Chain sharpening. What's your favorite method?

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Den

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Myself, I always used a round handheld file, and occasionally took a flat file to the raker's. Never really felt like I was getting the optimum performance from the chain. It would be nice to have a more precise method.
I'd been thinking about getting an electric chain grinder, or maybe one of those jigs to set up on the guide bar. An attempt to get a more accurate end result.
What's your favorite method in-the-field, or at home on the work bench? Pics would be welcomed.
There's a guy on youtube called "Farmcraft101", No nonsense guide to chainsaw sharpening. Seems pretty good.

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I hand filed chains until a week ago when I got a bench-mounted grinder, there's no going back. I can get a badly rocked full comp 36 inch chain reground in the time it takes to hand file a lightly rocked 24 inch skip chain. In the field I'd still use a file, but for anything else I'll grind it and hand file the rakers.
 
Round file with a guide for round chisel. Flat file with a gauge for depth gauges. I had to file a loop for a 25” bar that was badly rocked which had me looking at a grinder. It took about an hour and I had to remove 1/3 the cutter length, but right now time is free and a grinder is a few hundred at least. I don’t cut that much; maybe one day that will change.
 
Hand filing is a learned skill like anything else, and will produce the best results once you get it all figured out plus it removes the minimum amount of material for longer service life.

I have a chain grinder but don't use it unless I hit something that completely trashes the chain and it simply takes too much work with a file to get it back where it needs to be.

I do NOT sharpen or replace chains in the field. I simply take a minimum of 5 saws along for any outing and run them till they are either out of fuel or the chain gets dull. After each outing they all get basic maintenance, touch-up the chains with a file, fuel, oil, grease the roller nose and ready to go back to work.

I've been cutting firewood since the mid-1970's and currently cut around 75-100 cords a year with my brother and nephew as we heat three large homes with outdoor boilers. For the first 10 years or so I used a file guide, then started free-handing them and pretty good at it. Recently we tried to add a few carbide chains to the mix as we encounter some skidded/dirty wood since a lot of it is left over from logging operations. Not overly fond of them but they do stay sharp a lot longer than standard chains in that environment. Mixed results trying to file them with diamond coated files and whether you grind them or file them they just don't cut as fast as traditional chains.

While on the topic I'd recommend for folks to avoid "off-brand", low quality and any off-shore "rice" chains that are currently being sold. I've had a few show up with bar/chain combo's I've purchased and they are horrible, and break without warning. Same thing with bars. My favorite are Windsor and Oregon and they will last for many years if you keep your chains sharp, basic maintenance, etc.......Cliff
 
Hand filing is a learned skill like anything else, and will produce the best results once you get it all figured out plus it removes the minimum amount of material for longer service life.

I have a chain grinder but don't use it unless I hit something that completely trashes the chain and it simply takes too much work with a file to get it back where it needs to be.

I do NOT sharpen or replace chains in the field. I simply take a minimum of 5 saws along for any outing and run them till they are either out of fuel or the chain gets dull. After each outing they all get basic maintenance, touch-up the chains with a file, fuel, oil, grease the roller nose and ready to go back to work.

I've been cutting firewood since the mid-1970's and currently cut around 75-100 cords a year with my brother and nephew as we heat three large homes with outdoor boilers. For the first 10 years or so I used a file guide, then started free-handing them and pretty good at it. Recently we tried to add a few carbide chains to the mix as we encounter some skidded/dirty wood since a lot of it is left over from logging operations. Not overly fond of them but they do stay sharp a lot longer than standard chains in that environment. Mixed results trying to file them with diamond coated files and whether you grind them or file them they just don't cut as fast as traditional chains.

While on the topic I'd recommend for folks to avoid "off-brand", low quality and any off-shore "rice" chains that are currently being sold. I've had a few show up with bar/chain combo's I've purchased and they are horrible, and break without warning. Same thing with bars. My favorite are Windsor and Oregon and they will last for many years if you keep your chains sharp, basic maintenance, etc.......Cliff
Theres a learning curve to using a grinder properly, between not heating the cutter up, profile, and material removed. Once you get it down it's a lot faster then hand filing a chain, and the consistancy is far ahead of most people's hand filing.
 
I hand file in the field. Grind on a Tecomec super jolly at home, unless it just needs a touch up, then I'll gladly file it, either by clamping the bar in a vise or in my chain vise if the chain is already off.

For depth gauges I use a Carlton file-o-plate and a dremel with a sanding wheel. I don't mind filing cutters, but doing the depth gauges by hand feels like a waste of time and unnecessary discomfort for my hand.
 
Hand-file, no-guide, bar on saw, no vice. No drama, cut wood.

If I rock a chain badly, it takes several aggressive sharpenings to recover. Those are the only times I think a grinder might be handy for me, but that will never happen. I don't see a real need whatsoever for me.
 
Hand-file, no-guide, bar on saw, no vice. No drama, cut wood.

If I rock a chain badly, it takes several aggressive sharpenings to recover. Those are the only times I think a grinder might be handy for me, but that will never happen. I don't see a real need whatsoever for me.

I agree, 100%

I now go to greater lengths to NOT make contact with the ground. Last year, I hit metal on a very very large tree on what was a brand new chain. Took a lot of work to get it serviceable again. In hindsight, it might have been better to just toss the chain. But it happens so rarely, that having to buy a grinder is not in the plans. Maybe one of those real cheap Harbor Freights.
 
I hand filed chains until a week ago when I got a bench-mounted grinder, there's no going back. I can get a badly rocked full comp 36 inch chain reground in the time it takes to hand file a lightly rocked 24 inch skip chain. In the field I'd still use a file, but for anything else I'll grind it and hand file the rakers.
I have heard of few people to even suggest what you are saying has any merit. I would say the exact opposite. It has been said more than once and if it works for you then it is the best by far. On a 30'' bar with 404 it will take me up to 30 minutes of messing around to be back running. Rarely do I really hurry and yes I do not enjoy the process. I will take a sip of coffee throw the toy for the dog watch some birds fight and then take a few strokes with the file and then maybe I am done. To take a chain off and put a chain back on it will take ten minutes while making some adjustments. Once you have a dozen dull chains you have to stop because what else. Thanks
 

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I agree, 100%

I now go to greater lengths to NOT make contact with the ground. Last year, I hit metal on a very very large tree on what was a brand new chain. Took a lot of work to get it serviceable again. In hindsight, it might have been better to just toss the chain. But it happens so rarely, that having to buy a grinder is not in the plans. Maybe one of those real cheap Harbor Freights.
Dont be buying a cheap Harbor Freight grinder, at least get a Oregon clone from the fleet stores or northen tool for around $100 or Ebay even cheaper. Steve
 
Theres a learning curve to using a grinder properly, between not heating the cutter up, profile, and material removed. Once you get it down it's a lot faster then hand filing a chain, and the consistancy is far ahead of most people's hand filing.

Yes a grinder is way faster and more consistence plus I'll bet I take less of the tooth than hand filing . Steve
 
I only take my chains off of my saws to change them, or turn the bar over. I sharpen everything with a vise that I put on the tailgate of my Mule, or pickup. I can touch up a 20-inch chain in a short time and it gives me a bit of a break from cutting. Chains will not last as long using a grinder on them, as they will hand-filed. Whatever works, go for it, but I will never use a grinder. It is too easy to hand file a chain.
 
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