by You can take your chainsaw chain into the shop, pay the local guy to sharpen your chain, OR for a bit more cash; you can do it yourself. Here are some tips on how to sharpen your chainsaw. I think there’s a similar story about learning to fish, and the guy eats forever or something.
How Do You Sharpen Chainsaw Blades?
So far as the retail world is concerned, there are two options—the hand file option or the mounted angle grinder option. The one you go with depends on how much you use the saw and how often you hit something you shouldn’t with your saw (My nickname was the stone slayer for a bit because I often hit rocks with my chain). If you use your saw a lot, hit many stones, or tend to have ground strikes, I recommend both.
If you use your saw a few times a year, I recommend just a hand file. I would not recommend just getting the angle grinder alone. I would not recommend this because you still want to file your chain after you take it to the grinder. The grinder is great for resetting teeth on a chain, but you need to hand it if you want a razor-sharp chain.
How To Guage Chain Sharpness
How do I know when it’s sharp? Well, the thing you don’t do is run your bare fingers over your freshly sharpened chain. The best way to know you have it right is when you use it. If the cut you make produces big curly hamster cage-like chips, you’re golden; if you get sawdust, that’s a red flag.
how many times can you sharpen a chainsaw chain?
Most experts agree that a chainsaw chain may be sharpened up to ten times, if not more, before it has to be replaced. The amount of wear mainly determines it on your chain and the quantity of metal lost each time you sharpen it. The amount of chain damage after each sharpening is dependent on using the right methods of sharpening a chainsaw chain.
how to sharpen a Stihl chainsaw?
- Hold the file handle firmly in one hand and move the file across the cutter with the other hand on the forward stroke.
- Begin with the master cutter and place the file such that you may file from the inside to the outside of the cutter.
- Always keep the file at a 90° angle to the guide bar.
- The file only sharpens on the forward stroke; on the backstroke, pull the file off the cutter.
- To avoid one-sided wear, rotate the file slightly at regular intervals during filing.
- STIHL saw chains are normally filed at a 30° angle, parallel to the service mark filing angle.
Final Pro Tips For Sharpening Chainsaw Chain Blades
Mark one cutter with a felt tip pen before you begin sharpening. Check how much material has been eliminated after two or three strokes of the file. Your filing activity is proper if the surface seems uniform. If there are still spots of color in areas, be sure you’re using the correct file and that you’re not holding it too high or too low.
When cutting softwood in warm weather with no frost, the depth gauge setting can be raised by up to 0.2 mm. This may be accomplished by using the filing gauge for the next chain pitch-up.
Never work with the chain until it becomes utterly dull. A few file strokes at regular intervals soon restore
Related How to Sharpen Your Chainsaw Reading
How to Clean a Chain Saw – Step by Step – Cleaning your chainsaw after heavy use will ensure that your woodcraft investment will be in top shape for your next tree-falling job.
How to Pick the Perfect Axe – Select the right ax for your home or camp. Choose a tool that will fit your job or situation, from lightweight short axes for camping to heavy mauls for splitting.
Everyone Can Get Outdoors to Beat the Winter Blues – Step outside and find a bit of woods and trails. It will improve your mood and health
