How do you sharpen saw chain?

In my experience, yes... But I also do not run square chisel. Nor do any of the shops here have a Silvey. So in my local experience, my filed chains cut far better and hold an edge longer than ground chains.

Maybe I should run for public office :lol:
 
saw on the tailgate or chipper infeed table and one hand on the file. If I rock a chain or hit metal i have it ground or replace it.
 
Any sharpening implement that leaves finer abrasion on the teeth of what is being sharpened, will make for a sharper cutter. Of course a straight across edge will be better than a rounded one too. Most of what we consider as being sharp, is really quite a ragged edge when viewed under magnification.
 
woodworkingboy said:
Any sharpening implement that leaves finer abrasion on the teeth of what is being sharpened, will make for a sharper cutter. Of course a straight across edge will be better than a rounded one too. Most of what we consider as being sharp, is really quite a ragged edge when viewed under magnification.
Click to expand...

It also depends on the type of file you are using, and I think Pferd file leave the smoothest finish.
 
We don't sharpen chains with stones, but there is a very deep history of using stones to sharpen swords and knives in this part of the world. I have heard it said that some stones will also allow the edge to remain sharper longer, but I don't know the mechanism behind that. Beyond the sharpening practicality of stones, there is also the beauty of them, especially when wet (always water stones here). Very little in the way of mining for them now. A highest quality stone can run thousands of dollars. I have a number of stones that I use for plane irons and chisels, but nothing very pricey.

Some stones are so hard that you have to use another stone to rub them and build up a slurry, then sharpen in that.
 
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That's pretty fascinating Jay. I've been a sharpening geek (pocket knives and such) since I was a boy. My current trade just allows me to keep it up a bit. I actually ENJOY when the new guys rock the saws.:|:
 
flushcut said:
It also depends on the type of file you are using, and I think Pferd file leave the smoothest finish.
Click to expand...
Actually the Arbor pro or whatever Baileys sells is a finer file with regard to agressiveness than Pferd .They work wonderfull on hard as a rock Stihl chains .
 
I wonder if there is any practicality in getting a chain sharper than what a file can do, given the harsh cutting environment? It does take awhile to remove file marks when sharpening, so unless what you used was super hard, it would wear fast and become useless. Diamond hone? Many of the stones used today are man made ceramic ones of various grits. That small diameter might be subject to easy breakage too, unless some rod went through them.

I have a diamond wheel that I use on carbide chain, but I haven't used it on regular chain. Expensive little puppy, that's why.
 
Al Smith said:
Actually the Arbor pro or whatever Baileys sells is a finer file with regard to agressiveness than Pferd .They work wonderfull on hard as a rock Stihl chains .
Click to expand...

The Pferd are good files in my opinion, never tried the Arbor Pro. I have often wondered why the Woodsman Pro chains that Bailey's sells are cheaper than Oregon, yet the Woodsman Pro bars are way yonder higher than Oregon or Windsor bars. Can the bars be that much better? If price is an indicator, then the bars are good, but the chains aren't. A friend of mine who used to cut timber tried the Woodsman Pro chains and said he wouldn't buy another one. Junk was how he described them....:D
 
I've been using the pferd sharpening guide and it works actually really well. I think a skilled guy could get a much better edge with just the file, but for quick in the field hit it's the ticket IMO.

jp:D
 
We had some concrete in the garage cut. The guy brought out a big chainsaw and the cut was really smooth. What are those chains made out of?
 
Al Smith said:
Actually the Arbor pro or whatever Baileys sells is a finer file with regard to agressiveness than Pferd .They work wonderfull on hard as a rock Stihl chains .
Click to expand...
I have not use them but I'll give them a shot.
treesmith said:
The Pferd are good files in my opinion, never tried the Arbor Pro. I have often wondered why the Woodsman Pro chains that Bailey's sells are cheaper than Oregon, yet the Woodsman Pro bars are way yonder higher than Oregon or Windsor bars. Can the bars be that much better? If price is an indicator, then the bars are good, but the chains aren't. A friend of mine who used to cut timber tried the Woodsman Pro chains and said he wouldn't buy another one. Junk was how he described them....:D
Click to expand...
Woodland Pro bars from Baileys are rebadged Cannon bars.
 
We cut stone with a carbide tip chain...

I hear you on the stones Jay, my machete always gets a final hone with a stone after filing, always water stones.
 
I hand file. One hand on the file, no handle. I came to realize recently that where the palm of my hand meets the wrist is a hard callous. I suppose from the pointed tip of the file pushing into the skin there over the years. I cant stand to make a single stroke with a dull file. When a file feels dull to me, I snap it in half and toss it. I dont want it getting picked up and weaseled back into by bag of tricks. When I was a little younger i was pretty gung ho about really low rakers. I thought it was the cats ass cutting small wood with low rakers. ive since gotten over that idea. I like then just a little lower then most but still high enough to cut smooth and make face cuts without cursing and battling. I once climbed for a yahoo that ran only stihl 660's with 20" bars, poorly square ground chains, and NO rakers. he felt that was just marvelous. I still look back at that and cringe. It was kind of neat in 6" wood but aside from that it was insanity and frustrating at once. His saws fell apart and turned to garbage usually within 6-9 months as well.
 
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Treesmith: Rajan beet me to it: Woodsman Pro is just a name. The Cannon bars that go by that name are excellent, but they're so hard that they do chip if you're not careful. It doesn't follow that all the other stuff that goes by that name wld be just as good.

Tucker 943: Yeah, I've known a lot of guys like that too who think that taking down the stops really far is super cool; but it's dumb. Sure the saw absolutely flies through the small wood, but as soon as the bar gets buried in a big buck, it begins to sound like the guy is trying to cut through it with the chainbrake on :lol:.
 
Also there is a thing known as kick-back.

I enforce the use of rakerguides.
Have done so ever since I someone sent a saw up to me with the rakers filed way down.
Trying to run a beast like that in a tree is suicide.
 
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