Sharpening Thread

Here's a few videos I did testing cutting speed of semi chisel, full comp square ground, and full skip square.

 

I got the dremel sharpening kit as a present. It does work in a pinch. It may get some work on milling chains when it's mounted on the mill. Might be easier and quicker than swapping chains with the mill on it.

 

I dont care for the Husky roller style guide. But I do like the raker guage on it.

 

Nice post, so what is your chain type preference mdavlee out of the three you were testing?

The files have stayed in the toolbox for a long time, prefer to do it on the speed sharp grinder. When I was in the business, customers would occasionally ask for them to be hand filed. Mostly ice carvers.

Hats off to you guys doing it old school, I am sure you can get a better cut than on a machine.

 

If chips are flying & the saw is cutting fast & relatively straight,
All is good.
I'm cutting firewood not ripping boards

Close to an even cutter length , a good angle and sharp is important.
I've been a little off with cutter lengths & angles
& not noticed any problems.
Again, it's firewood cutting I'm referring to.

I've seen many professional ground chains look burned on the cutter tips
by grinding to much to fast.

That's what got me to learn to hand file. Hard to overheat the cutter tips
with a file.

Like MM says pick one method, get reasonably good at it.

I don't go thru a chain per year cutting 10 cords , hand filing
is easy & economical for my situation.

 

I rotate through 5 or 6 chains.

Sharpen on the grinder. I don't get too fussy with them, don't last long enough to spend more than 4-5 mins a chain.

 

For falling and bucking where it is square chisel. For milling and stuff with mud semi chisel.

 

Mike on AS and sawhawgz makes that vise and several similar ones. He makes a few styles to take file guides also. I think that one will take the timberline sharpener and maybe one more. The Silvey 600 grinder I had did a good job on the teeth for a 35 year old grinder. The diamond wheel helped that I'm sure. Grinding has a learning curve as dose filing of any kind. I had never used any grinders until 3 years ago. I bought a silvey swing arm square grinder. I've been hand filing since I was in high school when I bought a husky 350 for clearing hunting lanes and stuff.

 

I truly believe I have "Mastered" the art of hand filing semi-chisel chain with a round file as I have posted previously. However, I bought my first full-chisel chains recently and was quite disappointed with my results trying to round file them. Got them good and sharp to start with but they lost that edge in nothing flat. I realize now that I will have to try and learn the art of square filing them. I won't buy a grinder, so if I can't learn to square file them, it will be back to semi-chisel for me!

 

Square filing is a lot different. You go outside in with the file and hold 3 angles at once. Semi chisel I file lower on the tooth to get more hook to gain some cut speed. For milling I don't do that since it makes a rougher finish.

 

For those who feel they have a good grasp on filing and grinding...
What top plate angles are you using?
And why?
And for 3/8 pitch chain, what size file?
And why?
For the grinders, what head tilt angle?
And why?

Discuss...

 

Good questions Hedge.

Grinder: I have a Harbor Freight cheapy grinder. The head tilt is fixed at 60°. I use Sthil chain which came ground at a 30° angle so I have continued that angle.

As far as hand filing I use a Stihl 2in1 file designed for 3/8" chain on both the 3/8" & .404 chain. Yea I know I should get the right one for the .404 chain but it doesn't do too bad of a job. I then use a flat file to round off the leading edge of the rakers giving them an extra stoke or three as the cutter shortens. Obviously I am not an expert or even a rank amateur when it comes to chain sharpening but am eager to learn.
I am looking forward to the other responses to come.

 

What if you were to go with a 25 degree top plate and change your head angle to 50 degrees??? Or maybe 45???

 

Would that be a 7/32 or a 13/64?

 

13/64"