Chain sharpening

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doug crann

doug crann

Member
Nov 28, 2013
67
eastern washington
Have been using a somewhat flimsy Oregon jig....the kind that clamps to the bar, you set the top/side angles and have at it. Less than thrilled with the results, chains are sharp but not real sharp....and the thing is flimsy to put it politely. Not a big fan of grinding cutting equipment, I use a Lansky to sharpen all of my pocket knives as well as the wife's Henckel kitchen knives.....Anyhow, seriously thinking about buying a grinder.....any suggestions on which to stay away from? or perhaps one that is a "must have"? Or does anyone know of a jig similar to the Oregon one I am using that is not so flimsy? The one I am using is the older version of http://www.oregonproducts.com/pro/products/accessories/BarMountFileGuide.htm
Like I mentioned, not real thrilled about grinding on cutting equipment but really would like the chains to be sharper than what they are....Thanks in advance....
 
I have a little grinder I picked up from CL that does a nice job. It is called the Jolly Mini and has a tiny arbor so I had to fab up a little dealio to make new grinding wheels fit but for 25 bones I am pleased. If you are buying new and money is little or no object look into as high end unit you can afford. Better, more accurate settings and potentially a means to grind the rakers would be a nice feature. Beyond that - the little hand crank deal looks really nice and is very well built for a decent price. Not sure what it is called but a search here will turn up some discussion.
 
If you are using the husq./Oregon roller guide on Stihl chain ,it won't do a good job . It has to do with the cutter profile of Stihl chain . If you are doing Stihl chain , or anything that uses a 30* cutter ,buy a Stihl FF1 file guide . They are about 12 bucks and work well . They are made for .325 ,or .375 chains . I don't know if file holders other than Stihl will fit them though .If you do decide to go with a grinder , TSC a fairly decent grinder . It's all metal as opposed to the plastic you get on the HF type grinder . Personally , I like hand filling . I think that once learned ,it gives better results ,much like sharpening knives. This is all just one man's opinion ,so YMMV.
John
 
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BobUrban said:
Beyond that - the little hand crank deal looks really nice and is very well built for a decent price. Not sure what it is called but a search here will turn up some discussion.
Click to expand...

Timberline by any chance ? I've had one for a couple of years now. It does a very nice job for certain . You just have to get accustomed to setting it up properly ,never get in a rush to get a chain done ,and never ever turn the handle backwards with the cutter in the chain . That last thing I mentioned only takes once and $20 to learn btw ! ;em
 
Why not learn to sharpen by hand? A quick touch up between gas and oil fillups will never leave you dull.

If you let it go until it's dull it's harder to put a nice edge on it. I have a heck of a time getting an edge on the saw of an old farmer I know. He can't see the chain well enough to sharpen it and will run until it's flat out dull. I swear he buries it in the dirt. Every time I leave he has a sharp chain though.
 
Be sure to get some kind of vice to put your bar in. You can really lean on the teeth with a handfile and get a good cut.
 
I am pretty partial to grinders for getting angles perfect. I'll sharpen 3-4 times by hand then grind. The one of the left, (Tecomec) is for rakers. The Oregon, (also made by Tecomec) has a magnet behind the vice to catch metal filings.


Here are mine.

2ik64qx.jpg


dcwx95.jpg
 
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Last summer I bought some diamond sharpening bits for my Dremel tool on eBay and they worked good. They only cost $10 for 5 of them and they hold up for quite a few uses. I touch up my chain often and it doesn't take but a few minutes to do it then.
 
Firewood Bandit said:
I am pretty partial to grinders for getting angles perfect. I'll sharpen 3-4 times by hand then grind. The one of the left, (Tecomec) is for rakers. The Oregon, (also made by Tecomec) has a magnet behind the vice to catch metal filings.


Here are mine.

2ik64qx.jpg


dcwx95.jpg
Click to expand...
you pull the shoe laces, not the handles?
 
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