Like most things, sharpening a chainsaw can be as difficult or as easy as one chooses to make it. STIHL. Hand sharpening the snaggle-toothed cutters of a chainsaw chain is a bit of an artform. If hand sharpening your chain seems a little daunting and you don’t want to invest in an automatic grinder, a bar-mounted sharpener is a happy medium.
Tips on keeping your chain saw sharp and how to buy the right saw. Successfully sharpening a chain saw involves three steps: shaping the chisel-like teeth that cut wood; adjusting the parts of the chain that regulate the bite taken by each cutter; and fine-tuning the tension of the chain so it runs freely, with no slack, around the bar. Practice sharpening on a saw chain that’s almost new, ideally a chain that has become dull for the first time.
File Sharpening Using a file to hand sharpen a dull saw chain might seem like a very slow way to go. Bench-Top Sharpeners If you use a chainsaw all year-round or if you own more than one chainsaw, then you can save a significant amount of time and energy by sharpening the saw chains with a bench-mounted sharpener. A bench-top sharpener is certainly the quickest, most accurate way to sharpen a saw chain, but just as importantly it makes it nearly impossible to ruin a saw chain by grinding away too much material.
Since saw chains have cutters that alternate orientation along the chain, you need to use a chainsaw sharpener on all cutters on one side, then swivel the chain holder and tackle those pointing the other way. An electric chainsaw sharpener is ideal for this kind of periodic chain maintenance, though you will need to change the abrasive wheel to an extra-wide version made for this work. No matter how you use a chainsaw sharpener, it makes sense to keep an extra chain or two on hand, sharp and ready to go as you’re working in the forest.
best way to keep chainsaw sharp Related Question:
Why does my chainsaw chain dull so quickly?
Dirt Causes A Chainsaw To Dull If you’re cutting through logs and your angle of approach is too steep, a simple cut through could nick dirt or even worse, rocks on the floor causing your chainsaw to jerk, thus dulling.
How long should a chainsaw blade stay sharp?
A chainsaw may only need to be sharpened once a year if it is rarely used, but a tool that is frequently used will need to be sharpened regularly to ensure that the blade doesn’t get too dull. On average, a chainsaw blade will retain its sharpness for about 3 hours of actively cutting through wood.
What’s the best angle to sharpen a chainsaw blade?
Always file at right angles to the guide rail. The right sharpening angle depends on the saw chain and the wood that you want to cut. The sharpening angle will generally be between 25° and 35° – the harder the wood, the greater the angle.
How often should you flip the bar on a chainsaw?
Some professional loggers would advocate that you should flip your chainsaw bar at the end of every use, particularly when you are cleaning up. Others suggest a more relaxed approach advising that you flip the chainsaw bar only when you are changing your chainsaw blade.
Does wet wood dull a chainsaw?
Does Cutting Wet Wood Dull a Chainsaw? Using your chainsaw to cut through wet wood will not dull the chain any faster than using it for other types of wood. When you think about it, your chainsaw chain is already wet. True, it is not wet with water.
How do I make my chainsaw chain more aggressive?
In general, if you want to have an aggressive cut, you are going to need a chainsaw chain that operates as quickly as possible. A chainsaw chain with full chisel teeth means that you are cutting with a very high speed. Speed being one of the main ingredients behind an aggressive chain, this is clearly vital.
Can you use wd40 on chainsaw?
We recommend using WD-40® Specialist® Fast Acting Degreaser and soak it for 10 to 15 minutes. Next, use a wire brush to remove all the grime (repeat several times) and wipe with a paper towel to make sure all the dirt is gone.
Why is my chainsaw blade smoking?
This most commonly is a result of a dull chain and exerting to much pressure on the bar and chain trying to make the chain saw cut. This could also be either a lack of bar and chain oil ( tank empty, restricted oiler hole ) or an inferior type of oil that is being slung off the chain and not lubricating.
How many times can a chainsaw chain be sharpened?
Cutters can be sharpened up to 10 times or more before the chain needs replacing. If your cutters are worn unevenly after a few sharpenings, a professional can regrind them to uniform shape. If you use the same chain for a few years, then buy a new one, the new one won’t mesh smoothly with the sprocket and bar.
Is it worth it to sharpen a chainsaw chain?
Sharpening your chainsaw chain is definitely worth it as a sharp chainsaw chain is easier to work with. It takes less effort to cut through wood and your chain will make cleaner cuts with sharp blades. A chainsaw chain can be sharpened multiple times without much of a cost.
What is full chisel chain?
A full chisel chain is designed for the fast cutting action. In comparison to the semi-chisel chain, this chain has square-cornered teeth which makes it more aggressive when cutting.
What degree do you sharpen a 3/8 chainsaw chain?
What degree do you sharpen a 3/8 chainsaw chain? If you don’t know, or cannot figure out which chain you have, you can use the ‘default’ angles that most shops will use when sharpening chains that customers bring in: 30° / 60° / 0°, with a 0.025″ depth gauge offset.
What is the down angle on a chainsaw chain?
According to the chain’s manufacturer, the chain should be sharpened with a 10 degree down angle, but with a note that when sharpening with a hand file to use a 0 degree down angle.
Why do people turn their chainsaw bars upside down?
Every chainsaw bar has been designed to be mounted right-side up or upside down. The reason for this is that it allows the user to extend the life of his chainsaw bar by 50%. Flipping the bar will give the heavily-used areas some relief from wear and tear.
What chainsaw chains do professional loggers use?
Stihl is the most popular chainsaw for professional loggers. It has a long-lasting chain, and you can also enjoy the exceptional cutting speeds available with this brand of chainsaw. Additionally, the chains are high-performance, low vibration, and quiet in their performance.