Looking for users of Dremel type chain sharpeners

[HandLogger]

I was just watching this video showing Pete in The Great White North using his Princess Auto "Dremel Type" chain sharpener. Considering that we now have a 16-year old pile of used chain in our shop -- as well as the price of new chain -- I believe that it's time to find an efficient way to both sharpen chain and restore our rocked-out chain.

As Pete seems very pleased with his Princess Auto Dremel Clone sharpener, I was hoping to find out a few things about this type of sharpener. First, we do own a couple of Dremel tools, so I'm looking for recommendations on which type of attachment works well. I'm also interested in learning more about the sharpening bits themselves. Is there a type to avoid and, just as importantly, is there a preferred brand and/or type?

As we've never had an electric sharpener of any stamp, I'd love to read anything helpful about them, in general. For instance, if Dremel isn't the way to go, I'd love to learn a better way.

Thank you kindly for your time.

 

[Mad Professor]

I've used them, but I still hand file. Get the best bits you can afford, diamond.

 

[Yukon Stihl]

I use one…
I also use grinders
And hand file
Learn what each part of the chain does and what a sharp chain looks like.
Myself I get good results with all of them

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Waste of time and $, imo.
tried um…
long, long time ago…

 

[Dennisthemenace]

I had something similar to a Dremel and stone many years ago but soon put it in the bin. Unless you know what you are doing one small miscalculation and you end up taking too much off.
And if you know what you are doing you might as well use a file

 

[cookies]

I use a dremel w/ a oregon brand stone bits sometimes to grind out excessive gullets. Someone gave me several packs of them awhile back. Here is what I found, the stones wear down a little quickly, they remove material at a decent speed leaving the tooth looking about like it was filed, the stones seem to not overheat the chisels when removing lots of material but do seem to clog if leaned on to rapidly remove material so do not push them. For the odd single chain its fine but If I were sharpening multiple in one sitting a bolt down bench style or even automated would be my choice.

 

[Brushpile]

I've used an old one my uncle gave me years ago. Doesn't plug in, has battery clamps on it so you can use it off your truck out in the woods. Just a quick touch is all it takes. Haven't used it many times and still prefer hand filing.

 

[SteveSr]

I have a 12v Oregon version that I use occasionally but mostly hand file. The good thing is that they can be setup to match your file. being a PM brush motor they can also be reversed by switching the leads to provide the correct cutting direction (away from the edge). These are also not good about removing large amounts of material to remove genuine rock damage. If you get one of these also make sure that the collet runs true. Mine didn't and I had to get Oregon to send me a replacement.

I also have a genuine AC powered Dremel tool. I tried their chainsaw sharpening attachment and found that the rotation is the wrong direction. The rotation runs towards the edge. If you are not careful or the stone isn't quite round/true the stone will tend to try to jump over the sharpened edge ruining it. I took mine back for this reason. YMMV.

 

[NSEric]

I use mine half the time.
I bought bits for my regular dremel, they were cheap.
I have a bit of arthritis in my hands and if I file a lot it hurts my hands, I can sharpen with the dremel for long stretches without issue tho.

 

[huskihl]

They work well for the most part. They will jump over the top plate of the tooth but it’s easy enough to hold it with 2 hands and prevent it. They work really well for removing high spots down by the tie straps left by previous sharpening attempts, where it’s difficult to remove sharp bumps with a round file

 

[lwmibc]

Tried just about everything including chain grinder, and ended up hand filing--but being sure to always use a sharp file. I finally found out that the trick is to get the cutting edges of the tooth looking like a knife edge is the important goal, and that a file still does that most quickly and accurately. Once mastered its actually relaxing.

But I admit it took me a long time to learn that. I also found with the Dremel type sharpeners the the bits wear rapidly; gets expensive compared to a file. And a file doesn't temper the teeth.

 

[j-jock]

I was just watching this video showing Pete in The Great White North using his Princess Auto "Dremel Type" chain sharpener. Considering that we now have a 16-year old pile of used chain in our shop -- as well as the price of new chain -- I believe that it's time to find an efficient way to both sharpen chain and restore our rocked-out chain.

As Pete seems very pleased with his Princess Auto Dremel Clone sharpener, I was hoping to find out a few things about this type of sharpener. First, we do own a couple of Dremel tools, so I'm looking for recommendations on which type of attachment works well. I'm also interested in learning more about the sharpening bits themselves. Is there a type to avoid and, just as importantly, is there a preferred brand and/or type?

As we've never had an electric sharpener of any stamp, I'd love to read anything helpful about them, in general. For instance, if Dremel isn't the way to go, I'd love to learn a better way.

Thank you kindly for your time.

Years ago, I bought a Sears chain grinder that used the same tools that can also be used in a Dremel. It doesn't turn as rapidly, I use a diamond stone, and it does a beautiful job. I have a jig that came with the grinder, that is just a plate that mounts to grind each tooth to the same depth. I don't use it when I am out in the bush, I use a hand file and a jig 3/8 ths and .404 marketed by Husqvarna.
The only thing when using a grinder to sharpen the chain, is to not overheat the teeth when you are grinding, or you take the temper out of them, and they will dull more quickly.
Like with everything else, it is a matter of technique.

 

[spuldup]

I have used 3 models. 1- an Amazon brand called Sharp Pebble. 2 - dremel brand from 20 years ago 3- Newer Ryobi rotary tool with flexible shaft (like a foredom).

Found the sharp pebble to be the best for me. Used several types of grinding stones as well. You must use the full face evenly or they will grind unevenly across all chain links. Light, even pressure or the abrasive will fly off. Give it time, just a few seconds, to cool between teeth. Each one only lasts for 70 or so links depending on how bad the chain was. I cut a lot of fence row stuff so the chains tend to find metal. Sometimes it takes 2 stones for one chain. I hold it with slight upward pressure under the tooth edge and don't have problems with over grinding the gullet or running over the tooth edge.

The process is about 3 times faster than hand filing and easier on my imminent carpal tunnel. It does take a bit more metal off the tooth than hand filing. As with everything your mileage may vary.

 

[vtfireman85]

FIL has one, I do not care for them, many of the stones will reduce in size as they wear, it also has a tendency to burn the tooth, if you overheat the tooth it loses its temper ans dulls more easily. These are aimed at people who don’t know how to file, and don’t want to buy a proper grinder. All it does is allow them to screw up a chain faster and more effectively. Save your money and buy a real grinder. Even a Timbertuff knockoff or similar is worlds better than one of these.

 

[Billhook]

I work with someone who used to take his chainsaw to a chainsaw shop to be sharpened. He watched me use my Oregon Suresharp which I have used since 1996 with diamond bits. We go into the woods with a Teleporter forklift and I have bolted a small vice at eyelevel on the front mudguard to hold the saw. The dust created even in the very short bursts if grinding, maybe only a second or two to avoid detempering, means safety glasses are a must.
We have the same Stihl saws with the same length bar and he noticed that mine was cutting better than his. So I suggested that he tries a hand file which did improve his cut but took ages and as I am paying him by the hour, I took over and did his for him.
As Spuldup says, it is about three times faster and needs a technique which gives the upward pressure at the end to finish the edge. You need to be at eye level in good outside light to study what is happening.
He also has a pole saw with a micro picco chain and they were charging him the same amount as a new chain to sharpen it! I found some 3.2mm, 1/8" bits on the web and do that for him as well

 

[aokpops]

I used a Dremel for decades I have diamond stones the trick I started a few years back was use honing oil the small chain I can sharpen now. I use to hand file my hands would hurt about one file to one sharpen was all I got. Then you need to sharpen the file

 

[billyboy]

Used a dremel for 15-20 years. Lowest speed with light upward pressure,, count one thousand one, one thousand two, etc. for each tooth. I also use a chunk of wood held on the bar with 30 degree marked angles, left and right, so I can do both sides of chain as I go around the chain on the saw at operating tension. Have never burned a cutter. Makes chips for me. When my bigger stones, 3/8, 325 get wore down I have put a caliper on them and used them on smaller chain. I’m not a production cutter and not too anal retentive about sharpening. I use semi chisel. You can get a cheap converter to run off your truck or whatever to sharpen in the wild. I use a file on the rakers.

 

[user 122190]

Long time ago, when I was figuring things out, I tried the Demel. Meh -- Not impressed. Prompted me to buy an Oregon Clone grinder. That was great, at the time. Then following the natural progression of this sort of thing, I learned to hand file. Done!

If you can, skip all the front end stuff and learn to hand file. Tricky to learn, or so it seemed at the time, but in hind sight it wasn't that bad.

 

[HandLogger]

I'm an old vet with bad hands, folks, so, considering the pile we've collected over the past 16 or so years, a machine is pretty much a requirement. As some of the chains in the pile have been rocked out in our glacial till, a bench grinder may be the way to go.

I get on the interwebs, from time to time, to read up on bench type sharpeners and it would really seem that the older precision sharpeners -- i.e., Silvey and Simington -- are no longer made, so it's pretty much a give it to the guys you once fought against (Asian) stuff now. This thread started out with a discussion about Dremel-type handheld grinders, but I'm open to read about bench grinders as well.

Once again, thank you kindly for your time fellas

 

[huskihl]

I'm an old vet with bad hands, folks, so, considering the pile we've collected over the past 16 or so years, a machine is pretty much a requirement. As some of the chains in the pile have been rocked out in our glacial till, a bench grinder may be the way to go.

I get on the interwebs, from time to time, to read up on bench type sharpeners and it would really seem that the older precision sharpeners -- i.e., Silvey and Simington -- are no longer made, so it's pretty much a give it to the guys you once fought against (Asian) stuff now. This thread started out with a discussion about Dremel-type handheld grinders, but I'm open to read about bench grinders as well.

Once again, thank you kindly for your time fellas

Tecomec/Oregon is in Italy. So not as bad