Sharpening blades

I am inconsistent when I file a chain by hand or with a dremel. What do you guys use? I saw a hand jig that clamps on the bar and have seen electric ones.

is this chain too far gone to keep sharpening?

Thanks,
Pauk

 

Stihl 2 in 1 or Pferd works well.

 

The drivers look really worn or hammered off from sprocket. Might just be the lighting. The teeth have lots of life left. I don’t like filing 2 rakers. I’m a hand filer and one raker is enough filing for me.

 

The roller guide Husky sells works great to help you learn to do it freehand, or just use it all the time. Give the kit a try, it's not that expensive. LEss than $20 most places.



Just make sure you get the right one. The 3/8 kit is a different color, but I believe you have .325


And, still lots of life left in that chain.

 

These work well too.

 

I use this ^^^^
Last week I bucked a nice Red Oak thanks to The Wood Wolverine.
After cutting the limbs back I got into the bigger stuff. Noticed on the 18" logs I was startin to cut curves.
I was using a newish chain and 20"bar on an MS290.
Inspected the chain and it looked sharp, but I still did 2 passes on each tooth.
Cut a couple more and was still getting a little curve.
Sharpened again and did 3 passes on the left side and 2 on the right.
Cut went straight after this.
Once I got into the 24" stuff, I would sharpen with 2 passes on each side every 2 tanks of gas.
Saw was throwin all chips and cutting straight thru the 30" stuff.
The Pferd helps you keep the angle right, but you still have to hold it level.
Also, once the raker gets filed down, you need to round it off a little.
Mounting the bar in vise helps you maintain level.
I use one of these in the field.

It takes some practice and a lot of patience with a little trial and error on technique to get each tooth sharp.

 

There is a lot of life left in that chain

 

I think it is just the l

I think it is just the light. The upper left you can see they are the normal depth.

 

Got one of these clamps in my Amazon cart right now.

 

I looked them up. Are they worth the extra money?

 

I have the pferd only cuz it was cheaper than the stihl 2 in 1 a few years ago. Pferd makes the stihl sharpener so the two are essentially the same product.

 

One of the best inventions since sliced bread.
I spent 40 years sharpening chains like I was taught by the old timer loggers.
Round file and flat file, no guide, no vice.
The Pferd makes it easier to get consistent angle across the tooth.
Takes less time also.
There are knock of cheaper brands, but lots of negative reviews.

 

If you have a Stihl file set with the file holder, they make a fixture that will hold it at the correct angles . Really helps building the muscle memory for free hand filing . It’s called an FF1 I believe .

 

another vote for the 2 in 1 but I do have to regularly blow the files off with the air gun
and I would cut a whole bunch of wood with that chain pictured

 

That’s something I’ve been trying to come up with a good way of cleaning the files. Been spraying them with brake cleaner lately.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Use an old tooth brush. I'm a bit obsessed with keeping my files clear of metal. Tap it on something, then a couple swipes with the brush and good to go. Quick and easy.

 

Im a tapper too with files, especially when using the vise.

 

The teeth have plenty of "meat" left but looks like its very dull. I freehand file either on the bar, on the bar in a vise or off the bar and in the vise. Ive filed chains until almost no meat left and they cut fine. Just make sure you file the rakers (depth guages lower as you sharpen)

Once a chain starts cutting poorly its best to stop and swap out chains rather than continue cutting, unless you like filing.

 

The only problem I found with the Stihl 2 in 1 is I can't figure out how to use it. A guy gave me a brand new one . I tried using it. Couldn't. Took a round file out of it and filed my saw . Cut great.
I figured out how to grind chain with a Bell , and a Nielson and a Pro Sharp and an SDM 4 and a 450 + 451 Simington. And every kind of chisel file I've ever seen . And round file . And put up Great chains.
But I couldn't figure out that Stihl thing.