How many of you sharpen a new chain?

[18 stoner]

Yeh, fair enough Stevie, i had a mentor similar to yours, some 20 years ago. Poor guy passed away now, way before his time, would have been nice to have worked with him a while longer, but thats how life goes.

 

The way i see it, there seems to be little in the way of advanced maintenance knowledge, tips and advise when it comes to saws, whereas, there is when it comes to legalities, climbing tchniques, safety and legislation. Afterall, we are taliking of the tools of our trade, they are in a physical way, what earns us our keep. So why not have them running in the best possible way, extending life of such, and creating an easier tool to use for the operator.

 

So, the reason i asked is sometimes you can try too hard by pressing the file into the cutter when using a file guide, and therefore the file bows slightly, and you end up with the type of pointed cutter that steve was talking about that seems very sharp at first but doesnt last long at all.

 

Sounds to me like you are leaving it to your lad as an easy option, as you are not real good yourself. Just try and spend a bit more time on your own honing your skill, then you may be able to guide the young one better, once you have found better ways of sharpening.

[Johny Walker]

how many off you drop a file size as the cutter gets close to its ware limit ie from 3/8 to 3/16 i find it helps get the maximum out of a chain !!!

[Mesterh]

My sharpening skills must be poor since I cant notice the difference between a new chain and one thats just been sharpened

 

I have heard about this before and always thought it was bollx tbh

[Stephen Blair]

Yeh,

 

 

Sounds to me like you are leaving it to your lad as an easy option, as you are not real good yourself. Just try and spend a bit more time on your own honing your skill, then you may be able to guide the young one better, once you have found better ways of sharpening.

 

not at all, maybe i am coming across wrong or crap at explaining:blushing:i can sharpen a chain fine, but not awesome. i let the lad get on with things because he needs to learn, i used to be terrible at not letting lads do anything, ocd or control freak. you decide, but now that i have chilled a bit i know you have to let lads have a go and learn. and it has made a big difference, wee scotty can empty the mog, diesel her up, reverse trailers, cut hedges and is getting on with the saw just fine. makes my life so much easier.. saying that he nearly put the pto on with the chipper full up on the linkage yesterday:scared1:but my screaming at him through the mog window soon got his attention. i really need to get my bluetooth sorted.i used to file the life out of chains because they werent 100%, i struggle to leave the container if i know a plug key is lying on the bench and not in its place, or my boots arent facing the right way, or all the clothes are hanging up in their place..it drives me nuts, so if i can let go a wee bit at a time it does help.. yip defo ocd:sad:

[Marc]

Life is to short and there is much wood to be cut, it'll never be long till you need to sharpen anyways.

[tommer9]

how many off you drop a file size as the cutter gets close to its ware limit ie from 3/8 to 3/16 i find it helps get the maximum out of a chain !!!

 

Oregon recommend that after 50% life of the chain.

[18 stoner]

Think a 3/8 file might be a bit big to start with though:sneaky2:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think you mean 7/32:001_tongue:

[Stephen Blair]

i drop from 5.2mm to 4.8mm on the 046 when it gets past half way.or i throw it away and stick on a new one. lolthe price of chains now and lost time why the hell not, if i have been cutting up something full of crap and i have had to file a chain all day long, it usually gets hung up for a rainy day grind and stick on a new chain, oooooooooits like chrimbo

[Johny Walker]

verybody has there way own qurky way off doing things for the way they do this job it doesnt make it wrong or dangerouse some folk file free hand some use a jhig of sorts !!! me a placse for eveything & EVERYTHING in its place thank you

[18 stoner]

Ok, let you into a secret.......

 

Although i do use a depth guage regularly, i never use a round file guide!

 

I find the guides are not accurate enough as they give a little, but the depth is crutial and cannot be wrong with a guide.

 

As a result I can sharpen a chain sharper than new:001_smile: