Sharpening jigs

[drinksloe]

Must admit i've a bit of a different way of looking at it.

 

Wot's the point in achieving the perfectly sharpened saw chain if it needs workshop conditions to achieve it??

(Althou milling or longer bars would be the exception to the above)

 

Not advocating using blunt chains by any means.

And i dare say it depends wot sort of saw work u do (how close to van, size of timber in relation to the bar size etc)

If ur doing a lot of cross cutting or felling of trees over bar1/2 an uneven chain is a complete nightmare getting ur cuts to meet (been there done that when i had dislocated fingers and couldn't grip my files properly)

But if its all smaller groundy type work with its not as important or atleast not a disaster

 

For a normal cutting/forestry saw i'd far rather be able to sharpen it little and often to a pretty good standard fairly quickly in field conditions than achieve the slower perfect sharpen needing a bench/vice.

 

Most of the cutters i know all just do free hand with no guide, i've always found the guide gives it too much of a hook when u get half way down the chain, possibly very sharp but if u catch something it can shear off and takes a lot of chain to get it sharp again.

 

Also with the perfect sharpen i'm sure it would just encourage me to hit stuff i shouldn't, i am pretty careful with my chains but i'm yet to hit something just before i stop to sharpen a chain.

Yet the moment i've sharpened it and got far enough away from my files u can bet i hit something.?

 

Each to there own and wot suits them, but personally i wouldn't get too hung up on it, with more experience u will get better and better too

 

Just to add I bet for normal groundy/smaller tree work i bet the time u'd save between having a chain at say 7 on a sharpness scale compared to 9 will be absolutley tiny over a day, compared to the extra time it takes u to ge to that.

Like i said bit different story on bigger timber/bars and chains or milling but with a bit of common sense and watching the saws cuts still pretty easy to keep evenly sharp by free hand fileing.

 

Probably should say a compramise between wot is useable and achievable easily/often in field conditions and the optimum/perfect chain sharpen

Edited July 20, 2018 by drinksloe

[huskykev]

Anyone know where I could get diamond files online? Reputable companies please

[timbernut]

The wood smith store do them:
https://www.woodsmithexperience.co.uk/shop/product/dmt-diafold-diamond-chainsaw-file/

[timbernut]

Haven’t bought owt from them for a while but they provided good service when I did, not used the diamond files as I was put off by the fact they’re quite brittle n I break things a lot

[AHPP]

If anyone is selling any kind of jig (Granberg or bench grinder included), please send me a private message.

[Macpherson]

10 hours ago, huskykev said:

Anyone know where I could get diamond files online? Reputable companies please

There's nothing wrong with the chinese files on ebay, 3 different grits for £9, nothing to lose really.....but I suppose you'd have to have different tools in your hand to compare the quality, the DMT diafold files are made in the US and may well be better....should be at the price !!

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Macpherson said:

There's nothing wrong with the chinese files on ebay, 3 different grits for £9, nothing to lose really.....but I suppose you'd have to have different tools in your hand to compare the quality, the DMT diafold files are made in the US and may well be better....should be at the price !!

Have you a link?

 

I use diamond files for honing blades, not tried a round one on a saw, but would not have expected them to have enough stock removal for most chain sharpening.

[Macpherson]

4 hours ago, openspaceman said:

Have you a link?

 

I use diamond files for honing blades, not tried a round one on a saw, but would not have expected them to have enough stock removal for most chain sharpening.

Hi, I put up a link for cheap ones earlier in this thread but just look on ebay, 

 I use an assortment of diamond files regularly for hand sharpening any blunt cutting tool, assuming that the original cutting face hasn't lost it's profile.. imo a touch with right grit of diamond can produce a much superior edge to the result from the average bench grinder...

 

 It's sort of interesting  that a saw chain is the only cutting tool that I've used in my working life that can be sharpened with a cheapo file.....I know how sharp a Dormer drill stays if your only drilling wood ..Cheers