Sharpening after hitting a rock.

[SpacemanSpiff23]

I hit a rock while cutting a stump lower to the ground. The thing is, I only dulled the teeth on one side of the chain, but I got them really good. If I sharpen the teeth that were damaged and get them usable again, do I need to take the same amount off the teeth on the other side? Or is it ok if one side of the chain has longer teeth than the other?

 

[big hank]

You need to take the same amount of strokes off each side. Otherwise the chain will cut crooked and bind in the cut

 

[atpchas]

Purists will tell you to make all the teeth the same length, pragmatists will say to just make sure the raker clearances are the same on both sides. Without seeing the chain, I'm undecided which side to sit on.

 

[holeycow]

It doesn't matter whatsoever that the teeth are equal length, only that their profile is similar and that the bite is fairly equal as controlled by the rakers.

fix your chain, don't worry about equal length and you will see.

obviously sharpen both sides

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

No, it makes no practical difference having different length teeth for firewood, set the depth gauge to each tooth with a progressive depth gauge tool.
A test video I did cutting Aussi hard wood -

 

[SpacemanSpiff23]

It doesn't matter whatsoever that the teeth are equal length, only that their profile is similar and that the bite is fairly equal as controlled by the rakers.

fix your chain, don't worry about equal length and you will see.

obviously sharpen both sides

Doesn't the length of the tooth also determine the height of the tooth? It seems like having taller teeth on one side would cause only those teeth to come in contact with the wood in the cut. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

 

[Del_]

No, it makes no practical difference having different length teeth for firewood, set the depth gauge to each tooth with a progressive depth gauge tool.
A test video I did cutting Aussi hard wood -

The key being 'a progressive depth gauge tool'.

The O.P. probably doesn't know what that means.

The depth gauge being ground so the the angle of the tooth at it attacks the wood is constant on all teeth.

 

[trains]

If its not cutting straight after you have sharpened one side, then its either one side is sharper than the other, or the depth gauges are not set correctly.

chain will cut to the sharpest side, or side taking the biggest bite.

Taken many rock strikes out of chains, and if the rakers are set correctly, and both sides are sharp, it will cut well, and straight.

Let us know how you go, and post pictures, and we can go from there, lots of good info before, if you dont know what progressive depth gauges are, then a quick google will bring you up to speed.

pic of progressive raker in use.

 

[lone wolf]

It doesn't matter whatsoever that the teeth are equal length, only that their profile is similar and that the bite is fairly equal as controlled by the rakers.

fix your chain, don't worry about equal length and you will see.

obviously sharpen both sides

You are correct!

 

[Philbert]

Hitting a rock is never good for a chain. For efficiency and smooth cutting, the cutters SHOULD be all the same. However they do not have to be in order to cut.

This would be a good time to experiment, if you are so inclined. If you do not have a progressive depth gauge tool, keep filing a little more of the depth gauges on one side, until your chain cuts straight, and then see what you discover.

(And post it here!).

Philbert

 

[lone wolf]

Hitting a rock is never good for a chain. For efficiency and smooth cutting, the cutters SHOULD be all the same. However they do not have to be in order to cut.

This would be a good time to experiment, if you are so inclined. If you do not have a progressive depth gauge tool, keep filing a little more of the depth gauges on one side, until your chain cuts straight, and then see what you discover.

(And post it here!).

Philbert

I toss badly rocked ones in the trash it saves time and aggravation!

 

[Philbert]

I toss badly rocked ones in the trash it saves time and aggravation!

I put them on a grinder, even things out, and start over. But I take chain salvaging as a personal challenge!

For the OP, this can be a learning experience, if he is inquisitive.

Philbert

 

[lone wolf]

I put them on a grinder, even things out, and start over. But I take chain salvaging as a personal challenge!

For the OP, this can be a learning experience, if he is inquisitive.

Philbert

Im a Tree service time is money I just put a new one on.

 

[Mad Professor]

Im a Tree service time is money I just put a new one on.

There might be a market for those chains, if there is still life left in the cutters.

Some people have lots of time and little money, would spend time (instead of $$$) making the chains right again. If I had a grinder I'd for sure, but I've been a hand file guy since day one. My own chains I salvage for sure, the nearly wore out ones (near breaking cutters off) get a last shapening, and are saved for "stumpers".

Concerning OP. Sharpen the chain to get damage out, do a couple extra file swipes on the good side to even cutters up a little, file the rakers. The next few sharpenings , again a few more swipes on the longer cutters. The cutters will start to even out and you won't loose so much chain life.

I do the above when hand filing on "good" chains, some long cutters show up on the same side too. The chains I'm picky with on even length cutters, are the ones I mill with.

 

[atpchas]

I think I know where Philbert would be in this classic xkcd bit:
https://xkcd.com/242/
That's a compliment, btw.

 

[Philbert]

I started my “chain salvage challenge“ thread after seeing lots of damaged, but repairable, chains tossed out. As a volunteer with some storm damage groups, I had more time than $$$. I get the difference for a business.

In some cases, it was just an experiment to see if the chain could be saved. Afterwards, I can’t decide if it is worth the trouble to do it again.

If it is a common chain, and largely worn out, I will not bother. but if the rest of the chain is in good condition, or if it is something special, I will put some extra effort into it.

Even a business can consider working out “a deal“ with a local person to economically restore some of their used, damaged chains, by letting them keep half, for example. There are a lot of ‘free’ chains out there!

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/philberts-chain-salvage-challenge.245369/
Philbert

 

[sean donato]

I largely agree with Philbert. I do my best to save my chains, but if their junk they are junk. Grinder is invaluable of your saving chains. Hand filing is a total waste of time for bad damage, I have more time then money but not that much more time. I've frequently just fixed one side of the cutters and reset depth gauges on one side only with decent results. If too bad, it get resigned for stump and stupidity duty. Always need that one or two chains for such use. Best of luck whatever you decide.

 

[Jackbnimble]

I put them on a grinder, even things out, and start over. But I take chain salvaging as a personal challenge!

For the OP, this can be a learning experience, if he is inquisitive.

Philbert

I thought hitting rocks sharpened my chains

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I can see how a grinder is good for 36” chains, not looking forward to that one I have in .404 with a file…

 

[rogue60]

A chain will be at its most efficient if all all cutters are the same length.
It's to do with the SET of the cutters it's how saw chain was designed to cut at its most efficient, the same as most anything that cuts wood like Circular saws/bandsaws/ Hand saws/ Misery whip... Try setting a Hand saw teeth with different set on every tooth and see how inefficient it is..but yes true it still cuts.
With saw chain a longer cutter has more set a shorter cutter has less set the longer cutter is doing more work.
A chainsaw chains setting of all left and all right cutters is achieved by keeping the cutters all close in length as possible hand filing and a grinder does a good job at this by design.
Most people are fine having cutters all over the place different lengths it cut's that's all that matters but technically speaking it's not how chainsaw chain was designed to be sharpened.
In my experience the softer the timber the more forgiving it is having the SET of cutters on saw chain all over the place.

If someone was ever to try and out cut there mate and his saw for a bit of fun with a nice hand filed chain keeping the set the same on all left and all right cutters is a good place to start for a very efficient chain.