I havent seen any around, not that ive been looking. Im content with round filing. Given a loop to try id try it. Really dont want to learn another filing method.
I put the file to mine yesterday Brad. It was a bit weird at first but after a few teeth it wasn't much different than round filing.
As a machinist I thought I knew a thing or two about cutter geometry. I also thought for the longest time that hand filing chains was a dumb pursuit, when a chain grinder can be bought for around $200. So a couple years ago I went out and bought one, and have enjoyed using it. Just the other day though, I spent about an hour hand working one of my beater chains, seeing what I could make it do. I cleared out the bottom of the gullet and using the various shaped files I had on hand, I made something resembling a square grind. I tried it out yesterday and wow It cut dead straight and smooth. Easily the best cutting hand sharpened chain I've used. I see why there's a lengthy thread on this forum covering the topic. It's not witchcraft like I once thought, but it's a learned skill and I can see why it has something of a cult following. The one thing I learned right out of the gate is that I need to buy the actual double bevel file designed for square grind. I did alright using the combination of files I had, but man was it time consuming.
Best way to learn, if you don't have someone in the same room to teach you, is to have a chain that's been ground properly right in front of you. You can position the file in the cutter and feel when it's sitting flat and see how it needs to be held. If you ever get to that point, give me a holler, I'll gladly grind one for you.
