Chains and sharpening

treevet

I agree completely. If it is not digging vaguely enough, or tracking just a hair left or right a light2 or 3 or 4 stroke finesse touch up without bearing down takes very little time.

Tree Machine

Ye speaks the truth.

treevet

Thanks, TM. It s less brain pain than the alternative.

Tree Machine

The 'joy factor' of a sharp chain.

Tree Machine

Sharp chains are kind of a 'foundation' upon which other everything else rests. In some businesses, that critical element might be computer skills, or sales talent or whatever specialized nugget of competence, that hinging point of ability that makes a professional what he or she is and around which so much else revolves.

For us, keeping a sharp chain is really the heart of it.




Even in Estonia.

Hi Lepper! Welcome to the forum

arborjockey

I dont have the knowledge in chains you do. so bear with me. The file guide is made by husky and can be orderd from any dealer. It does't work on anti-kickback chains. Dont know adout semi-chisle. It works so good I cant explain it. Iv had old timers sharpen a chain then I'll go over it again and show them that their cutting teeth are at differnt angles. It also takes the dogs down to fit each tooth. The tool is cheap give it a try. Your chain will stay sharper for longer. If someone does it by hand I find the chain is only sharp for so long then spits dust. This tool adjust the dogs to each tooth. Their is two settings (on dogs) one for soft wood and one for hard.

Done it

Anyone seen this thing? A guy from Victoria is selling them on Ebay. If you go to YouTube and type in McAlpin or Steve McAlpin he has some video's.
Not for me though.

I just had a look, I only use a file in forward direction, not back and forth. What about you guys?

Attached Images

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Therrin

Since I use a Dremel, or my Stihl 12V sharpener, and always Stihl cool-grind stones.... I've never had to clamp a bar. Also... I run the grinder in both directions.

But like several of you mentioned, I don't wait till it's spitting sawdust to go and touch it up.... I feel that threshold being crossed, you know, when you just feel it? And then I go and touch it up (if I'm on the ground anyway)

Touching up a chain only takes me about 1min 30 sec... on my 14". 2 mins on the 18", 2mins 30 sec on my 25".

And, I don't GRIND away on it till the temper is lost, just a light touch... the guide gives the right angle, run it in there, back and forth once or twice just really swiftly, an on to the next. If you don't wait till the edges are completely shot, then it only needs a touch up each time. You get a feel for it.

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Ken Fessia
I.T.S.A. Tree Service
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Done it

With a grinder it doesn't matter. This guy was filing forward then back. I reckon that stuffs the file.

Just did a test touch up, 14", about the same, in my vice setup near the start of this thread, but I didn't need a battery. neither does a stump vice.

Therrin

Add in the time to clamp and unclamp... =)

With a cordless dremel, I can take it anywhere with me..... It may need a battery, but I don't have to be physically at the truck either.

In fact, I can touch it up quickly while up in a large tree... done that with your clamp and file?
No bother with lowering it down, letting someone else do it, etc etc... just a min and a half and its good to go again.

Where do you put your dremel you say? In the left cargo pocket on my BDU's... weighs less than half a pound. Barely notice it. I only take it up for larger stuff though. It's not a regular thing.

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Ken Fessia
I.T.S.A. Tree Service
(661) 916-4703

Tree Machine

That sounds appealing. I tried the dremel in an earlier day, and what I found was that the stone clogged up. I would then spend twice again as much time trying to de-steel the stone.

And what a I see Therrin saying is it works for him, doesn't work for me.....I was doing something wrong. Seriously. Two guys using the same tool the same way getting a different result....? I had to have been doing something wrong.

Was it the wrong type of stone, was it the RPMs?
This was one of the earlier Dremels.
Are there carbide cutter bits instead of the stone?
Are there industrial diamond chainsaw stones for use in the Dremel
Can you put a regular round file in a Dremel?


Does the Dremel have variable speed?


I could learn to love a dremel with variable speed and an aggressive cutting action. Using a guide, every single tooth would be quick and perfect. MMmMmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Tree Machine

Just like how I experience it now doing it by hand, just a file handle to hold the file.

newguy18

tm i had the same issues when i used to use my dad's dremel on my chains the stones i bought that were for chain sharpening imo were junk.i just file mine by hand.but to each his own.

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Therrin

TM and NG,

I use Stihl stones, and have found that they work much better than the "dremel brand" stones. They don't clog up for me.... if anything, they get worn away until they're just smooth underneath. I use as much of the stone, back and forth, as I can, but once they get smooth spots in them I toss and put in a new one.

My dremel is variable speed, but my Stihl 12v sharpener is an on/off model, and it still works just fine. Just depends on whether I want to use that one, clipped to the car/boxtruck battery, or if I have the cordless with me and want to use it.

With my dremel I use the highest RPM setting, and I'm not worried about the temper, because like I mentioned, I only touch them up usually.... just a fraction of a second to a second on each tooth. If the teeth really need some re-honing, I turn the variable speed down a little.

A regular file would not chuck properly in a dremel, and I think the weight would tax the motor too hard...as well as not generating the propper RPM's.... Stihl's stones work in either their 12v hand held grinder, OR in a normal dremel. there is a "chainsaw dremel guide" which screws on the outter collar of the dremel, which shows you the two-way 30* slants.

It might be more expensive than a set of hand files though. I get three Stihl stones to a package. Hard to say how many chains I get per stone though, it varies depending on several factors. A pack of 3 stones runs about $5.

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Ken Fessia
I.T.S.A. Tree Service
(661) 916-4703

Bermy

I keep 2-3 chains for each saw, if I have time I'll touch up in the field, if not, just swap out for a sharp one. Never let them get too bad.
I hand file everything, from the 14" PMN on the 200t to my 20" RM on the 361.
I do use the Stihl file guide, more substantial to hold and I can keep an eye on the angles. Once around the block with the depthgauge tool and its good to go.

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olyman

a lot of "grabbing" chains is because the rakers are set toooo low---and ive had them come fom the fac that way.

olyman

also--some were asking about a chain sharpener--northern hydraulics has one for 90 clams--its a exact copy of the oregon--for much less--i own two--they do a great job----i used to hand file--but like one said--change chains--and sharpen at night---