Just like a new saw

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peakbagger

Minister of Fire
Jul 11, 2008
8,845
Northern NH
I hand file my chains with a husky roller guide and usually think I get get good results. I expect that the "boiling water" principle applies where my sharpening results slowly degrade from a new chain. This past weekend I was getting rid of some large trees that I had dropped the previous weekend. I went to cut the first round through a 16" diameter white birch and when I got to the end of the cut I saw the telltale sparks coming from the cut and found a small rock sitting directly under the trunk not visible in the duff. That chain was toast so I let the saw cool off and installed a new out of the box chain.

I started cutting and felt like a Jedi night, the birch and a couple of similar size maples all turned into rounds with little or no effort. I ran out of gas and refilled and kept going with similar results. Not much later I had all the trees brushed out keeping everything over 1.5 inches for rounds. I will probably touch the chain up a bit before the next run but expect the inevitable decline has begun.

The old chain could probably be recovered but I am going to have to file back a bunch of the hook as the teeth are ground down on the top from the rock. I guess its probably going to go in the dead chain collection and I will pick up a new one.
 
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I've filed a couple of chains back from the dead, but it's not worth it. I picked up a cheap chain grinder recently, and even with it there are some chains that aren't worth saving.
 
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For my Husky 372XPG I rotate 11 chains. After a machine sharpening, 3-4 hand files, and then another machine sharpening. All chains are sharpened at the same setting and at the same time on the grinder, so even wear on all chains. Over 10 years use on these chains.
 
Dremels don't really care how bad the chain is.
 
I have a hard time throwing stuff away so I usually revive every chain that isn't worn slap out. There's not many chains I can't file back to good as new in less than 10 minutes but I did make an adapter and sharpen all the chains in a vise and not on the bar. My wife bought me a HF electric chain sharpener almost 3 years ago, I've never even opened it.
 
Using a Granberg "File-N-Joint" clamp-on-bar filing guide, same one since mid-70s, I've found it easy to keep 3/8" and 3/8" LP chains like surgical tools. With that guide, you can touch up a chain with minimum metal removal- chains, and files, last a looooong time. Normally, stroke or two per cutter every other fillup KEEPS them sharp. (That guide is always in my tool-bag.) Other chain pitches just need different file sizes.
If I hit debris with a chain, a couple of go-rounds with an NT grinder (don't force it to perfect immediately) and them some normal filing, and back in business. With a flat file, that guide can set joint (depth gauge ht) precisely in a couple minutes; it's seldom necessary.
If someone gave me a HF chain grinder, I'd take it back & exchange it for something useful. Sorry, a complete POS. :ZZZ
 
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Grateful11 said:
There's not many chains I can't file back to good as new in less than 10 minutes
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You obviously haven't seen the butter knives that come with half the broken saws I buy.
 
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Grateful11 said:
I have a hard time throwing stuff away

There's not many chains I can't file back to good as new in less than 10 minutes
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I hear you I don't like throwing stuff away either. I run my chains down so low people laugh at me. If wood chips come out of the saw then I'll keep using the chain !

I'm sure your a good chain sharpener / filer but for me there's a difference between a usable ok chain and a new one. I've sharpened some pretty bad chains and they still cut, but not always as good as a new one.

On that note I've had new chain that sometimes didn't cut as good as stuff I've sharpened. And I'm a sloppy filer I just want to keep the edge on the chain so I can keep cutting . I know a couple guys who take a looooooong time to hand file. Not me just put an edge on it and go cut. So some of my chains probably are not the best but they make wood chips !!
 
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I take my chains to the hardware store to be sharpened when my efforts eventually fail. Quite the pleasure afterwards. Interesting that I've had several nub like chains after a few sharpenings? Ham-handed on their part?
 
velvetfoot said:
I take my chains to the hardware store to be sharpened when my efforts eventually fail. Quite the pleasure afterwards. Interesting that I've had several nub like chains after a few sharpenings? Ham-handed on their part?
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Maybe, but it depends what condition they were in when you took them in. They should be setting their grinder up to take a minimal amount of metal off of the shortest tooth. The grinding will make all of the other teeth match that shortest tooth, so if you've got just one tooth that's been overfiled or where the angle has gotten way out of whack, or if you've badly dulled a section by hitting a rock, then they might have to take a lot of material off just to make things consistent.
 
As I mentioned the issue with hitting a rock is it grind down the top side of the tooth at an angle. The file sets the angle from underneath assuming the top of the tooth has not been filed. Unless the tooth is filed way back, the cutting angle will be less than intended. This makes for a sharp tooth but it also leads to dulling quicker.
 
peakbagger said:
As I mentioned the issue with hitting a rock is it grind down the top side of the tooth at an angle. The file sets the angle from underneath assuming the top of the tooth has not been filed. Unless the tooth is filed way back, the cutting angle will be less than intended. This makes for a sharp tooth but it also leads to dulling quicker.
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Not so at all with a proper file guide. Yer target is 1/5 - 1/10 of the file diameter above the cutter. Easily accomplished with proper hardware.

Much mo-betta is to never allow saw-chain to do roto-tilling. Ever. That's why cant hooks exist- to roll 'em over to finish the cuts.
 
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CTYank said:
Not so at all with a proper file guide. Yer target is 1/5 - 1/10 of the file diameter above the cutter. Easily accomplished with proper hardware.

Much mo-betta is to never allow saw-chain to do roto-tilling. Ever. That's why cant hooks exist- to roll 'em over to finish the cuts.
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Ehh, 1/10 above the cutter would be far too much hook. Otherwise I agree completely. The time to roll a log over is a lot less than it takes to fix a rocked chain.
 
I try if at all possible to drop trees with a couple of feet of snow on the ground and then saw up the rounds. Snow doesn't dull chainsaw blades.

The reality is chains are cheap compared to my time. I get a lot of life out of them but don't obsess about it. I drop trees in the woods in sometimes rough territory and rocks are a built in hazard , I miss them 99.9% of the time but that means o.1% of the cuts may hit a rock. I do normally cut down to about an inch from the bottom and then roll the log to finish it but with a 100 foot tall tree sitting on uneven ground I do need to cut through on occasion to get things manageable.
 
Jon1270 said:
Ehh, 1/10 above the cutter would be far too much hook. Otherwise I agree completely. The time to roll a log over is a lot less than it takes to fix a rocked chain.
Click to expand...

For a lasting edge yes. I liked to run with a good hook and a taller raker. But I don't mind to sharpen more frequently.
 
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