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How do you sharpen chain saw chain

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2014-02-17          188970


I recently bought a new chain saw and with it new determination to sharpen my own chains. I have a low price sharpener from Harbor Freight and bought a file set up from Lowes to hold angels. Not too impressed with either and too file free handed and did well it seems. I was taking them to shop to sharpen and not too impressed with theirs any more than my grinder does.

What do you find works for you?




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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
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2014-02-17          188974


Over the years I have tried several things like taking to a shop to have sharpened. Now I set my saw in a vice mark one of the teeth with a marking pen and use the indexed file to give each tooth one or at most two passes. I do this after every major cutting day. Seems to be working the best for me .... ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2014-02-18          188984


I guess I'm kind of down the middle on this one.

We have a little jig that holds the file like Dennis showed except the file rotates not back & forth and it clamps onto the saw bar.

It only takes a minute to do a whole chain once you get the hang of it and fall into a two-handed rhythm.


Best of luck. ....


Link:   Chainsaw blade sharpener.

 
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greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004
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2014-02-18          188986


I have been using the Harbor Freight electric sharpener for years with great success. Anticipating up front the high failure rate on Chinese hardware, I bought one spare sharpening wheel and an entire spare sharpener. I've never even taken either out of the box. The original is still sharpening as well as the day I bought it.

That said, I don't do this for a living. But I'd rate the HF unit as quite capable for simple homeowner use. And FWIW, I've got one of those rat-tail file guides too. Not impressed.

//greg// ....


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delsoldude
Join Date: Mar 2013
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2014-02-19          189002


Murf, where do you get that sharpener(orange) ....


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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
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2014-02-19          189004


Looks like it is from Lee Valley, I have bought from them seem good outfit. ....


Link:   LeeValley

 

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delsoldude
Join Date: Mar 2013
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2014-02-19          189014


THANKS FOR THE FOUR HUNDRED ELEVEN ....


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minimac
Join Date: Jun 2013
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2014-02-19          189015


Quote:
Originally Posted by delsoldude | view 189014
THANKS FOR THE FOUR HUNDRED ELEVEN


I think that sharpener looks well made but not worth $411 dollars ! ....


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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
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2014-02-19          189021


Greg I will try the Harbor Freight unit I have. I used it on a few chains for my old saw and had not used any of them before the saw died.

I bought the highest price file set up Lowe's had and not pleased with it. About $30 and with some use may find out it is great but right not don't like the controls.

Murf that is a neat looking unit. Dennis the site you mention does have it. Wonder why they don't use the carbide cutter it has with the electric units? ....


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kthompson
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2014-02-19          189022


I am puzzled by the comments of the $411 on a sharpener. What I saw the unit was a little over $109 and the burr (instead of a file)was 21.90 something.

....


Link:   

Click Here


 

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phred101
Join Date: Dec 2012
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2014-02-19          189033


YOU SHOULD TRY THE ROTORY FILES YOU PUT IN A DREMAL I USE THEN ON MY SAWS EASY TO SHARPEN AND THE TEETH COME OUT RAZER SHARP. ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2014-02-19          189034


One of the things I like about the rotary unit I use is that it really doesn't take much if anything off the tooth, it just spins any burr off the cutting edge and touches it up.

Those electric grinders can really take the teeth down to nothing after a few sharpenings. I think mines paid for itself many times over in extended blade life alone.

Also, since it's compact and manual it's easy to pack in along with fuel & bar oil. We usually have a spare saw or two with us anyways so the blade gets a touch up every tank of gas. In the long run it's faster and cheaper than running a dull blade and burning through a pile more gas.


Best of luck. ....


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crunch
Join Date: Jan 2007
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2014-02-20          189049


I have the $110 northern tool sharpener. I should have bought this years ago. The neighbors have also been impressed. I adjust to take minimal metal off when I use this. ....

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greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004
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2014-02-20          189050


Quote:
Originally Posted by kthompson | view 189021
Greg I will try the Harbor Freight unit I have.
Just used my Jonsered yesterday, and felt the recently sharpened chain working a little too hard. After 5 years, I guess it's time to get out the spare sharpening wheel for the HF grinder. I think the cutting edge on the original wheel has rounded with time, which has apparently altered the pitch a little. ....


Link:   Spare sharpening wheel

 

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greg_g
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2014-02-20          189051


Quote:
Originally Posted by Murf | view 189034
Those electric grinders can really take the teeth down to nothing after a few sharpenings.
Pilot error. Which is why I bought my own, and the $25 HF unit is perfectly adequate for home/farm use. I got tired of seeing hardware store clerks cut my chain life in half and burning the tips blue, all because they were too lazy (or ignorant) to adjust the machine the the chain. Now - even though I'm sharpening the same chains on the same machine - I still adjust the machine to the chain before each sharpening.

//greg// ....


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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
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2014-02-20          189061


My Dremel takes two minutes to make the chain like new.

There are marks on the chain that shows the angle. The other variable is that the Dremel must be perfectly horizontal (assuming the chain-bar is clamped in a vice perfectly vertical). So I glued a small bubble level on the Dremel. ....


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delsoldude
Join Date: Mar 2013
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2014-02-20          189063


four hundred eleven = 411 = information

on the Lee Valley page, it is $109.00 and the carbide burrs are $21.90

sorry about the confusion

yea i am a nerd ....


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crunch
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2014-02-20          189064


Greg, looks like I spent $85 too much! :)

Crunch ....


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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
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2014-02-20          189065


So am I :-)

I think I would have gotten the message if you typed 411, but you better not use that one too much longer as no one uses 411 anymore be like talking about things of the past like the Ed Sullivan Show or Red Skelton Clem Kiddlehopper !!

Like when my FIL comes over the house.... ....

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delsoldude
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2014-02-20          189066


your FIL has some awesome fashion sense! ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2014-02-20          189067


Quote:
Originally Posted by greg_g | view 189051
Pilot error. Which is why I bought my own, and the $25 HF unit is perfectly adequate for home/farm use.


Copy that!

However I like being able to pack it into the bush and use it without electricity.



Best of luck. ....


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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
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2014-02-20          189068


Quote:
Originally Posted by delsoldude | view 189066
your FIL has some awesome fashion sense!


Sadly or comically my FIL makes Clem Kiddlehopper look like a GQ model.... Unless one of his daughters buys something that is coordinated he wears plaids and stripes vertical top with horizontal mixed and ball cap that would scare lice from moving in...can afford new clothes but buys second hand at the thrift shop... has his 30 year old shoes resoled .... do not get me started....
....


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minimac
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2014-02-20          189069


Oregon filing jig that is a nuisance to set up ... discouraging frequent light touch up. I used to just touch up with file. Now use the file guide dennisctb showed. I find besides keeping the angle correct the guide forces the file up against the top of the tooth. I see a big difference with this simple file guide little material removed from chain and nice chips instead of dust when sawing IMHO ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
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2014-02-20          189075


Mimimac, that is the unit I bought. I find it not simple. But you are getting good results. So I guess I need to try it more.

As to 411, I thought saw a dollar sign there so forgive me. Yes I know what 411 means, it is the hwy that runs into hwy 410 about 34 miles from here. Ok just kidding on hwy 411 but we do have hwy 410.

Dennis, I had a step father who dressed like that and I guess it is from their era. I used to like stripes and plaids (not together) but have gone to solid colors. ....


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greg_g
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2014-02-21          189086


Quote:
Originally Posted by Murf | view 189067
Copy that!However I like being able to pack it into the bush and use it without electricity.Best of luck.
That's why my last two saws had the tool-less chain/bar feature. I pack a second bar and two spare chains when I'm working an inconvenient distance from electricity. The other alternative is to buy an inverter and power the sharpener with your vehicle battery.

But if you're dedicated to the sharpening stick, you can have mine. I've got two or three that have been gathering dust ever since I bought the HF sharpener.

//greg// ....


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kthompson
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2014-02-21          189088


Greg, what is a tool less bar and chain system? Who has it? ....


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greg_g
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2014-02-21          189099


Two examples are my previous Stihl 025C and my current Jonsered. The tool-less model that replaced the Stihl 025C is their MS251-C-BE. Both saws feature a device that both holds the bar in place and tightens the chain without the need for tools. I'm sure other manufacturers have models that offer the same feature.

//greg// ....


Link:   Jonsered CS2250-S

 

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minimac
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2014-02-22          189116


Quote:
Originally Posted by kthompson | view 189075
Mimimac, that is the unit I bought. I find it not simple. But you are getting good results. So I guess I need to try it more......


KT,

I hate that Oregon Jig and only attempted to use it once, before it ended up on a shelf for my abandoned toys er tools!

I use the $8.00 Oregon file and angle guide available at Lowes. I like it simple and I do not want to remove too much material from the chain.

My saws cut wood effortlessly like butter what more can I ask for. ....

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jeffji
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2014-03-14          189563


I have been sharpening saws for years. I like using a file by hand because it always has the right radius. Files wear out keep one or two on hand. In normal circumstances the saw should be sharpened every two tanks of gas. Look at every tooth closely for rounded edges and file them out. Oregon has a great rake gage, I always go about 1/32 below what they recommend. That is personal preference, some people don't like them that low. Absolutely never touch the ground with the chain. Your saw almost fall through the wood and use very little gas.Good luck ....


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