[Closed] Chainsaw sharpening advice (proper man topic)!

Does the chain have guide marks?

I would not say I am an expert, but have managed to use one of the round files with a flat bar attached successfully to keep a chain sharp

There are lines scored on the bar to show what angle to hold the file.

I find it best to do all the left ones, then do all the right ones as I seem to get the angle right then.

I would recommend little and often once you have it working properly again.

Also don't spend too much time, I thing a new Oregon chain is about £20

HTH

Until you know the angles from practice get yourself the stihl sharpening kit which includes files, handle, guide bar with angle markers, guide tooth height measurer and guide tooth flat file. Then check out some you tube videos. It's not expensive. I will link to it in a minute

The price of a new chain is immaterial, chains should be sharpened regularly - you don't ditch a chain till its filed away or develops a fault. I use £5 Archer chains sometimes but still file them a couple of times a day.

mr solutions on ebay. just buy new chains. iv'e been using these for years, no trouble whatsoever. sharpening chains is a chore, don't forget removing chain after sharpening to flush out filings from the bar, neglect this and by a new bar every few sharpens etc, etc...

[img] [/img]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stihl-5605-007-1028-0-325-inch/dp/B002YSZ2WW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424635391&sr=8-2&keywords=stihl+sharpening+kit

You can get a cheap file and guide too, but the depth gauge tooth height also needs to be filed occasionally http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHAIN-FILE-FILING-SHARPENING-KIT-FOR-STIHL-MS211-12-CHAINSAW-/361079015004

i started sharpening chain saws at 6 years old back in 1969.. my father had three gangs working in commercial woodland all over the north of england. the saws arrived in individual wooden crates from sthil, 24 and 36 inch been the workhorses,

a wedge was taken out of the tree with a felling axe and the saw used to cut from the back of the tree to the notch.. they cut low those boys.. they were paid by the foot of felled timber. reluctant fallers were persuaded with a wedge or two hammered into the cut and those stubbon enough to resist were normally brought down by felling other trees on to them. once felleda second lad jumped on them and stripped the branches from the trunk, all this was burnt on site by a third lad who built huge fires.

the saws were sharpened at bait time by the youngest lad whilst the rest ate jam buttys and drank cold sugary tea from pop bottles. we had a couple of rats tails files for the job, kept the chains knick and notch free by repeating at lunch and afternoon teatime. saws were lubricated with used engine oil from a local garage and ran like sewing machines they loved to be used hard. at night they were left in the woods with the blade wrapped in an old oily towel and a tarp covering them.

I check the chain every time I stop for a breather and if I think it needs it, give it a few strokes of the file then. I've never removed a chain just to flush out filings from the bar, it's not like you should be removing loads of material.
I just have an oilcan with any old oil in it and give it a few squirts, pull the chain round and wipe it off with a rag.
I was taught that if the chain needs more work than a few strokes of the file can solve (like if you touch a stone or staple etc) then you should be fitting one of your spare chains and sharpening the other (off the saw) when you finish for the day.
That's what I do anyway.

Wear leather work gloves.

I don't get this oiling the chain it gets oiled while its going around.

Sharpening the chain is all very well but a waste of time if you are using the wrong diameter file for the chain. Get to a chainsaw specialist and ask them to give you the correct file for your chain.

If you're in Lancashire, this is a proper chainsaw specialist, hidden away and not easy for the public to find: http://www.dickleigh.co.uk/

Kuco - Member
I don't get this oiling the chain it gets oiled while its going around.

I know that "it gets oiled while it's going round" but after sharpening and checking tension it's a thing that I do - give it a few squirts of oil and wipe it off with a rag. It certainly doesn't do any harm, probably flushes a bit of crap from the bar and as I do it while I'm checking tension it takes next to no time.
I didn't say that it was an essential part of procedure - it just happens to be what I do. I grew up in an age and environment where you couldn't have too much oil anyway.

It should take one or two single pass strokes on the cutting edge to maintain a chains cut for safe use, practice...practice.....then practice some more till it becomes second nature to pick up a file the moment you notice or sense a problem. Chainsaws are dangerous enough without attempting a blunt cut.

Just seems a waste of oil and if you want more oil on the chain just turn the oil screw to fully open. And a quick rev will clear any crap out.

You don't need to get to a chainsaw specialist to get the right size files, just get them online, the right companies can match files to your chain.

No need to add oil to chains!

Always take down the guide tooth as well. Easy to sharpen, check YouTube videos. I'd aim to sharpen roughly every 4-6hrs use. I don't go through many chains.

I completely blunted my chain yesterday, hit some glass while cutting up an old door.......

Never sharpened a chain before, a mate normally does it for me, don't think this is the time to learn!

I give mine a tickle between fill ups. Keep on top of it and it's easy.

OP - get it sharpened properly to start off with so you start at the right point and you can concentrate on just tidying it up every xx mins cutting.
I use a husqvarna sharpening guide with my round filsewhich it really good. Only cost about £6 - just make sure you get the right one for your chain.
Works for all chains.
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A flat guide on the file is much easier than a separate roller guide, worth trying one if you've not used them before

I have, and don't agree. Roller guide is dead easy and allows you to rotate the file which a flat guide does not.

pfffft, you're all just amateurs. I sharpen mine with a swish of my John Thomas with my eyes closed - been doin' it that way since 1876.

I pity Mrs Stoner 😯

I also prefer the roller guides to the flat files also easier to carry in the pocket.

Right, so I'm thinking that I'll spend some money on a couple of replacement chains as the ones on it have been attacked by all and sundry, I'm thinking that I want to start from fresh. I could have them sharpened, but for a couple more ££ I can have new ones, plus one to start practising on. Thanks for the links stoner, I'll go shopping for those as well.
Before I moved, I had 5m of decking as a garden. Gardening tools were what I planted potted herbs with! Now I've got a small field and a stream in the garden, it's like a whole new world of toys. Very fortunately, I was given a Stihl chainsaw, strimmer, hedge cutter and leaf blower. Nice collection and lots of fun!

Now I've got a small field and a stream in the garden, it's like a whole new world of toys

I hope you've not got hedge around the field as keeping the hedge in order by hand will be a royal PITA.
We've got about 700m of hedge that needs trimming every year. Luckily I've considered getting a hedge trimmer for the tractor but it's just not worth it as I've got a guy who comes around and does the lot (some needs both sides doing) for £80.

When should you replace a guide bar?

Every few chains. Flip bar often

Chain sharpening is only challenged by wheel building in my list of favorite cathartic exercises.

wysiwyg - Member
Every few chains. Flip bar often

Thanks.

STW strikes again, sharpening kit and chain on order 🙂

You've bought the right file I assume? There's different sizes dependant on chain. For example I use a pico chain which is smallest size. There's 3 popular sizes

Got one of these a while back - for £40 odd quid they're hard to beat.

http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/accessories-lubricants/saw-chain-maintenance/showitem-EM-ST90.aspx

wysiwyg - Member
You've bought the right file I assume? There's different sizes dependant on chain. For example I use a pico chain which is smallest size. There's 3 popular sizes

Yes chain is 3/8 so matching kit bought.

I don't own a chainsaw and don't know anything about sharpening them.

However, I have recently bought a Dremel for general tinkering, and you can apparently get a chainsaw sharpening attachment.

I don't have one, or know if it's any good (see first comment).

Thinking about it, I don't think this post is very helpful at all. But at least you'd get to buy another power tool - that's not a bad thing.

Nice one
I hope you've not got hedge around the field as keeping the hedge in order by hand will be a royal PITA.

no, luckily I've got about 50m of hedge, and I've ripped 2 out that cut the lawn in half. The rest of the boundaries are post and rail.
After the chainsaw massacre that is happening to my trees that line the stream bank, the next step will be to put another fence across the paddock and have an orchard / camping / bonfire area that with the right care, will become an awesome area for the kids to have outdoor cooking around a fire, some camping and playing in the stream (maybe even some crayfish catching, not checked yet!) Add in an arigun / archery range, and I'm hoping it'll be the place that boyhood dreams were made of.

Anyway, completely off topic! Right, I'm getting onto the ordering now so that tree massacre mk2 can happen this weekend!

tinybits - Member

After the chainsaw massacre that is happening to my trees that line the stream bank, the next step will be to put another fence across the paddock and have an orchard / camping / bonfire area that with the right care, will become an awesome area for the kids to have outdoor cooking around a fire, some camping and playing in the stream. I'm hoping it'll be the place that boyhood dreams were made of.

Be even nicer with some trees lining the stream bank..... 🙁
I'm surprised you got permission to take them out, you wouldn't around here.

ah no, the main trees are staying. I'm thinning out the sycamores that grow like weeds, and taking some of the lower branches and rotten bits out. Basically they've never had any guidance and are currently trying to run riot sideways and to block the stream by trapping crap in the lowest branches. I reckon the large trees are good for another few hundred years

tinybits - Member
ah no, the main trees are staying. I'm thinning out the sycamores that grow like weeds, and taking some of the lower branches and rotten bits out. Basically they've never had any guidance and are currently trying to run riot sideways and to block the stream by trapping crap in the lowest branches. I reckon the large trees are good for another few hundred years