Chainsaw Sharpening

[Les Cork]

Hi, if you are using full chisel chain like 73LPX on a roadside you will often find it dulls faster due to the grit, muck, salt and pollution that is thrown away from the road, try a micro chisel chain like 73D or 73DP which has a more forgiving rounded cutting edge than a full chisel chain, or BPX chain in .325.

Otherwise it's your learning curve to feel the pull/bite watch the chip size and to maintain as taught on your CS30/31 both bar and chain.

[Gollum]

Hi, if you are using full chisel chain like 73LPX on a roadside you will often find it dulls faster due to the grit, muck, salt and pollution that is thrown away from the road, try a micro chisel chain like 73D or 73DP which has a more forgiving rounded cutting edge than a full chisel chain, or BPX chain in .325.

Otherwise it's your learning curve to feel the pull/bite watch the chip size and to maintain as taught on your CS30/31 both bar and chain.

 

2nd that, keep your file guide, from experience a large percentage of people that don't use a file guide hook the cutters and experience a lot of vibration and kick back.

or buy one of the new stay sharp chains, i've done a lot of roadside work myself they are good for smaller stuff.

[Bob Rolfe]

One thing I have learnt is make sure you get your depth gauges right cause if you don't all the filing in the world won't help cut anything!

[firewood]

Filing by hand is a knack acquired with practice. if you cant seem to get it right by hand get a clamp on file guide and use this for a week or so. it will teach your hands where to go.

 

Also less is more..do not take of too much at each filing.

[Ricky26wales]

Had a major nightmare today trying to get the chain on a little clearance saw sharp, I was following the guide line but just couldn't get it right. When i file a chain with full chisel teeth i do it ok, but this other saw has a differant chain where the teeth sides are more curved. I took the saw to the shop when I asked for a file so pressume i'm using the right file size. Also what is the affect on the chainsaw if the depth gauges are too high? Like a blunt saw will throw saw dust out but what happens if your depth guages are too high? Thanks for all the advice aswell

[likeitorlumpit]

Had a major nightmare today trying to get the chain on a little clearance saw sharp, I was following the guide line but just couldn't get it right. When i file a chain with full chisel teeth i do it ok, but this other saw has a differant chain where the teeth sides are more curved. I took the saw to the shop when I asked for a file so pressume i'm using the right file size. Also what is the affect on the chainsaw if the depth gauges are too high? Like a blunt saw will throw saw dust out but what happens if your depth guages are too high? Thanks for all the advice aswell

 

if your depth guages are too high

IT WONT CUT

[porky]

Are you sharpening it in a vice or just freehand ? Photos of your cutters on the chain would help.

[Highland Forestry]

Had a major nightmare today trying to get the chain on a little clearance saw sharp, I was following the guide line but just couldn't get it right. When i file a chain with full chisel teeth i do it ok, but this other saw has a differant chain where the teeth sides are more curved. I took the saw to the shop when I asked for a file so pressume i'm using the right file size. Also what is the affect on the chainsaw if the depth gauges are too high? Like a blunt saw will throw saw dust out but what happens if your depth guages are too high? Thanks for all the advice aswell

 

You mentioned before that you have a chainsaw ticket??

 

Part of your assessment is the correct sharpening of a chain and demonstration of the necessary knowledge behind sharpening...

 

Could be many things, could be the bar knackered or with too much of a burr, could be rakers, could be inconsistent teeth length, could be you have tken the corner off a full chisel chain when hitting something or a whole host of other issues.... buy a new chain and start with a blank canvas in the knowledge that it is perfect and then do it by the book!

[Ricky26wales]

I have done my chainsaw cert at the end of 2006. We did cover chainsaw sharpening, but that was for the chain on that particular saw, and all he asked us to do was a couple of strokes on each tooth to be satisfied. Anyway thanks for the advice, hopefully today will be a better day.

[Lyndon]

As a rule if the depth guage is to low your chain will be trying to cut out a large chunk of wood every time it comes into contact with the timber, which if you have a large bar on a small saw will then result in low power due to the drag created by the extra teeth trying to cut out large chunks, similarly if your depth guage is to high the cuting tooth will not come into contact with the timber which means there will be minimal or no cutting going on at all!

 

you want a nice sharp tooth cutting thin shavings off every time it comes into contact with the wood (which @20 meters per second happens pretty quick!) and every tooth both left and right sides of the chain to be the same as the next.

 

If you post some photos of the cutters or the saw dust then people will have more of an idea of which direction to help you in.

 

What saw are you using and what size bar&chain?

 

The other option if catching and dulling your chain quite often is the oregan powersharp have a look on f.r.jones banner on the right or on youtube for more info