Chains and sharpening

Therrin

It's not exactly a poll but I'm tryin to figure out how most of you guys manage your chains.

1. How many chains do you usually keep for your bars?
2. Do you use hand files or electric sharpeners?
3. And, even if you prefer to sharpen them all when you get home, how much time do you spend sharpening or touching up chains while in the field?

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

shaggs

G'day Ken.
I prefer to lose count of the amount of chains in my shed.
My climbing saws (14") I tend to do by hand or handheld elec sharpener so not to take too much off.
The other saws I do by hand to "touch up" each night, or bench grinder for realingment or resharpening damaged or blunt as buggery.
I know alot of diehard saw guys swear by hand sharpening and measuring but I just dont have the time. Plus the bench grinder once set brings them all back to same depth etc.
The sharpest I get is with the hand held grinder.
I tend not to sharpen in the field, just swap chains.
I leave the blunt chains until the pile grows high. Then one night just plob thru them with some tunes to keep me company.
Every time we talk about chain sharpening I tend to learn something new...its such a fine art with different methods that word for different timbers, areas, climates, saws and chain types.

shaggs

OOOps forgot to add,
I leave them wrapped in an oil soaked rag and not hanging in the air.
They are soooo lubed after a good soak!!

windthrown

I keep my unused chains in a plastic freezer bag with some bar oil in there. Then mark the bags with magic marker pen as to type and length. For example, 'RM 18" .325" ', or 'RM 20" 3/8 skip'. RM is Stihl rapid micro non-safety chain, and what I use the most here.

As for sharpening, I tend to hand file. Between hand filing I touch up with a 12 volt hand grinder. The grinder stones tend to get mishapen pretty fast though, and it is hard to get the right angle on the edges. So I do that less and less these days and hand file more. I have a bar mounted Oregon file guide and Oregon files. I sharpen when the chains are getting dull to the touch. I like them razor sharp. I also file to 30 degrees with 0 offset. 35 degrees will give a sharper edge, but it will not last as long.

I never sharpen loops in the woods. I have 2 chains for most of the bars, and if they get dull I just swap out the chains, or sometimes bars, or even saws. For some bars I also have spare Stihl RM2 safty chain loops for really crappy work, naily wood, fence posts and the like. I also keep end of life chains for that stuff too, and older Stihl E type bars.

That reminds me that I have some spare odd size loops to throw on Ebay for sale...

__________________
So few saws, so many trees...
Stihls: 210/250-/025/290/361/FS85
Echo: CS-3000, Olympyk & Mac doorstops

bigshea13

i can hand sharpen an 18 inch bar{ including: filing bar, touching rakers, sharpen teeth} in about 8- 10 min. never used electric, thats just one more thing for me to lug around.{sounds nice though} my climbing saws Usually seem to hold chains for longgggg periods of time. bigger ones on ground that cut more than wood for some strange reason seem to have a far less duty cycle. I try to change my sprockets every 8-10 chains. thye say the better condition the sprocket the higher the torque. sloppy sprocket=worn drivers=not so tight operations=excessive wear=money

Therrin

I used to use a Dremel tool w/ 30deg to do my chains, but just got one of the Stihl sharpeners. Same difference I guess. Haven't tried the hand-filing stuff yet.

5 chains for my 011, 5 for my 028, and only 2 right now for the 361, and they're both RMC3 I beleive. I'm lookin to pick up some plain RM chains for it though. The two older saws seem to need the chains sharpened all the friggin time, but the new chain on the 361 is cruisin pretty nicely.

Thanks for the info on storing chains! I'll be adopting some of that soon here.

I understand what skip chains are, but how do they affect performance?

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

bigshea13

whats askip chain?

Therrin

Well I feel like an idiot.

In explaining to ya what skip chains are I'm gonna answer my own question.





Windthrown, how much do you like your RMF chains? What kinda stuff do you prefert to use them with, as opposed to using the normal RM chain?

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

windthrown

I actually do not use my RMF (Rapid Micro, full skip) chains that much. I originally bought the RMF chains becasue that was the only RM I could get at the local Stihl dealer, and that is 80% of what he sells to the local loggers. He does not carry RM chain, and I have to get that in Eugene. I actually prefer RM to RMF (and either above RM2). I did an RM vs RMF comparison using my MS290 and 20" bar and posted the results on AS last year. Overall I found that they cut about the same. While you get higher revs you also have fewer teeth cutting. It is good for clearing chips better when cutting curly fries, or noodling a log lengthwise. Some say that they prefer RMF becasue they can sharpen them 30% faster. I have found that that they get dull 30% faster, and I would rather have a sharper chain longer. They seemingly will also wear out 30% faster, and they cost the same as RM.

A lot of pro fallers here like RMF becasue it helps to keep the revs up while using longer bars in bigger trees and they clear wood chips better. Most sawyers I know use skip (and Stihl) pretty much all the time. They say that they can cut larger diameter trees around here more easilly with longer bars while keeping their saws running at higher revs (higher revs, more power) and that the RMF chains clear chips easier. They are mostly thinning, falling, and bucking logs. I am thinning, falling, limbing, and cutting firewood. I am also mostly cutting smaller diameter wood, typically 8" to 24" in diameter. Though from the trucks of logs I see going out of these parts, they are cutting the same diameter trees that I am. Except that they leave the trash trees whole that I value the most for firewood, like madrone, oak and maple. So I think that skip is not as good in hardwood as softwood (my RM to RMF comparison was made cutting madrone).

BTW: Stihl quit making RM2 a few months ago and have since replaced it with RSC3.

__________________
So few saws, so many trees...
Stihls: 210/250-/025/290/361/FS85
Echo: CS-3000, Olympyk & Mac doorstops

Done it

Hi, I've used grinders but a good file does the best job with the saw in a vice. Use a stump vice on the job. The block in the pictures is from a Blackbutt we did in 1980 and I've been sharpening this way ever since, do one side and walk around to the other, it only takes a couple of minutes. I dug the block into the ground so it doesn't move, I'm a bit attached to it now or I'd use my spare Ironbark one, it's only 10 years old.

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shaggs

Good idea!
But where' the can holder???

newguy18

i do mine by hand.I carry files on the job espically when doing land learing but I haven't sharpened on the job yet.i might have to try filing a chain in a tree one time.

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ropensaddle

I use a machine my time is important as well as my knuckles!
I can get a chain just as sharp with my machine not a dremel!
A grinder type it takes practice but I have grown fond of its use.
I will sharpen ten chains and just change out in the field the minute
I feel difference! I can do the same with a file but slower and since
I have a glove wearing problem,I have scar tissue of many years
of file sharpening.

JayD

I think a grinder is quicker, but doesn't stay sharp as long as the hand sharpening if done properly, It's takes practice to get it right as you know..and many throw the file before really trying..IMO.

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newguy18

i have plenty of scars from hand filing but I had my chains machine sharpened before and found out last year that i can sharpen just as sharp and they hold an edge longer when done by hand.Also a grinder can get hot enough to take the temper out of your chain.

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JayD

Thats so true, But you are only suposed to use the grinder lightly..like scuffing..honeing the chrome..to many folk apply with to much vigor and shorten the life of the chains considerably and you still have to keep the cutters even.

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