RE: Suggestion for sharpening chain

[firefighterjake]

So here's the deal . . . for the life of me I cannot hand file my chain . . . yeah, yeah . . . I know, practice makes perfect . . . but I've been practicing for years and listening and following the advice of my brother and others who can sharpen a saw with a handfile in minutes and it's almost as sharp as the day it came out of the box. Some folks like me are complete idiots and cannot get the hang of this . . .

I've tried the Grandberg File N' Joint . . . and could get one "side" nice and sharp . . . but for the life of me when I flip the device over to do the second side it just glides over the chain . . . plus I find this device is a bit bulky.

So I'm considering other alternatives . . . and was wondering specifically if a guy like me (i.e. a complete mechanical idiot) would find a grinder easier to use . . . or should I just bite the bullet and keep taking my chains to the shop . . . and please . . . no comments about just practicing and getting someone to show me how to file . . . I think it's a lost cause.

 

[smokinj]

dup

 

[smokinj]

Very easy to set-up and use. I have little patients for new machines I haven't ran, but had the hang of it in just a few min's.

The whole thing is really just two angles 60/30 and leave the front on 0.

 

[BrotherBart]

I am just the opposite Jake. I can hand sharpen with the best of'em. But I have never been able to do squat with that grinder I bought.

 

[MasterMech]

Have you tried just a guide plate like what's on Stihl's filing kits? That's all I use. Also you should make sure the chain tension is set correctly or even a bit tighter than you would set it for cutting.

Grinders are pretty simple. If you can translate the Mfg's angles to the settings on the grinder, set your depth, and grind away. One caveat of grinders, they can remove a lot more material than a hand file. They also can easily overheat the cutter tooth so a light touch is required. Once the grinder is setup for your chain, you may not ever have to change those settings unless you sharpen a different type of chain. Spend some time on youtube to see how the setup/grinding process goes to decide if it's something you want to do.

And if all else fails..... try this one! :coolsmirk:

http://youtu.be/iYiJlf-0pYw

 

[Jags]

Jake - if you are mechanically challenged and are looking at a grinder, get the best machine you can justify. The cheepo's work, but sometimes you have to work "with" them. Get a good one, set it and get to sharpen'in. There is a learning curve with them, but it is more in the form of education than "mechanical" knowledge.

By the way, you do realize that you will now have to return the decoder ring and the women's changing room cloaking cape?

 

[smokinj]

Jake - if you are mechanically challenged and are looking at a grinder, get the best machine you can justify. The cheepo's work, but sometimes you have to work "with" them. Get a good one, set it and get to sharpen'in. There is a learning curve with them, but it is more in the form of education than "mechanical" knowledge.

By the way, you do realize that you will now have to return the decoder ring and the women's changing room cloaking cape?

Once he gets the hang of it, its all big girls from there on out! ;-)

 

[bpirger]

Are you sure your file is dull? I know when sharpening with a dull file, it will just glide through the cutter....just a thought. My experience is some files last much longer, work much better, and others feel "slick" right out of the box. Now, if only I could be helpful and remember which was which...

 

[Clarkbug]

I saw this on another forum, and there has been a lot of back and forth discussion about it:

www.timberlinesharpener.com

Maybe its an option for you? (I have no affiliation with the guy making these, other than just thinking its one of those toys on my list for Christmas)

 

[mecreature]

I dont get it. I got the hang of it real quick. Just sharpen before it needs it is my motto.

 

[smokinj]

I dont get it. I got the hang of it real quick. Just sharpen before it needs it is my motto.

Some have the issue of not being able to get a constant stroke. Kinda like swing 16d's all day long. Even with a good eye and a constant 30 degree stroke after some use its still good to machine it. That always tells the story on how good someone is or isnt! :cheese:

 

[Flatbedford]

Buy one of these
http://www.hisltd.co.uk/images/StihlFillingKit-medium.jpg
and watch this
http://www.stihldealer.net/videolibrary/OnePlayer.aspx?v=3&vt=3&vb=0&id=3
It's a no brainer. The tool does it all for you.

 

[firefighterjake]

Random thoughts . . .

OK . . . I'll send in the secret decoder ring.

I have attempted to sharpen the chain with a dull file and realized pretty quickly it is dull . . . the issue is more with the technique. I can see the metal filings coming off . . . and while I understand what I need to do and have been shown more than a few times for some reason I just cannot get it to the point I need to.

I've used a doo-dad from Husquvarna . . . a small widget that sits on the chain to give you the right angle and depth . . . but it also doesn't work all that well for me.

 

[firefighterjake]

Thank you Smokin, Master and Jags . . . sounds like once you have the thing set up correctly it's pretty much idiot proof.

For the record I was thinking of getting one from Northern Tool.

 

[Jags]

pretty much idiot proof.

That might be going one step too far. You will still have to adjust the holder portion of the chain to the proper position (for each chain). No need to grind off more than needed. Most times, I have mine adjust so that it barely touches the tooth. Each chain, and with each sharpening this adjustment must be made. But its pretty darn close to idiot proof.

Don't forget the cloaking cape. The "Masters of hand filing" will expect me to get that back into inventory.

 

[mecreature]

I dont get it. I got the hang of it real quick. Just sharpen before it needs it is my motto.

Some have the issue of not being able to get a constant stroke. Kinda like swing 16d's all day long. Even with a good eye and a constant 30 degree stroke after some use its still good to machine it. That always tells the story on how good someone is or isnt! :cheese:

I do not cut as much as you guys do for sure. But once I cleaned and area on the work bench and started putting it in a vice I was able to get a lot more constant. And taking it easy, not being to aggressive and only going one direction probably makes me pay more attention too

On the other hand a new chain always feels good. there has to be something for that.

 

[smokinj]

I dont get it. I got the hang of it real quick. Just sharpen before it needs it is my motto.

Some have the issue of not being able to get a constant stroke. Kinda like swing 16d's all day long. Even with a good eye and a constant 30 degree stroke after some use its still good to machine it. That always tells the story on how good someone is or isnt! :cheese:

I do not cut as much as you guys do for sure. But once I cleaned and area on the work bench and started putting it in a vice I was able to get a lot more constant. And taking it easy, not being to aggressive and only going one direction probably makes me pay more attention too

On the other hand a new chain always feels good. there has to be something for that.

Work bench in the shop and taking your time is the biggest key. When I first started sharpening a old timer gave me the tip your shops heated with a fridge full of beer. What in the heck are you doing! I like that idea a lot! :lol: File or grinder the devil in the details! Started out doing one link at a time then walking away.

 

[blades]

Files cut on forward stroke, pulling it back with out lifting off will rapidly dull even the best file. The most common error of people using a file is expecting it to cut on the return stroke. Files are not bi-directional cutting tools.

 

[kenskip1]

Give this a try, Ken

http://www.timberlinesharpener.com/

 

[thewoodlands]

So here's the deal . . . for the life of me I cannot hand file my chain . . . yeah, yeah . . . I know, practice makes perfect . . . but I've been practicing for years and listening and following the advice of my brother and others who can sharpen a saw with a handfile in minutes and it's almost as sharp as the day it came out of the box. Some folks like me are complete idiots and cannot get the hang of this . . .

I've tried the Grandberg File N' Joint . . . and could get one "side" nice and sharp . . . but for the life of me when I flip the device over to do the second side it just glides over the chain . . . plus I find this device is a bit bulky.

So I'm considering other alternatives . . . and was wondering specifically if a guy like me (i.e. a complete mechanical idiot) would find a grinder easier to use . . . or should I just bite the bullet and keep taking my chains to the shop . . . and please . . . no comments about just practicing and getting someone to show me how to file . . . I think it's a lost cause.

I think you'll like it if you get one, just like anything else with time you'll get use to it. (I'm still learning)


zap

 

[wendell]

I'm finally getting to the point I am happy with my hand filing but still have a much bigger challenge with the left hand cutters so I understand where you are coming from. What I figured out I was doing and see it with others who have trouble is they get a little wobble (which can be almost imperceptible) in their stroke or more commonly, put a little "flourish" at the end of their stroke which undoes everything they just accomplished.

I love the Husqvarna guide but know that it only works optimally with Oregon chain.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

So here's the deal . . . for the life of me I cannot hand file my chain . . . yeah, yeah . . . I know, practice makes perfect . . . but I've been practicing for years and listening and following the advice of my brother and others who can sharpen a saw with a handfile in minutes and it's almost as sharp as the day it came out of the box. Some folks like me are complete idiots and cannot get the hang of this . . .

I've tried the Grandberg File N' Joint . . . and could get one "side" nice and sharp . . . but for the life of me when I flip the device over to do the second side it just glides over the chain . . . plus I find this device is a bit bulky.

So I'm considering other alternatives . . . and was wondering specifically if a guy like me (i.e. a complete mechanical idiot) would find a grinder easier to use . . . or should I just bite the bullet and keep taking my chains to the shop . . . and please . . . no comments about just practicing and getting someone to show me how to file . . . I think it's a lost cause.

I'm a fairly proficient hand filer but a nice grinder is on my "sh_t to buy" list. So in principle there's no shame in grinding. However, like filing grinding is a skill that has to be learned. It's easy to smoke a chain on a grinder.

 

[blades]

Grinder many quick short taps not one long one all the way down resolves 98% of burning issue. if chain is real bad multiple times around is a better option than one deep gouge.

 

[charly]

Go to harbor freight and buy a cheap dial caliper. Then put a paint dot on any one cutter. Now measure the cutter length at the top , from the cutting edge [point] to the back of the cutter. Now zero the face of the dialer caliper so the needle is on zero. Continue to measure each cutter until you reach the one with the paint dot again. As you find a cutter that is shorter in length, turn the face of the dial caliper so the needle is on zero again. By the time you get around you'll know what the shortest cutter length is. Now again turn the face until the dial is reading .005 or .010 above the zero. That's how much you'll be filing off to make sure all the cutters are even. I do this only when I think the cutters are getting off , from left to right. If you don't have the cutters pretty close, you'll be screwed with anything else you try to do, including taking the rakers down. Everything will still be off. Sounds complicated but it's really easy and fast, and makes for a perfect cutting chain. If you hit rocks or steel, make sure you file the very tip first with a few strokes as that will have a very hard distorted piece on the tip , that will make it hard to get the file to bite the full length of the cutter. File one way, level, hold up on the file, and keep the file parallel with the laser mark on the top of the cutter plate. You must know the shortest cutter length to sharpen the chain correctly. Hope this helps you at least understand a little more of what your shooting for. Even using a grinder, you'll need to know the shortest cutter, and grind one cutter to the shortest cleaned up cutter length, then you won't be taking off more metal then needed. Otherwise you'll grind through chains quick. I will get 30 cords of cutting, easily out of one chain, filing by hand. My neighbor would go through 4 chains to my one, because he used a grinder, not finding the least amount of metal that had to be removed first, actually wasting the cutters away.

 

[wendell]

xclimber brings up an excellent point. Your cutters can be sharp but if they are different lengths, your chain won't cut.

Most people are better filing one way than the other so over time, the cutters on that side will all be shorter so you are only cutting with half a chain.