don't tell", William Jefferson Clintonopcorn:

 

[Hoosierheater]

Sharpeners

I have struggled for years with the typical bar clamp on type sharpeners. No matter what I tried, it would end up with the bar pulling in one direction or the other and ultimately wedging in the cut. I finally bought a Dremel tool and saw sharpening attachment and my life is so much easier. It took me a while to get used to it and I did grind off too much steel but now it works like a dream. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone.

 

[aokpops]

fileoplate

I used just about everything . nothing has beat a fileoplate and a file . can,t figure out how to sharpen a file . need some info on great files .

 

[046]

welcome to AS...

just goes to show ya how everyone is a little different. bottom line is what ever works! is what you should use.

I've used my dremel sharpener and think it's junk. on the other hand, my stihl clamp on works great for me. (note I'll tighten up chain to reduce slop before sharpening)

still prefer plain ole hand sharpening the best!

I have struggled for years with the typical bar clamp on type sharpeners. No matter what I tried, it would end up with the bar pulling in one direction or the other and ultimately wedging in the cut. I finally bought a Dremel tool and saw sharpening attachment and my life is so much easier. It took me a while to get used to it and I did grind off too much steel but now it works like a dream. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone.

 

[ASEMASTER]

sharpener

I have struggled for years with the typical bar clamp on type sharpeners. No matter what I tried, it would end up with the bar pulling in one direction or the other and ultimately wedging in the cut. I finally bought a Dremel tool and saw sharpening attachment and my life is so much easier. It took me a while to get used to it and I did grind off too much steel but now it works like a dream. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone.

I also use a dremel with a dimond tool in it,no guide as I can file and still do in the field. but the dremel saves on the finger nicks when you forget the gloves and slip off the tooth .

 

[Philbert]

It Depends . . .

What really matters is that you find a method that works for YOU.

I do disaster response, where the trees are filled with dirt, and metal, and all kinds of stuff. On a bad day, we can go through a dozen chains in a half hour, and run up to 17 saws, so we keep an Oregon 511 clone in our equipment trailer and run it off of a generator.

Some people own just one chain that never leaves their saw, and cut firewood with it for years.

I recommend that operators carry 3 chains per saw, so that they can swap out for a sharp chain and get back to work if they hit a rock or just get dull. They can concentrate on sharpening back in the shop, instead of in the woods, and there is less temptation to cut 'just one more log' with a dull chain.

For field 'touch-ups', a file with a guide works fine.

For regular sharpening, a good electric grinder has many advantages over a using only a file:
- it is much faster if you have many chains to sharpen;
- it is better for grinding back a chipped or damaged chain;
- it is consistent: all the teeth are ground at the same angles, which means that the chain runs and cuts smoother;
- (ibid): all of the teeth are ground to the same length;
- the wheel constantly exposes sharp grit as it wears - that is, you never find yourself sharpening with a dull file that someone should have replaced;
- the fine grit leaves a very smooth finish and sharp edge on the cutter;
- there is no chance of 'rounding over' the cutting edge at the last instant by moving the file imperceptably.

It is possible to grind the life out of a chain by hogging off lots of metal, or by jamming the wheel into the cutters until they turn blue, however, it is also possible to just 'kiss' the dull edges with a feather touch and hone them to a razor's edge that is a pleasure to use.

The 'on-the-bar' guides or grinders can be OK if you are a 'one-chain' kind of guy (male or female), but you have to stop work each time. Also, don't forget to flip your bar over each time you sharpen, regardless if the same chain remains on the saw, or your bar will wear unevenly.

The Dremel tool, and it's 12-volt cousins can also work for you, if you feel comfortable with them. I get a little concerned that the diameter of the stones change as they wear, which affects the size and shape of the gullet on the cutting tooth.

If you do file by hand, or use one of the Dremel-type tools, I recommend that you have it ground on an electric wheel-type grinder every 3rd or 4th sharpening to get all of the teeth back to the same size and angles.

 

[ktm rider]

You are correct..... excuze moi !
Some of us howver are near LUDDITES. Some technology is good, some is NRFPTD (Not ready for prime time dear). I LIKE to hand file out in the field. For example: I do not like to go to a store to hear innane pap--always loud on cell phones . How do so many have so little to say....can you say "DUMBING DOWN" ?
And the greatest tool for sharpening since sliced bananas is the Pferd. Can you believe, no digital camera here for a jpeg of the tool in action. Luddite !Look it up in Bailey's. You'll never use anything else
There, I'm outed . "Don't ask don't tell", William Jefferson Clintonopcorn:

O.K. I give up. WHat in the world is a "LUDDITE"??

 

[Philbert]

2-Cycle Luddite?

Er,

So what is a Luddite doing with a highly engineered, gasoline consuming, internal combustion, magnesium housed, areospace plastic and alloy, safety featured chainsaw? Why not a stone axe, or at least a cross cut saw?

 

[hornett22]

don't get me wrong,i still file in the field.

the trick with hand filling is keeping a good sharp file.they do wear out.a box of them is cheap though.i also recommend a file cleaning brush.snaop on used to sell them but my dealer couldn't find one.i found one in a local hardware store.was probably sitting there for years.the guy that worked there asked me what it was.

i tried that electric thing a ma jig.seemed cheesy to me.and alot more work than filling. maybe the stihl ones come with better stones than the oregon ones.