mjbrown65 said:
i had been told by my dad as a kid, that when you file your chain, you take the same number of strokes on each tooth,start from the blank end of the file and hold the angle of the tooth...correct or incorrect?
later on in life i was told by a kid who i work with(says he went to forestry school), that there are different angles of filing for softwood and hardwood.i had never heard of this from dad, and always he filed his chain the same way every time.was this guy telling me the truth or blowing smoke ? dad never mentioned anything like this,and he has worked in the woods all his life,and cut every stick of wood that has ever heated our house.
thanx for any info or corrections,i am asking because i am willing to learn.
mike
Mixed... Your Dad's approach is pretty much correct - though it is more important to get each tooth sharp than it is to count the number of strokes you take, or getting each tooth to the exact same length as the others (though there should not be a lot of variation, especially side to side) - this can be a bit tricky as most of us will have one side that we just naturally tend to be stronger on, and thus file differently on the two sides of the chain...
You should always push the file through the cutter from the inside to the outside, starting with the file end opposite the handle, and staying as close as you can to the angles specified by the chain manufacturer. use the full length of the file and NEVER drag the file back through the cutter, lift it out at the end of the stroke to reposition.
Most people use the same cutter angles regardless of the sort of wood they are cutting. Some folks will file the rakers down a little more for hardwood but only a little - like .025" vs .030" (typically one size different on your raker guages) There are a few people that will use different angles but they tend to be the ultra high performance chasers, and it probably doesn't make that much difference for most people.
As to the original question about cutting in a curve, it can be:
1. The chain sharpening on the cutters, with one side being sharper or a different length, or:
2. The rakers being higher on one side than the other, or:
3. The bar needing dressing, with one rail being higher, or:
4. The chain wearing more on one side than the other where the outer links run along the bar rails (often as a result of #3, and can cause a continuing problem after #3 is fixed)
5. The bar being slightly bent or twisted (easy to do if you get the saw hung up and try to force it out...)
6. Improper chain / bar fit, either from using the wrong size chain or the bar rails spreading and allowing the chain to "rock" in the groove.
7. More than one of the above...
It can take close examination, and a certain amount of experience to know what to look for in order to diagnose and fix the problems. IMHO I would advise you, as a relative novice, to take the saw to a shop with a good tech dept. that knows what it's doing and is willing to spend some time teaching you, for some diagnosis advice, and / or to get a new bar, chain and sprocket just so that you know your setup is all good and have a clean start rather than trying to diagnose someone elses problems.
For sources, support your favorite saw shop, or go to someplace like Amick's, Bailey's or any of the other mail order places that have been mentioned in some of the other chain threads if you want to possibly save some money...
As to flipping the bar, it is something that should be done, but I don't usually take the bar off just to flip it - rather I will flip it any time I have the bar off for some other reason...
Gooserider
