# Chain Saw Sharpening



## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

I feel a little silly asking this question, but I figure you guys in this section would know. I've cut firewood for years and I sharpen my own chains with files, usually because it's quicker to sharpen then to change the chain. I cutting along a train right-of-way which naturally has rocks underneath the soil. I have enough common sense to cut partway through the log, roll it and to finish the cut. I know dirt can even dull a chain beyond use, so I careful not to run it into the ground. With that said, I do from time to time hit dirt/rocks. I'm not perfect and the saw gets heavy as the day goes on. The point of all of this is that I'm having trouble sharpening the chain that I've been using on the last several PU loads of wood. It's new, maybe only 1/4 used, so I hate to pitch it. I haven't had much luck in the past with the local places that sharpen chains.

The chain feels like it's on backwards (no it is not) when using the center of the bar. It refuses to dig in until you bring the log up against the motor. Then it cuts, but not very well. I've sharpened it twice using the recommended 7/32" file. I've sharpened the underside of the teeth, the gullets (I think that's what they're called) and even ran a flat file across the top side (outer face) of the tooth. The latter usually that takes care of the problem when you hit a rock. The guide teeth are knocked down as well (I think).

The only thing I can think of is I don't have all the tops filed flat and that's what is causing the chain to float. I've even refiled the bottom of the gullets (semi circle left by the file) to be level with the bottom (where it meets the chain) of the guide teeth (make any sense?). This only has happened once before and I ended up going over the chain 3 or 4 times until it started cutting.

Lastly, I don't mean to belaboring this matter, I'm not opposed to taking it somewhere and have them try (hoping they don't butcher it). It's just a PITA when you're out cutting somewhere and you waste a lot of time resharpening. I'd just like to know what causes this or what I'm doing wrong.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Having ground 26 chains today at my sharpening shop (the city and the township decided to drop them all off at once :huh *"The chain feels like it's on backwards"* Between the cutters there are rakers that clean kerf. If the cutters have been brought down too much, the rakers need filed as well. These are also called cutter depth gauges...if they are higher than the cutter...well they rub the wood and the saw won't cut.

Sorry if you knew all this, that was just my first though.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

djg said:


> The guide teeth are knocked down as well (I think).


:blush: I skimmed over that. It still would not hurt to lay a straight edge across the tops of the cutters to make sure the gauges are lower that the tips of the teeth.


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

Maybe the rakers need to be filed down a little more. I'll put on my glasses this time. I'll probably will check the top (flats) and the corners of the teeth again and make sure there's no burrs. When I file the rakers, I just file them flat. Should I be filing the leading edge round as in the picture? I don't pretent to be an expert on sawing, so I thank you for your patience in furthering my "education". I just hate not being able to something so simple myself.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Flat is ok, it's a little more friction than rounded so it robs a tiny bit of power, but I don't think it's a huge deal.


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## athorp (Feb 20, 2010)

Have you checked the bar on the saw? Make sure the chain groove on the bar is not mushroomed over. It does not seem to take much for the mushrooming on the bar to add resistance. If the saw seems to cut well at the tip and the base I would see if the center of the bar is mushroomed out. You can just file the bar smooth if there is not too much wear.


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

Sounds like I'm doing everything the right way. I'll recheck everything again, its easy to miss something. I know you have a machine, but I can't imagine doing 30+ in a day. Thanks for your help. No need for further replies.


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## Barry Ward (Mar 22, 2008)

*Chainsaw sharpining*

Kinda tough to tell without seeing the chain.maybe you could take it to a shop an they may point out the problem to you.It couldn't hurt.As for sharpening,I picked up one of those cheapie elect. sharpeners at HF and it does a pretty decent job.I just wait untill I get a bunch of dull ones then sharpen them all at once.It was on sale for 39.00.Wish I could help more.


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## patcaulfield (Jan 23, 2009)

*I am glad you asked this question*

Boy, am I glad you asked this, as I too am in the same situation, e.g. sharping my own chains, but the saw doesn't really bit into the log until it's against the stop.

Never thought about looking at the rakes, thanks for a Saturday morning project.

Pat Caulfield


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## smithingman (Jan 8, 2010)

I recently got a Pferd filing set up. It has a file for the tooth and the rake in one set up. It takes the rake down a specific amount in relationship to the tooth. If you file the rake too much by eye the saw will buck and jump like mad, too little and it won't cut. For a handheld guide, it works very well-I get my chains razor sharp . I used to cut firewood for a living in my youth (4 cords a day-cut split and delivered-have had back surgery since-I wonder why?) so I know what the difference between a sharp and not so sharp chain is. Oregon also makes a guide that works pretty well-clamps onto the bar and has settings for the specific angle of the chain. If you want to file the chain yourself they both work well. I like the Pferd better myself-I have used them both.
Mark Emig


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## Greenhead Sharpening (Nov 24, 2009)

Sometimes, in my opinion, hand filing is good, but its worth it to pay the $5 and have it sharpened by a shop. I see it all the time, the tooth gets worn away and the file just doesn't bring it back like a grinding wheel can. My second guess would also be the rakers. It sounds like classic raker symptoms.


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## Rory (Feb 24, 2010)

If you are having this issue after only sharpening the chain a couple times I would have to guess that you are taking too much metal off when you are sharpening. When using the correct file and filing at the correct angle, it should not take more that 2 or 3 strokes per cutting tooth. when you do the first tooth look at it after each file stroke to see if it is clean and shiney looking. If it is, stop right there, then move on to the next tooth. Try to take off equal metal with your file on both right and left cutting teeth. The less metal you take off while sharpening the better. Your chain will last longer and you won't be having to file down the depth guages as often. Good Luck!


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## smithingman (Jan 8, 2010)

Machine grinding is best, but for me out in the middle of nowheres its a 1/2 hour trip to town, 1/2 hour back plus the time waiting for the chain or having to go back and pick them up just doesn't make financial sense. My shop rate is 65 bucks an hour and the lost production time hurts. I get a razor sharp chain and only lose 5 minutes max. If I was closer to town I'd probably have a shop do them. I keep 4 chains for each bar size, and just rotate them when dull and sharpen them at the end of the day.
Mark


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## jnandory (Feb 27, 2010)

its sounds to me like your rakers are too high. the rakers are inbetween each tooth, to take them down use your flat file and take about three or four strokes on each one. but make sure you are filing them from the right side. every other raker has to be filed from the opposite side of the one you are filing. but make sure you don't take them down to far or it will tend to stick in the wood. they should be taken down about a matchbook thickness below the top of the tooth. the best way to judge it is by laying a file across the top of two teeth to see how far down you are. and when you are sharpening you should always use the 10 30 degree method to sharpen. that is a 10 degree angle up and a 30 degree angle sideways. its just the very tip of the tooth you are trying to sharpen. the gullet is the part of the tooth that allows the wood chip to exit the tooth so it is important to keep that filed down but if you do it correctly you should only have to do that about every fourth sharpening. hoped that helped any other questions just reply


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## connie (Aug 30, 2018)

I am using oregon's powersharp as my chainsaw sharner. Oregon’s PowerSharp comes in several versions that differ according to a chain saw’s bar length and whether you’re retrofitting it for the first time. The full kit includes a replacement chain and guide bar (what the chain wraps around). The sharpener resides in a sleeve into which you insert the business end of the saw, as if you were putting it into a protective case. Once the saw is in the sharpener, you engage the blade and presto, it’s sharp again. This feature is especially handy when you have hours of cutting to do and might need to sharpen the blade more than once. I have bought it from a review while searching on google about this and it will termed to be so much helpful for me. While the starter kit costs about $60, the price tag will be half that when the time comes to replace just the chain and sharpener.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

I too had the same issue with burning up blades.
until - my neighbor saw me cutting and explained to me
that I would have much better success if I put the "teeth"
of the saw against the wood and use that as a fulcrum to
help force the blade into the cut. I noticed a world of difference.
(just because we have been using a chainsaw for 40 years
does not mean we have been doing it _correctly_ all that time).
teeth: a/k/a = spikes, bumper, spike bar, bumper spike bar, etc.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*The spikes are there for a reason ....*

Obviously, the chain must be sharpened correctly as others have pointed out, but there are two different ways to operate the saw depending on the particular task. For "bucking" larger logs into smaller ones, use the spikes to apply downward leverage/pressure rather than using the weight of the saw or addition arm pressure. For "limbing", I use the weight of the saw OR if more control is needed apply more force on the front handle while pulling on the rear handle.

After a few years/months/days of sawing you figure this out. I also try to keep the cutting plane of the blade and bar off to one side of my body and legs. Kinda like chopping or splitting with an axe, don't chop towards your feet or something bad will happen. Splitting with and axe is a definite no-no for me, I use a splitting maul and put my work piece log on a large stump. The stump offers resistance to the downward force making the maul more effective. Splitting is most effective when the temperature is below freezing, but that point you need the wood for the stove to stay warm inside the house.:|

I also sharpen my own chain saw blades using a high speed small stone grinder, I grind the burrs off the bars on the belt grinder AND I rotate the bars after every other sharpening. I spray a friction reducing lubricant on the bars after sharpening to reduce wear. I am going to try adding a friction reducing additive in the bar oil just for the heck of it. I don't think it will hurt in small amounts. The chemistry of additives has gone off the charts with all the micro-molecular stuff going on these days.
Some cars don't require changing oil for a hundred thousand miles. Fuels are cleaner burning also. :vs_cool:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Myself, I take the chain off the saw and sharpen it on my bench grinder. I have a metal cutting blade on the grinder and it sharpens the chain sharper than new.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I just finished sharpening a 20" chain ....*

The sharpening part went just fine, but there were other issues. :surprise2:

The starting handle would jam half way out and I would end up lifting the saw into the air. So, I decided to do a full maintenance ritual. I removed the plug, blasted it with media and gapped it. I ground the burrs off the bar on both sides. I cleaned out the oily sawdust in the oil hole and bar groove with a cut off nylon zip tie. I put grease in the roller sprocket on the bar tip. I added friction reducing additive to the bar oil. The starting rope was OK, but there was too much friction on the return sprocket, so I loosened up that screw until it returned easily. The plastic parts are held on by Torx screws T25's. All in all, a very worthwhile effort. Ready to go out on the next job. :wink:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*one more thing I forgot ....*

I cleaned out the air filter! Do not overlook this important step. It was as clogged with caked on saw dust as any air filter I've ever seen. I had to blow it out and spray it with brake cleaner to get it back to new again. I haven't started it after all this, but it should run and work much better. If not, I will not post a comment..... :vs_OMG:


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

Wow this is an old thread. Wait a minute, I'm the OP. Just kidding. Nothing wrong with pulling up an old thread; I've done it. A lot of good information for those who were in my position.
I've gotten better sharpening and I now believe my original problem was not knocking down the guide teeth as often as I should.
I did recently have a chain that was acting the saw way as the original one did, but sharpening teeth and guides and even de-burring the top of the teeth. But it still wouldn't dig in. So I just replaced it with another and got back to work.


One problem I do have more often is the saw cutting to one side (right). The only thing I can think of is I've got one set of teeth more filed than the other set of teeth facing the other side of the bar. To sharpen. I push stroke the file on the set of teeth facing me and the flip the file around and pull stroke the other opposing set of teeth. The problem is you can't get the same pressure as on a push stroke. So more is taken off the push stroke side than the pull stroke side. Make sense to anyone? Or is there another reason?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I think that's it!*

I sharpen my chains while they are on the bar. I put the bar in the big vise and that way I can rotate the chain all the way around to the tooth I marked with a RED Sharpie. I use a rotary stone grinder rather than a file an it goes pretty quick. After a while you get into a rhythm and get both the angles pretty close. The problem is as you suggest the opposite side teeth. I can either turn the bar around in the vise or readjust my stance and give it a go trying to get the angles right on that side. I think it's probably easier with the grinder than the file, but which ever you are best with should work OK.

I use an old Craftsman grinder that holds 1/8" shank bits or stones, but this one would also do the job, and it's very reasonable:

https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Portab...Z8U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535689645&sr=8-1&

If you are out in the woods and need a 12 V or battery powered grinder, this one looks to be OK, but needs a USB charging port:
https://www.amazon.com/Tacklife-PCG..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=T86BJR1VWDNB24SR6C9Z

A better one without the USB charging issue:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DL29RM...&pd_rd_r=2b0b58fb-acd7-11e8-a16e-f165ee31ead5


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