Al Smith
Mac Daddy
Just as a precaution any time you do any type of grinding it's a good idea to have plenty of venilation . It's not a bad idea to wear a mask although most of us don't to be quite honest about it .
Sharpening
- Thread starter brendonv
- Start date
- Replies 109
- Views 20K
J
Jamin Mayer
Guest
True. I had a box of masks ready for him, in fact, in front of him, but he didn't grab one. After a couple of hours I finally took one out and told him to put one one.:what:
T
Tom_Scheller
Guest
I can never find a way to sharpen comfortably. I seem to be able to throw wood around all day without a problem, but 10 minutes stooped to touch up a chain and my back is aching. Even at home I can never seem to get comfortable, worse part of my week for sure.
TS
TS
C. Kirk
TreeHouser
SkwerI
Treehouser
Hey Brendon, how's the filing technique coming along? Did you pick up some extra files when you bought that 361 the other day? 
brendonv
Tree Hugger
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #81
Technique is def. getting better. The vise on the chipper is def. a setup I am comfortable with now. At chestish height, it seems I can get my angles right more consistently. I blame this on being able to see it closer, instead of bending over on a bench vise. I found a couple files I had bought a while ago, using old files def. was one of the problems.
J
Jamin Mayer
Guest
I tried the Cyclone wheel with one chain the other day. Wow! It cuts the grinding time in half and it's clean.
I'm glad I bought the wheel.
http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=AB6+18&CAT=
I'm glad I bought the wheel.
http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=AB6+18&CAT=
sotc
Dormant hero!!
just need one in 8" diameter now
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Too heavy handed, and pull up a bit as you push.
lumberjack
Young man on the go
I'd say it's what's left of the original grind on the chain.
Get a picture from the other side, looking straight at (90* to) the "hook" of the cutter (other side of the tooth please), and another picture straight down on the tooth. From the looks of it, that's nearly perfect! 
If he was making a gullet the angles of that and the angle of the rest of the filed area would be the same, and there's no marks on that area from the file.
Get a picture from the other side, looking straight at (90* to) the "hook" of the cutter (other side of the tooth please), and another picture straight down on the tooth. From the looks of it, that's nearly perfect!
If he was making a gullet the angles of that and the angle of the rest of the filed area would be the same, and there's no marks on that area from the file.
sotc
Dormant hero!!
looks beautiful, you should go back and grind or file that out about half way through th life of the chain
lumberjack
Young man on the go
If you're trying to match the factory, your top plate angle is a bit too steep, but nothing drastic.
When I hold up I hold up like I'm trying to file towards the middle point of corner of the witness mark and the corner of the edge (in your picture, that's roughly the angle I'm going for, the angle doesn't change as the tooth gets shorter).
It's about time to play with the depth rakers!
When I hold up I hold up like I'm trying to file towards the middle point of corner of the witness mark and the corner of the edge (in your picture, that's roughly the angle I'm going for, the angle doesn't change as the tooth gets shorter).
It's about time to play with the depth rakers!
SkwerI
Treehouser
Looks great, Brendon. Carl was correct that it's just the mark of the original factory grind. After 2-3 more filings you won't hardly notice it.
Your angles look great. Don't change a thing.
Your angles look great. Don't change a thing.
D
Drella
Guest
This took me years to perfect. Just as important as the tooth, is the raker being properly filed down. If the raker is left high, you may have a sharp chain, but would cut like it was dull...
biggun
Monkey for Hire
As has been said angles are critical to the cutter type. When sharpening I always rotate the file away from the tooth whilst lifting slightly. I find it keeps the tooth clean and real sharp.
D
Drella
Guest
I found that this takes quite some time to learn to finesse the file in such a way.
The slight upward and backwardly stroke is most crucial! -is backwardly even a word?
Years ago when learning, I found that sharpening the outside tooth, I would push harder "with my left hand," than that of the inside. This would inevidentably cause the outside to wear quicker, that and the fact that it gets more abuse anyways...
D
Drella
Guest
I'm sure this might help keep the angle correct.
Sometimes, depending on how I'm bent over the chain, or how tired and how uncomfortable I am kneeling over the saw, I start to get sloppy.
And my file handle, different than what I linked to, helps quite a bit in keeping the angle honed...
A common mistake also is to push down. This will gouge the inside of the tooth and leave the top of the tooth virtually untouched. \ Plus, as you're looking at your chain from above, seeing a shiny edge on the top of the tooths cutting edge, is good gauge of telling when your saw needs filing.
I hope you don't mind that I took liberties with your photos. They were quite the snap-shots and I just couldn't resist...
Sometimes, depending on how I'm bent over the chain, or how tired and how uncomfortable I am kneeling over the saw, I start to get sloppy.
And my file handle, different than what I linked to, helps quite a bit in keeping the angle honed...
A common mistake also is to push down. This will gouge the inside of the tooth and leave the top of the tooth virtually untouched. \ Plus, as you're looking at your chain from above, seeing a shiny edge on the top of the tooths cutting edge, is good gauge of telling when your saw needs filing.
I hope you don't mind that I took liberties with your photos. They were quite the snap-shots and I just couldn't resist...
Magnus
TreeHouser
Filing is personal and everyone has their own way of filing and cutters shaped as they feel are best.
I file freehand with saw standing on end with bar up. This gives me better control and it is easier to hold angles.
I file so the traces in cutter are in level with top plate and if needed I clean out bottom after...
I try not to get too much of point in top corner as this will grab rather than cut and gets dull too fast.
As standard I touch it up every tank, to hold the sharpness and give it a better beating when I clean/service the saw in the shop. There I file freehand in a vice set up in chest height and this will give me same angles when standing as it is when I sit on a stump...
I file freehand with saw standing on end with bar up. This gives me better control and it is easier to hold angles.
I file so the traces in cutter are in level with top plate and if needed I clean out bottom after...
I try not to get too much of point in top corner as this will grab rather than cut and gets dull too fast.
As standard I touch it up every tank, to hold the sharpness and give it a better beating when I clean/service the saw in the shop. There I file freehand in a vice set up in chest height and this will give me same angles when standing as it is when I sit on a stump...
H
hornett22
Guest
if you ever need help learning and are up this way,i'd be glad to show you how to do it. my cell is 860-916-3290 Steve
another trick to getting more life out of your files is to use a file brush.you'll have to find them online or at an old school hardware store.the box stores won't have it or know what it is.Snap On used to have them but no longer offer it.it has many small bristles and gets the metal filings out of the file teeth.
another trick to getting more life out of your files is to use a file brush.you'll have to find them online or at an old school hardware store.the box stores won't have it or know what it is.Snap On used to have them but no longer offer it.it has many small bristles and gets the metal filings out of the file teeth.
J
JonnyHart
Guest
Yeah we had one of those at a company I used to work for, not a bad idea, I used it mostly for cleaning cooked wood off the cutters so I could see the edge.
J
Jonseredbred
Guest
I am a pro sharpening with the "wave" cut as shown in the picture above.
Magnus
TreeHouser
I get minimum 50-60 sharpening out of each file.
I wipe off the file after each tooth, rotate it after first stroke so I don't fill the file up with the crap on surface of the tooth and finally clean it with apple cider vinegar so it takes the burr of the files cutters. Lifting file on return gives it a longer life too.
Doing this gets the most out of each file.
Not all files last this long, but most last much longer.
I file 5-6 chains a day in average I think... Mostly 15" .325 and 24" 3/8.
I wipe off the file after each tooth, rotate it after first stroke so I don't fill the file up with the crap on surface of the tooth and finally clean it with apple cider vinegar so it takes the burr of the files cutters. Lifting file on return gives it a longer life too.
Doing this gets the most out of each file.
Not all files last this long, but most last much longer.
I file 5-6 chains a day in average I think... Mostly 15" .325 and 24" 3/8.
