Hand filing problem

[Hunt4lumber]

I filed my chain at 35 degrees recently with a file guide on a chain that had always just been done by hand with no guide and now I cannot get it to cut very well what are some things that I'm overlooking? It took a buyout 12 Strokes her tooth to get this chain corrected back to 35 degrees after hand filing a few times with no guide but now it has a hard time cutting at all

 

[GrassGuerilla]

Pics please? Since you're several sharpenings in, have you checked raker height? And 12 strokes per tooth isn't a lot to have to correct from bad angles. The clearest, closest pics you can get will tell the tale.

 

[Marshy]

If you took 12 strokes and didn't adjust your rakers then that's your problem.

 

[cus_deluxe]

Pics of chain would be rad, but im with marshy in guessing your depth gauges are the issue or at least part of the issue. What sort of chain? 12 swipes with a file for me would be about 3-4 touch-ups, and one or two light touch-ups of the depth gauges. I do not grind any of my chains ever (unless they are TOTALLY f-ed)

 

[gunnusmc03]

Sounds like the depth gauges need to be lowered.

 

[Hunt4lumber]

Here's a pic of chain, will post more after this one.

 

[Andyshine77]

12 swipes is an awful lot with a good file. Are you letting your chains get extremely dull? I don't know what you're cutting, but for most types of wood, 25° to 30° is more than enough angle, I find 35° to be too aggressive and doesn't hold an edge very long.

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[Chainsaw10]

Looks like too big of a file, you have no hook at all....cutter is leaning back

 

[Mad Professor]

OMG! It one of those stinking safety chains with the triple humped camel for rakers. Get out the grinder and set the raker height. I'd not try it on one of those with a file

 

[Philbert]

As noted, it looks like you need to take down the depth gauges, a bit, and also trim the 'tails' of those low kickback bumpers to match. They are keeping the cutting edges from fully contacting the wood. The 'witness' lines show you the maximum amount that STIHL recommends you remove, but use a depth gauge tool to measure accurately, and take them down to at least 0.025". Despite other comments you will read, these chains will cut adequately for general firewood, etc. if properly sharpened.



The depth gauges need to be adjusted periodically, since the height of cutter drops as it is filed or ground back. This issue would have occurred no matter how you sharpened the cutters, or what angle you chose.



Philbert

 

[Andyshine77]

In the pic you can see the depth gauges haven't been touched. That safety chain really needs to go in the garbage IMHO, you'd be much happier with a better chain.

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[GrassGuerilla]

As noted, angle looks overly aggressive, and appears to be lacking hook. Possibly too large a file? I've made those chains cut well enough by taking the triple hump to a bench grinder all the way down to the witness marks. Then just worry about the rakers as you file down the teeth .

 

[Hunt4lumber]

OK, thanks for all input guys.
It's a .325 chain and I used a 3/16 round file by hand, but wasn't sure how to adjust rackers cuz there so many...
It's a chain I inherited from my dad's old saw so maybe I'll just hang her up to remind me of how not to file a chain or maybe I'll use it for stump/ dirty work and try to fix it up a bit, thanks fellas!

 

[Philbert]

It's an easy thing to 'fix', and something that needs to be done on any / every chain.

Philbert

 

[strtspdlx]

It's an easy thing to 'fix', and something that needs to be done on any / every chain.

Philbert

Philbert knows his stuff. And to reiterate his point of you have less knowledge on chains this may be the perfect one too learn on. I went through atleast 6-7 used chains before I figured out how to properly sharpen one. And I still constantly change it up to see what it does.

 

[Gypo Logger]

When you look at the cutter it appears the file hasn't even touched under the top plate. The rakers are too high and I suspect the chain also leans too much side to side in the bar groove.
Also with a bench grinder and some dexterity you could grind off those safety humps.
As others have suggested, a new chain is in order, such as a good chisel chain of the correct gauge.

 

[heyduke]

OK, thanks for all input guys.
It's a .325 chain and I used a 3/16 round file by hand, but wasn't sure how to adjust rackers cuz there so many...
It's a chain I inherited from my dad's old saw so maybe I'll just hang her up to remind me of how not to file a chain or maybe I'll use it for stump/ dirty work and try to fix it up a bit, thanks fellas!

my friend, there is no easy way to fix that chain. it's the worst type of safety chain with rococo tie straps. you could file for a month and it still won't cut right. get yourself a new chain without all the extra stuff sticking up above the cutters. then you can learn to sharpen them. here is a modern safety chain (low-kickback) .325 oregon 95vpx:

do you notice that it doesn't have all the extra steel crap? it's still a POS and a pain in the ass to lower the depth gauges but at least it can be done. on your current chain you could start tonight and your grand children would have to take over for you after they found you collapsed over your work and you still wouldn't know how to file a chain.

if you look, you might find a carlton chain that has no low-kickback features - baileysonline.com - that would be easy to maintain but as we all know that is near certain death and must be avoided.