Chain sharpening, how precise do I need to be?

[Foxfire]

I'm just cutting firewood for myself. You could say I'm a bit more than a weekend warrior who has cut his oil bill in half and wants to cut it more. I got myself a file-n-joint and so far it's way better than what I can do by hand. I have been using the depth stop rather than counting my strokes in an effort to get my chains back to uniform. I have noticed that file is not parallel to the guide bar. So the file may contact the cutter tooth at the beginning of the stoke and not at the end of it or vice versa depended how I have it setup. I'm new to sharpening chains and I tend to over worry about things that need don't need worrying.

If my angles are good and the teeth are sharp how much do I need to worry about the length of the teeth matching? Is within a 1/32" too muc, good enough, or am I wasting my time worrying about anything under 1/16"?

I can fix the jig and make everything parallel but do I need to? Would my time be better spent just counting my strokes?

 

[Philbert]

I got myself a file-n-joint and so far it's way better than what I can do by hand. . . . the file may contact the cutter tooth at the beginning of the stoke and not at the end of it or vice versa depended how I have it setup.

If my angles are good and the teeth are sharp how much do I need to worry about the length of the teeth matching?

Depends on how fussy you are. For some guys, if it is cutting wood, that is good enough.

The key goals in sharpening chain are:
- getting both cutting edges (top and side) sharp;
- getting every cutter on a loop the same.

Some guys obsess over angles - e.g. whether a cutter is filed at 28 versus 30 degrees. As I understand it this may make a theoretical difference, but not something that most guys will notice in general cutting. However, if your cutters are not the same, that can lead to rougher cuts, more vibration, and less efficient cutting. This is especially noticeable when one side (say the right) is filed different from the other (say the left) and the saw tries to cut a curve.

If you look closely at a cutter from the side, you will see that the top plate is angled. If some cutters are longer than others, they will also be taller. Similarly, if you look closely at a cutter from above you will see that they project to the sides, creating a kerf that is wider than the bar. If some cutters are longer than others, they will stick out farther. So it is best if they are all the same. You can decide how close is close enough.

Your 'File-N-Joint' is a great tool for making your cutters consistent. It can be a little fussy to set up until you get the feel of it. If the file is not touching the cutter for the full length of the stroke something is not adjusted correctly in your set up. Hard to diagnose exactly without seeing it. But a great filing jig once you get the hang of it. Sharp, identical cutters will let you know you have it right.

Philbert

 

[demc570]

listen to these guys on here,they know there stuff.before i joined this site i hand filed my chains just using a file no guide,it did ok,but once i joined this site,my chain sharpening changed to a whole different outlook..for the better! i tried aot of different things,til i found what works for me,which was the plain old sthil guide file holder with angle right on top,wow this made my chains cut alot better,then learned to file the rackers down a smige,which also helped,heck some guys including myself never thought to file the rackers,just was never tault or understood.as far as angle i try to keep them as perfect as i can,and also tooth size,i dont measure them,just eyeball them.next thing that makes big difference keep chain out of dirt,and i also resharen or touch up chain after every tank of fuel,and if i cant or dont have time to do it in the woods,i carry extra chains to use and sharpen when get home,this makes keeping the chain sharpening easy,other people i know will run the chain past dull,and makes it a pain or takes longer to get it back in shape,whil hand file....so what i learned so far on this site
i no expert,but things i learned from this site and others to help me,might help you.....these are only a few,off top of my head.
A=learn best method you like to use to file,that works well
B=file the rackers,not file them off,but use a gauge to measure them
C=resharpen after every tank of fuel especially if hand filing,which is all i do
d=keep chain out of dirt,ice,sand,water
E=carry extra chains,i carry 3 for each bar and saw
f=keep bar oil topped off,no bar oil= dull chain fast,and hard on saw.
NEXT
-dont drop trees in wind
-wear safty protection
-take a buddy if you can,or tell some one were you be,and when you be back
-dont keep your head over the bar to to watch what your cutting,keep head to the side.
-dont walk with saw running without chain brake on
take wedges,pry bar,a extra saw or bar if you can
-cant hooks or peavy to roll the log
-if you get tired-stop and rest,i notice when i get tired i do stupid things
----be safe

 

[Foxfire]

I got the file-n-joint after reading one of your threads. I like it a lot and don't think you can beat it for the money.

I guess my question should've simply been, how precise do I need to be to not put my saws through any unnecessary stress? And I guess the answer would be, if I'm getting good smooth cuts using 1/32" as a max variable then I'm good.

I may as well try to true up the square guide bar on the file-n-joint so I don't even have to think about it.

 

[Philbert]

I generally sharpen (file, grind, whatever) the teeth on one side of the chain, then a single cutter on the other side. Then I grab the far end of the loop and pull up a cutter from the first side, hold it 'back-to-back' with the one I just sharpened, and adjust for the rest of the cutters. So I don't actually measure, but eyeball them.

Philbert

 

[Foxfire]

I knew I was over doing it. My first clue should've that counting your strokes is good generally good enough. My poor eyeball always gets pushed aside for a tape or ruler.

Thanks for the replies guys...

 

[woodchuck357]

In competition, the microscopic difference in the way a sharp chain with the cutters exactly the same length over just a sharp chain, may count. In wood cutting you or your saw won't know the difference. However this is the hot saw forum, so most of the posters are looking for ANY edge.

 

[CTYank]

I'm just cutting firewood for myself. You could say I'm a bit more than a weekend warrior who has cut his oil bill in half and wants to cut it more. I got myself a file-n-joint and so far it's way better than what I can do by hand. I have been using the depth stop rather than counting my strokes in an effort to get my chains back to uniform. I have noticed that file is not parallel to the guide bar. So the file may contact the cutter tooth at the beginning of the stoke and not at the end of it or vice versa depended how I have it setup. I'm new to sharpening chains and I tend to over worry about things that need don't need worrying.

If my angles are good and the teeth are sharp how much do I need to worry about the length of the teeth matching? Is within a 1/32" too muc, good enough, or am I wasting my time worrying about anything under 1/16"?

I can fix the jig and make everything parallel but do I need to? Would my time be better spent just counting my strokes?

Dunno what you mean about the out of parallel bit. If you mean the file and the rectangular and cylindrical bars, a wee smack with a chuck of tubafore should do.

I've found that with the Granberg guide, there's NO problem with significant variation in cutter length.
Being slightly obsessive myself, though, now that I've a grinder, that easy to rectify.

Cutting clean wood, touching up the cutters a stroke or two (honest) every couple of tanks is all it takes with the File-N-Joint to keep them razor-sharp. Practice, practice, practice.

 

[w8ye]

It might surprise you to measure a brand new, never run name brand chain.

You will likely find a difference of .030" between one tooth's length on one side of the chain and one on the other side of the chain.

Typically there is a cutter length difference of teeth on one side of the chain.

I have found a 5 degree difference in top plate angle between one side and the other side.