I free hand my chains all the time when I'm in the woods cutting. I don't have any problem with what the guy is doing, other than I file 'inside out'. It's better to touch them up free hand when they start to lost their edge than to let them go until they are beyond dull because you are waiting to get back to the bench where the file guide or bench grinder is kept.
I don't think he's doing real bad & his saw probably will cut ok. He should have a way to keep the bar secure & use both hands on the file to hold a better angle. I think inside to out works better on round ground & round file.
by the way, the only way to properly sharpen a full chisel point chain is with a flat beveled edge file from the outside in at a high angle- look at the teeth before you run the chain for the first time.
Maybe I'm wrong on my line of thinking, but when I hand sharpen a chain I don't worry to much about getting every tooth the exact same length as long as the angles are right & the depth/rakers are at the right height for each tooth. Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm sure someone will)Only thing I'd add to his explanation would be to check for any damaged teeth,then count the number of file strokes to repair that one,and use that as your count for the rest
Terrible method. There is no way to be consistent the way this moron is filing. I file at 25 degrees with saws bar in a vise. File is tilted up about 5 degrees and I file in the opposite direction as this guy. I always have the rakers 30 thou below the cutter and make sure to maintain equal and adequate hook. This results in a smooth and aggressive chain for the wood on the West coast. Still, ground chain kicks butt on anything but most homeowners don't own a Silvey grinder.
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