Hand Filing - Just Give It A Go

[Stevo Bambino]

I do not have that much experience sharpening chainsaws, so teach me. What are the problems with the 2 in 1 files? I have one and it seems to work well for what I use it for. Basically I touch up the chain with it before I use the saw. One or two strokes per tooth, and as consistent as I can. I have never used the saw more than one tank of fuel in a day. I have never hit a rock or anything yet. The 025 my uncle gave me came with a chain that had hit a rock and I still have not gotten all the teeth sharp. But that chain is an old safety chain that my 2 in 1 will not work with so I have been trying to do that by hand, mimicing what the 2 in 1 does.

I grew up helping my grandpa cut fire wood. He always said "one tank is enough for one day." Of course he was in his 70's and 80's at the time. But I have found it to be good advice since I am not making a living of using the saw, just property maintenance.

 

[Philbert]

I have one and it seems to work well for what I use it for.

The 2-In-1 works fine for most people. It creates a basic, sharp cutter profile. It does not allow for much customization, which is what some posters are commenting on.

But that chain is an old safety chain that my 2 in 1 will not work with

Got a picture of that chain? It should work with most chains that are not skip tooth.

Philbert

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

The 2-in-1 is fine for a casual user who understands what it's supposed to do -- and understands its nuances and limitations. Main thing is you have to use it if you actually have one. It does attempt to adjust the rakers as you file a tooth which other methods don't. Most home owners using a 2-in-1 wouldn't otherwise even know what a raker is, let alone that it needs to be filed according to the characteristics of the tooth preceding it. That's the main feature of a 2-in1. Main consideration with the 2-in-1 is to periodically turn the round file so it doesn't load up and flip the flat file occasionally as well. And keep filing a tooth until it's sharp.

Keep at the hand filing on that other chain using a sharp (and correct size) file. Don't worry about counting strokes or measuring anything. Just keep filing until you're getting sharp teeth. You can adjust those safety rakers afterward.

 

[Stevo Bambino]

The double humped link held the 2 in 1 up too high.

 

[Karrl]

My problem with my 2 in 1, and most other guides is that it rides too high in the tooth. This wasn’t an issue when I first bought it but now it’s kinda useless for me. Might just need a new flat file or maybe I bent it a little. Either way I’m over it and sticking with free handing my files.

SteveBambino you should try grabbing a fresh file and just filing away at that safety chain until it can cut your finger, but try to avoid that. Big thing I learned about sharpening is not to count strokes and to just sharpen until it’s sharp. After that a flat file and progressive raker gauge are your friends. If you can hit your chain 3 times and get good results then keep it up but for me counting is pointless.

 

[Philbert]

The double humped link held the 2 in 1 up too high.

Thanks.

I have not personally tried it on that chain. The rectangular file should adjust that depth gauge, unless, perhaps, you are starting out with it excessively high (just speculating here).

Going back to the limits of the 2-In-1 guide, it’s probably better to ‘maintain’ a chain, than to bring back one that is really out of whack.

Philbert

 

[Okie]

SEE post #35

About file guides that causes the file to be too high on the cutter tooth due to the type of guide that rests on the top of a raker.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

she’ll cut eh ?

Was sorta waiting for one of the "been square filing for 20 years" guys to chime in, but since none have...

And I'm hardly an experienced square hand-filer, but I am a hand-filer and have a pretty good understanding of saw chain and how square ground chisel chain is supposed to look and function. (And I'm talking work chain, not race chain.) And not to crack too hard on Squareground's examples, but they do require a comment or two, at least IMHO. Square filing is not easy. Getting precise at it takes a lot of practice. I get that.

But as a general observation here on the examples previously provided, and for any aspiring square filers out there following this thread, that chain is gonna run out of tie strap and drive link before it runs out of file-able tooth with such an excessively aggressive approach. And way more material than necessary is being sacrificed attempting to get a square profile edge. The pics below provide slightly more realistic examples even though the bottom one is also right on the verge of being a bit deep itself. It still has the proper angles and profile and is what square ground (or filed) chain should look like. Both chains below are precision ground, not filed.

Better to start out easy and not go hog wild. You can keep taking a little off at a time until you find the sweet angles. Ya can't put the metal back and start over after going too far.

​

 

[Squareground3691]

Hand filed

 

[Squareground3691]

Hand filed

 

[Squareground3691]

That’s the pile of chips that chain produced

 

[Okie]

Question about sq filing.
I'm not familiar with sq filing and have not re-searched such.
It appears in the pictures that the cutter is lower than the raker, especially the leading front edge of the cutter.

What is the main purpose/intent of sq filed chains? Like maybe stay sharp longer in hardwoods or ?????

 

[Squareground3691]

Faster cutting than round chain

 

[Okie]

Faster cutting than round chain

In the pic's is the leading edge lower than the raker or just misleading picture?

 

[Squareground3691]

Just the angle of pic and raker isn’t hit yet till after sharpening

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

That’s the pile of chips that chain produced

I never said it wouldn't cut, but that saw would still make chips with a dull chain on backwards.

Point was, that chain has maybe one more sharpening left with the way it's being filed.

 

[Squareground3691]

Angular file corrections for tooth wear there’s a few more filing for sure .

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Angular file corrections...

I'd be starting with this one.

​

 

[Squareground3691]

As an example of a hand filed chain for people wondering what a file would look like ,is it perfect by no means just an example

 

[Jeekinz]

View attachment 874991View attachment 874989View attachment 874990

What brand files are you using?