I recently picked up a set of oregon hand files, and a new chain to try them out on. I have an el cheapo electric grinder that I've been using prior to these. It kept the chains sharp pretty good, but after a couple sharpenings, my rakers were too high and I'd end up with more sawdust than chips. Most of the reason I bought the hand files, was for the flat file and raker guide that it came with. I followed the advice on the chain sharpening thread, and I've been able to keep the new chain cutting like new. Maybe better than new - I filed the rakers a touch below the guide; takes a firmer grip but it really chews some wood now. But it's a heck of an adjustment from using the electric grinder. It takes me easily 2-3 times as long to sharpen the chain. I'm sure I'll get faster as I get more experience, but I was hoping you guys could give me a few "beginner" tips. It feels smoother to me to push the file, rather than pull it. So I end up turning the saw to the left and right constantly to do the opposing teeth. Basically, I start at the "oregon" link, feed a little through the bar, do the "left" teeth, then turn the saw around (keeping track of where I'm at) and do the right teeth. Then feed a little more, set the brake, and repeat. There's gotta be a better way! Do you guys do all the "left" teeth first, then the "right"? Any other tricks up your sleeve?
All the left...then all the right. Mark a tooth if you want. When the file glides smooth and is quiet....the cutter is sharp.
I do all one side first. Keep the file clean. I use compressed air and a little carb cleaner if the filings are oily. Use the same amount of strokes on each tooth. Never pull the file, always push. Practice, practice, practice. Much easier to file as soon as you notice lost performance then it it's to fix one up by hand that's toasted.
Files only cut in one direction...usually pushing. If you go the other direction it shortens the life of the file.
No sense in going back and forth. Just do one side, then do the other with the same number of pushes. I recently bought a file guide which greatly improved my sharpening "skill". I need to take the rakers down. Thanks for the reminder.
Every tankful of fuel (sometimes sooner depending on type of wood,if its frozen etc) I give the chain 2-3 strokes with the file.I watch the chips & don't wait until I see dust or powder. Always do 1 side first,then the other.Marking the tooth with a sharpie where I start. Files cut on push stroke,always lift on the return stroke.Every 3rd sharpening I bring the rakers down with 2-3 strokes from a flat file. A bit heavier cut for softer woods,less pressure for Hickory,White Oak,Honey Locust etc... Like anything else - practice makes perfect!
I've been touching them up every 1 or 2 tanks, depending on what I've been doing. If I was out in the woods, I'll touch them up after 1. But if I'm up at the house, sawing branches and rounds on the sawbuck, I'll wait if they still "feel" sharp. Thought of another question. I've heard that you should use the "same amount of strokes", but the occasional tooth seems to want an extra 1-2 before I get the "smooth" stroke. I'm sure it's a technique thing - not always applying the same amount of pressure, didn't have the file "square" to the bar on one of the strokes, etc. This a big deal? Should I go over the other ones to "even them out", or let it go?
I don't set the brake. Also, put a finger on the back side of the tooth plate and push it toward you to take up the clearance in the bar groove. Makes for nicer filing. I can file a chain much faster than I can grind it.
On the "takes a firmer grip". When cutting, it will cut faster if you let the saw rest against the wood, no matter how firm you grip or how strong, your arms will act as shock absorbers. Less tiring too. To file, I mark a cutter, do one side then the other, no brake. Rock forward more at the hips, no or very little arms & shoulders. I seem to stay straighter that way. Push only, don't pull the file backwards in contact with the cutters, it dulls the file. If you do 2 passes with the file, do 2 on every cutter, find a few that need more. do every cutter 2 more passes. You'll get a feel for the file, when it biting in good & when it's time for a new file. Clean it with brake clean
Now that I'm actually setting the raker height, I'm discovering that a "light touch" is best. I used to "push" the saw down into the cut, because it felt like it was going faster. Do that now, and my little 40cc doesn't have enough "oomph" to pull the chain! By "firmer grip", I meant that it really wants to feed itself into the cut now - wouldn't call it "grabby", but you want to hang on to it - definitely wants to pull out of my hands more than it used to. This was the just the sort of "technique" stuff I was hoping to learn here! I can definitely relate to this - that's the same sort of technique you want to use with a hand plane. From the hips, not the shoulders. Thanks for the pointers! Great stuff!
So if you hit a nail or rock worth one tooth, you file the rest of the chain down to the damaged one level? Thats a waste of good chain. The amount of material you take off one tooth doesn't matter as long as you set the depth gauge to that tooth. If your rakers are too low, then this grabby-ness will happen. Are you using a file guide to set the rakers? Low rakers are also hard on the PTO side bearings. Something I learned a long time ago was to keep the rakers high, especially when you have faster saws and square ground/filed chain.
The problem I had with putting an equal amount of strokes on each tooth, was keeping track of which one got the extra strokes! Seems like a PITA. Didn't seem to make any difference in how it was cutting. One time, using the grinder, I didn't put the same angles on both sides. It kept wanting to go diagonally through the cut. I thought that would probably be the symptom if I was getting too uneven with it. Seems to be cutting nice and straight. I did use the guide, but then I took an extra stroke off of each raker, because I was curious how it would do. It probably is a little much for my 40cc saw now, at least in harder woods, like the black locust I've been working up lately. It's like a hot knife through butter on softer stuff though. [EDIT] That's a nice "freaking" stang, BTW!!
I wouldn't do every tooth down to one rocked one, but in general that is what you shoot for. I add an extra stroke here or there if needed, but try to keep things close. I cut over 10 cords with my current chain. Hand filled since new. About half gone. Just had Pete even things out with a grinder. Should be good to hand file again now until it's gone. My biggest problem is keeping the angels the same from right to left. One side stays good at close to 30°, the other side gets closer to 35° over time. Still practicing myself, but getting there.
yeah, seems most people have a strong side and a weak side. Honestly, I wasn't that great of a round filer until I started filing square... it makes you relearn your technique or it just plain doesn't work
I'm a ways from moving on to square filling, but I'd like to try a loop sometime. I've never even seen square ground in person, but I know people like it. I do ok with round and can produce a very workable chain quickly.
