Why is this chain not sharp?

Shoot, that chain is almost new! Lot's of life left. Try one of these:


There are a bunch of videos on the tube, if you don't like this guy, pick a different one. Kits are about $15 @ Lowes.


The guide will "train" you how to hold the file and eventually you'll be able to freehand.

 

I agree with The Wood Wolverine, they did not sharpen it back far enough. Get a granberg g106b.

Amazon.com : Granberg Bar-Mount Chain Saw Sharpener, Model# G-106B : Oregon Chainsaw Sharpener : Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

What? I don't think that's what he said

 

He said it was damaged back farther than they ground it. I said it needed sharpened back farther. To me that is the same thing.

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Chain sharpening tutorial.

 

The chain is basically brand new. Used it once and hit a nail with it. Prior to this it was spitting out huge pieces of wood almost making piles of hay.

 

I've seen these recently. They look pretty cool. Do I need a reg .325 roller for a stihl RS chain or the .325 "narrow kerf" roller?

 

You need the silver .325 roller, not the narrow kerf version.
I recently started teaching my son how to file and these rollers work great at doing that. The flat silver piece that swings is a raker or depth gauge file guide, so it does it all. Place it on the chain like this and file off anything sticking up past it. Pretty simple.

 

I've seen the stihl rollers at the dealer but they're ridiculously priced at $37. The husky rollers are $13 on Amazon

 

When I mentioned file guides last evening , I messed up . It's he FF1 guide ($11 ) ,not the FG1 . That would be stupid expensive ,even if you could get it .

 

One valuable piece of advice I can share... don't drag the file backwards (toward you) on the chain. This is not good for it! Only make contact as you push.

For $13, try it... You can post pics of your results here and get tips to refine and perfect your work. Only bad thing with damage is, you have to keep filing to get past the damage which will make you more aware of keeping the chain out of the dirt. I realize you didn't bury it this time, but it will change how you treat the edge when fresh. After you finish, follow up with the raker gauge and you should keep cutting straight.

 

I worked for a shop that sharpened chains and they had a very nice Oregon grinder. They asked if I would sharpen chains for them. I told them no because they would not allow the time to do them right. They asked what I meant and I told them they do not drop the rakers when they are finished sharpening. I told them that the tooth can be sharp as a razor blade and it will not cut until you drop the rakers.

Nothing changed and I did not sharpen their chains.

 

A dealer here charges $6 to sharpen a chain. $2 to adjust the depth gauges. $2 if they have to take the chain of the saw. I think most chains that are taken somewhere to be sharpened need the depth gauges adjusted.

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I've heard the husky rollers are set at a 35 degree angle. My stihl chain is 30 degree. Can anyone verify this?

 

Out of all the filing guides, I like those roller ones best. I found I could do it free hand better than using the style with the flat plate the file goes in. I do it free hand whenever I am touching up the chain in the woods or at the woodpile, but when I have the saw in the basement I put in in the vice and use the roller gauge to make shure I have still have the correct angles. One of the best things you can do if you run a saw is know how to keep it sharp. If you have some old junk chains, spend time on them with a guide you like and make them so they will cut again, once you can do that then regular sharpening will be easy.

 

I was going to comment that I have those exact same rugs; and then I noticed we have the same coffee table and worn out stool too!

Wait, are you sharpening your chains in my back room???

To the OP, your chain is not sharp because they did not sharpen it. The teeth are all still grimy - I don't think they even touched it at all. They'd be getting an uncomfortable visit from an irate customer if it was me.

[EDIT] Oh, wait, you used it, nevermind. Yeah those top plates just don't look sharp to me. The cutting edge should be so sharp that you cant see it with the naked eye.

 

How can you tell they're not sharp by looking at it?

 

Zoom in close on this pic. You can see nicks along the entire edge. That edge should be so fine that it reflects no light.

 

Get a file & practice.
You will do a better job than they did.

My guess is if you take it back, they'll grind it way back & burn it.

After a couple bad sharpening jobs & several overheated chains,
I got a basic file/guide & started doing my own. Mine may not be perfect, but they throw chip, not dust.