what a wasted day

Practice (usually) makes perfect. Don't wait until they REALLY need sharpening (maybe every two tanks of gas depending on the material), and you should make out OK with a file. Find a comfortable stable position, even if it does look like you're humping your saw. Just try to follow the grind that is there, and not file any new angles - shouldn't need any more than 4-6 strokes per tooth. A flat file & depth gauge for the risers - but they don't need done near as often as the teeth. I don't think I'd pay someone to sharpen mine.

I have sharpened mine before, but I am like you at this point steeltown. I need to get way better. I can never get it as sharp as the guys at the shop. $5 for a sharpening. Doesn't matter what length they are. And they are sharp when they are done. Better luck to you next time man.

I got another 3/4 of a truck load out of the woods today. Now I am at about 5 face cord over the last 4 days. Just working a few hours at a time. Today only had an hour and a half. Oh well. It is not split yet, but the hardest part is done. Felling, bucking, and hauling to, loading and off loading from the truck is done. A mix of White Ash and White Pine. Have a good one.

Red oak is tough and 25 inchs, well now it depends on what kinda of chain you have? Log dirty?

I clean my chains up every other tank of fuel but after a while it needs to get done on teh machine. I have several chains so I'll just swap to a good chain and drop the dull one off when I pass by. $8, but better than $25 for a new chain.

Steeltown, I sharpened by hand for many, many moons until my hands could no longer take the filing. I then bought one of the little dremel tools for sharpening chains. Works like a charm so long as you are careful. Biggest problem would be holding the grinder on the tooth too long and heating it. I've not done that yet, thankfully.

btw, most of the time I have only one chain on hand. When it gets close to needing a new one then I will buy one and keep it with me but at other times I see no need for owning more than one chain for one saw.

steeltowninwv said:

jay log wasnt dirty...and im talking when i put the chain on it and started cutting..it was dull...stihl full chissel

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Clean wood quick sharpen, bet your rakers are high. It would be hard to do a bad job on a grinder. ( They didnt take the time to check)

I have always found it handy to have two chains for my saw. I usually don't bring them in to the shop until both are dull. Then when I am in the woods if I dull one by mistake, hitting the ground or a rock I did not see, then I can swap them out and still get the job done. I have had really unlucky days where I have dulled both of them in short time. Bad decision of mine to cut that close to things. That will piss ya off in a hurry. But no day is a wasted day. I know what you mean. Can be frustrating when you wanted to make some serious progress. But you still got outside and got some fresh air. Better than being at work any day! :coolsmile:

I bought one of those files with a guide/holder and without any experience at all I find I can do a decent job sharpening a chain. I sometimes sharpen a little unevenly and end up cutting on a slight curve, but it is a lot better than a dull chain. it takes only a few minutes to touch up a chain.

get one of these files and start using it every other tank full and before you know it you wont be sending your chains out for sharpening. Ive tried many different setups including the diamond bits for the dremel and this simple file you can get anywhere has worked the best for keeping my chains sharper than new.
i have to add you will still need to take your rakers down when needed.

I wish I could find someone to sharpen for $5. My Stihl dealer charges $ 15! and his new chains cost $ 35 (RSC). I have 3 chains. Two are in for sharpening now (been cutting alot of BL and Oak). I will say - they cut great after they do what they do. I field sharpen and even take down the rakers alittle, but that only gets me thru alittle. Fresh files help. I'm getting better. Nothing beats a new chain.

I had a new chain jump the bar and it scratched up the chain gear (bottom side) so that it binds in the bar. Dealer said to throw it away, but I'm gonna work on it and see if I can salvage it.

Sucks to have wood to cut and the saw's gone dull.

Depending on wood I usually give the teeth 2-3 strokes with the file every other tankful of fuel & bring the rakers down with 2-3 strokes from a small flat file every 3-4 sharpenings.Always have a spare new or freshly sharpened chain for each saw with me as a backup also.Cutting all that dead Red & White Oak really does a number on the teeth,Shagbark Hickory is even worst most of the time.

Backwoods Savage said:

Steeltown, I sharpened by hand for many, many moons until my hands could no longer take the filing. I then bought one of the little dremel tools for sharpening chains. Works like a charm so long as you are careful. Biggest problem would be holding the grinder on the tooth too long and heating it. I've not done that yet, thankfully.

btw, most of the time I have only one chain on hand. When it gets close to needing a new one then I will buy one and keep it with me but at other times I see no need for owning more than one chain for one saw.

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With age comes wisdom . . . but anyone that goes into the woods with no back up chain . . . hmmmm, maybe on the down slope of the bell curve now??

When I plan on spending a day out cutting wood, I can't even "imagine" having to stop and go home because I only have 1 or 2 chains with me. Like stated above, you never know when you will hit something and the chain is done. Besides, if I put a freshly sharpened chain on every other tank of gas or so, I get to fly right through the cutting process. I feel it's just as quick to swap out the chain rather then sharpen one, actually much faster. I cut mostly oak around here, so chains do work hard. I purchased a chain sharpener (oregon) and have several chains that I have aquired to keep me cutting with a fresh chain......for days.
When I go out I have with me:
10 14" chains
8 18" chains
8 24" chains
Never had to use all of them, but my time is very important to me and when I set out to cut....that's what I want to do.

I have even gone so far as having my Stihls use Husky style bars so the all chains fit all my saws. I hate that a 18" stihl uses different amount of DL than the Husky does or vice versa.........so I fixed that ;-)

:coolhmm: you take 26 chains into the woods?? :coolhmm:

I would take 3.....14,28,41. :lol:

ISeeDeadBTUs said:

:coolhmm: you take 26 chains into the woods?? :coolhmm:

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Yep, plus my skid steer, dump trailer, chaps, helmet, gloves, 4 saws, log roller (hook), gas, oil, water, food, pull chain, rope, spray paint, and wife!
Like I said, lots of prep and loading to go out, don't want a chain to stop me.
I try to get at least 4 trailer loads (cords) home per outing.

varna said:

ISeeDeadBTUs said:

:coolhmm: you take 26 chains into the woods?? :coolhmm:

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Yep, plus my skid steer, dump trailer, chaps, helmet, gloves, 4 saws, log roller (hook), gas, oil, water, food, pull chain, rope, spray paint, and wife!
Like I said, lots of prep and loading to go out, don't want a chain to stop me.
I try to get at least 4 trailer loads (cords) home per outing.

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I'm surprised you can get more than a couple of splits in the trailer with all that stuff onboard ;-)

woodchip said:

varna said:

ISeeDeadBTUs said:

:coolhmm: you take 26 chains into the woods?? :coolhmm:

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Yep, plus my skid steer, dump trailer, chaps, helmet, gloves, 4 saws, log roller (hook), gas, oil, water, food, pull chain, rope, spray paint, and wife!
Like I said, lots of prep and loading to go out, don't want a chain to stop me.
I try to get at least 4 trailer loads (cords) home per outing.

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I'm surprised you can get more than a couple of splits in the trailer with all that stuff onboard ;-)

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LOL...All that stuff is in the back of the Toyota Tundra......which is pulling the trailer with the skid steer in it. I cut and my wife usually runs the skid steer.....I fill the bucket, she takes to the trailer. When it's full, she'll run it home, dumps, comes back. Meanwhile, I keep cutting. At the end of the day, after the last load of wood is gone, load up skid steer and go home. I'm pretty lucky, I have all the wood I can cut within 10 miles of home.....for now anyway

If you can work thay long of a day - and the Princess will too- then yer a bit younger than I and most guys here.

Get it while the gettins good :cheese:

ISeeDeadBTUs said:

If you can work thay long of a day - and the Princess will too- then yer a bit younger than I and most guys here.

Get it while the gettins good :cheese:

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Both 49.....is that young for here.......I know my kids think we are ancient..... :lol:

Well, I know Joisey Gurls can keep you young . . . but I'm thinkin' yer not gettin 4 cord of FIREWOOD a day . . . yer gettin log lengths that you figure is somewhere around 4 cord

But its all good!!

Best chain-sharpening tool I've found over the years: Granberg "File N Joint", clamps on bar, enables precise angle-setting. Unless chain was rocked, couple strokes/cutter and they're like razors. NEVER felt need for grinder, so far, for 35+ yrs.
Lots easier to find rocks before they find you.