As the name suggests, a depth gauge is a part of the cutter tooth that controls the depth of the cut. I will show you first how the depth gauge affects the cutting efficiency of your chainsaw. While the cutter teeth have been filed, it is also important to adjust the depth gauges to compromise our cutting depth.
“Before you perform any depth gauge maintenance you need to learn what the setting is. The image above is an Oregon brand cutter tooth. As you can see, the correct depth,.025”, is stamped on the depth gauge. Low depth gauge settings require more power from your saw motor, shorten the life of your chain, cut rougher, increase operator fatigue, and increase the risk of kickback injury. Each file stroke does not take an equal amount of material from the depth gauge.
how to file chainsaw depth gauge Related Question:
How do you sharpen a depth gauge on a chainsaw?
Place a round chainsaw file on a tooth on the left side and pull the file in one direction across the tooth at a 45-degree angle. Pull the file across the tooth five times for general sharpening or up to ten times for very dull blades. Repeat for each tooth on the left side of the chain.
What does a depth gauge on a chainsaw do?
A depth gauge is used to provide a flat surface across the teeth of your chainsaw’s teeth to provide a guideline for filing them down to the same height. Step 1: Place a round file on a tooth on the left hand side and, holding it at a 45 degree angle, pull it in a single direction across the tooth.
What happens if you file rakers too low?
If the rakers aren’t at the right depth, your saw won’t self-feed and you’ll find yourself pushing down on the saw as you cut. That not only wears you out, but it wears out the bar and chain as well.
Are all chainsaw depth gauges the same?
A: When depth gauges are uneven, each cutter tooth on the chain takes a different sized bite. This causes the chain to cut rough and vibrate. If the depth gauges are higher on one side than the other, this causes the chain to cut crooked. The cut will pull in the direction of the side that has the lower depth gauges.
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.
What angle do you file a chainsaw chain?
STIHL saw chains are generally filed to an angle of 30° – parallel to the service mark for the filing angle. Hold the file so that one quarter of its diameter projects above the top plate.
Why does my chainsaw pull to the left?
One major reason a chainsaw curves to either the right or left during a cut is that it was unevenly sharpened. The unequal teeth of the chain cause it to take a different-sized bite into the wood. What is this? The uneven sharpness of the chain is mainly due to manual sharpening, especially with the use of a file.
Why does my chainsaw cut at an angle?
Uneven top plates can cause a chain to cut crooked. It’s important to keep all top plates equal length. Dull cutters damaged by rocks can cause a chain to cut crooked. It’s important to remove all damage from cutters prior to cutting.
Does cutting 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.
Why is my chainsaw cutting in a curve?
Check the size of the top plates, which sit on the longer sections of each tooth on the chain. These top plates should be the same size. If some are shorter than others, file the longer ones down to match. Keep the same angle on all the top plates as you file – angles that don’t match also can cause curved cutting.
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.
Why does my chainsaw bar smoke?
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 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.