How to properly sharpen a chainsaw chain

How to sharpen a chainsaw chain at home

When learning how to adjust your chainsaw, be very careful, because incorrect settings are the first cause of rapid chain failure and abrasion of its teeth. The following are common causes of chain bluntness:

• The use of low-quality or not corresponding to the parameters specified in the instructions, the oil;
• Improper clearance setting between the edge and the limiter;
• lack of lubrication in the system;
• poor chain tension.

Also be careful when sawing old boards, because there are nails in them, which also dull the sharpness of the teeth. Unskilled handling, frequent contact with hard objects such as rocks, bricks, heavy use of the chain, etc. are also considered to be significant factors of the element’s wear.

How you know when it is time to sharpen your chain

If you have already studied the information on how to sharpen a chainsaw chain with your own hands, you need to know exactly the characteristics that indicate a gradual failure of the cutting elements. The main ones are:

• you notice that you are working with much more force;
• finer sawdust appeared;
• there appeared a noticeable vibration during operation or a jerking motion;
• the cut is not clean and has a lot of jaggy, sharp edges.

Information on how to sharpen the chain of a chainsaw is necessary to know for everyone who does not want to further eliminate more serious damage to the device. For example, the tight movement of the links puts extra stress on the motor, thus encouraging rapid wear and tear.

When to sharpen a chainsaw chain?

While working with a chainsaw the chain loses its initial sharpness with time and needs sharpening, even with the best quality tool. What are the signs that a chainsaw or chain saw chain has blunted and it is time to sharpen it?

Here are the main signs that it is time to sharpen your chain:

• During operation the saw loses stability, pulls out of the hands and vibrates strongly;
• A chainsaw or electric saw produces only small chips and does not produce large chips;
• the sawing part is bogged down in the material, it is impossible to make a high-quality and fast sawing;
• deepening of the chainsaw into the wood does not happen by itself, in order to perform a longitudinal cut, the tool has to “sink” by hand into the material, applying force and pressing the blade;
• a curved cut forms during sawing;
• Your chain saw heats up quickly and badly;
• the chain is wearing down much faster;
• higher fuel consumption.

If you’ve noted several of the signs described above on your home tool, it’s time to sharpen the chain.

A genuine chainsaw chain can be sharpened several times and will retain all its working properties. sharpness of cut, quality of cut, speed of rotation along the bar.

A few important tips to help keep the chain on your chainsaw from sharpening for longer:

• do not use a new chain with an old sprocket and vice versa;
• If you have already sharpened two chains while using your chainsaw, replace the sprocket with a new one;
• the chain should be run in before using the chainsaw under normal load (run in immediately before sawing, 1 minute at low RPM and then 1 minute at medium RPM);
• after cooling the new chainsaw chain should check the degree of its tension;
• Always use chain lubricant for your chainsaw, a quality oil;
• Keep the chainrings in their normal tensioned position, because chain saws are often tilted in different directions while working, which increases the chance of the chain slipping off the bar;
• check the position and orientation of the kerf limiter and after the 3rd or 4th sharpening check the limiter settings.

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What are chainsaw chain teeth?

One of the main features that makes a chainsaw chain stand out is its complex geometry. Traditional chain saw blades are usually made in the shape of a triangle or a highly elongated oval. As for chainsaw teeth, they have a more complex configuration.

Each tooth is formed by two cutters that are at right angles to each other. The first cutter looks like a regular tooth. Its main task is to make a cut in the wood.

After that the other cutter, which is made in the form of the letter D, is used. It is not by chance that it is shaped like this, because its design removes chips from the wood and provides a wide kerf, which prevents the chain from jamming.

So it depends to a large extent on the chainsaw chain how easy and good the sawing operation will be. This is a good reason to take a closer look at its design.

After all, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the saw tool begins to cut worse because the chain is already in the state when it can not cope with the task.

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Tool Preparation

First of all we remove the shank, which is the part of the file that goes into the handle. You can do it with an emery machine or with an angle grinder, it depends on how you want it. Then put the file in the chuck of your drill or screwdriver, and clamp it.

Further we make a sleeve from wood, plastic or any other material, which will be tightly fitted on the free end of the file. The inner ring of our bearing should fit tightly on the outer surface of the sleeve.

This is done so that you can hold the tool with both hands while working, one on the drill grip and the other on the bearing outer ring.

Sharpening

We place the saw on a flat, horizontal surface, or, better yet, clamp the guide bar in a vice, like I did. To sharpen the teeth of the upper part of the chain, so the chain must move freely on the bar. Mark the tooth to be sharpened. You can do it with a marker or by gluing a piece of tape on it. So let’s get down to the main part of the job.

Place the file into the rounding of the cutting edge of the tooth and orient it strictly according to the desired sharpening angle. This is the most important moment. Sharpening must be at a 30-degree angle to the chain bar. On the outside of the chain teeth there are usually special marks that show the right angle. Hold the file parallel to the edge of the file.

So, after setting up the file in the desired position, and holding our tool with both hands (as described above), start the drill and lightly press the file against the tooth to be sharpened. For each tooth, it is enough to spend 1. 2 seconds. We pass in this way along the entire chain, gradually moving it along the bar.

How to sharpen the chain of a chainsaw quickly and gently without disassembling

The chainsaw chain can be sharpened in a workshop (cost of service from 250 ) or by your own hands if you have special devices. But what to do when the tool is blunt at the sawmill or in places where there are no workshops or special sharpening devices? In this case, you can use diamond tips and return the chainsaw to work quickly and without too many problems yourself, knowing a few simple rules for sharpening.

Using diamond tipped tips for sharpening chainsaw saw chain links is not only attractive because of its simplicity and efficiency. Sharpening stones also ensure a gentle sharpening process by removing a minimum thickness of metal from the cutting tooth compared to an emery or angle grinder. This allows more re-sharpening, which greatly extends the life of the chain until it is completely worn out.

If you keep on working with a dull chain, you will have to use more physical strength on the tool, the cutting performance will fall, the engine will be overloaded, the fuel consumption will increase, and the total life of the chain saw will come to an end very quickly. This is why you should not wait too long to sharpen the chain.

It is possible to sharpen cutting teeth with diamond-coated accessories without removing the saw chain from the guide bar, which not only shortens sharpening time in forestry operations, but also provides certain conveniences. But be sure to put the chain on the brake.

For convenience, we sharpen the left tooth first and then the right, or vice versa. Place the burr between the cutting edge of the tooth and the kerf at an angle of 25-30 degrees horizontally and perpendicular to the chain vertically.

The burr should be slightly elevated above the tooth and rotate toward it when sharpening. This method is good that it doesn’t burn the tooth stinger and doesn’t weaken it like it happens during grinding with an emery or angle grinder with their high revolutions.

By the way, instead of an electric screwdriver, you can use a drill or drill press with a speed up to 2000 rpm. But the utmost care is required, because the metal removal is intense.

As with each sharpening of the chain the height of a tooth decreases, it is necessary after 2-3 sharpenings to sharpen the limiter of depth of cut with a flat file or simply nozzle with diamond covering.

Additional recommendations on how to sharpen a chainsaw chain with your own hands

When working, the safety requirements should be strictly observed. Always wear coarse gloves so as not to injure your hands, because the working surface of the teeth is very sharp.

If the sharpening process calls for dismantling the chain, do not apply undue force to the threaded fastener when reinstalling it. An electric screwdriver calibrated to the dial is best for tightening the bar mount screws.

Specialists recommend a method of increasing the strength and wear resistance of chains, which is known as “stabilization of the internal structure of the metal. To do it, the new bar is warmed up in an oil bath for a week and a half or two weeks at 55-65ºC. Operation confirms effectiveness of this technology.

How to sharpen a chainsaw chain

Chainsaw chain sharpening is a procedure that gardeners and professional woodcutters regularly encounter. In this article the master plumber will tell you how to restore the damaged teeth of the saw headset, and quickly return it to its previous working condition.

To understand how to properly sharpen a chain, you need to understand the basic principles of chain design and operation. You can’t just sharpen a chain by eye, you need to know the basic characteristics of the chain and its components.

Chainsaw chain consists of three types of links made of high-alloyed steel:

• Cutting. the main elements of the chain. A distinction is made between right-handed and left-handed, which are arranged alternately, their cutting edges being positioned above the plane of the bar. Teeth are designed to incorporate the cutting depth limiters.
• Drive (shanks). used to transmit torque from the gasoline motor to the chain through the drive sprocket. This feature extends the life of the sprocket and gives the chain a more stable hold on the bar.
• Connecting. connects the shanks and cutting teeth of the chain.

One of the main elements of the chain is the cutting tooth that plunges into the wood and removes chips. The tooth depth limiter determines the thickness of the wood chip and limits the depth of penetration into the wood.

Depending on the type of chain, the recommended settings relative to the limiter are 0.025″ (0.65 mm) or 0.030″ (0.75 mm).

The long life of any chainsaw depends on proper care and use, including the chainset. Good performance of the latter affects the performance of the device and performance parameters. Improper sharpening can cause some problems with the saw itself. Most often it is:

• Crooked cuts;
• High loads on the saw, resulting in increased wear on the parts of the device and therefore a reduction in the life of the entire device;
• Increased fuel consumption.

If the saw produces fine, dusty chips and the saw itself sinks into the cut with great force, it means the target is blunt.

There are other signs of a dull chain:

• The speed of the tool has decreased;
• Uneven and sharp sawdust is produced;
• You have to use a lot of force to cut through the wood;
• The chain has lengthened or begun to slacken.

A chainsaw chain can become blunt quickly for the following reasons:

• If you use the saw too often;
• When the operator presses hard on the saw while sawing;
• If the chain is made of poor quality metal, or if the steel has undergone an improper heat treatment;
• When sawing raw or resinous wood frequently;
• When sawing hardwood trees such as: oak, birch Karelian, cherry, acacia, elm, ash and others;
• If the chain is blocked by sand or stones;
• If the chain is not properly sharpened or has insufficient tension when working.

The design of all chain saws is similar, so the algorithm for removing the chain will be the same:

• Wear protective cotton gloves first to avoid cuts by the cutting teeth.
• Remove the protective cover from the chain saw and lay it on its side on a flat surface.
• Use a socket wrench of the right diameter to unscrew the locking nuts that hold the body and bar, remove the top cover of the body.
• Now slide the bar all the way down to the sprocket, loosen the chain, and remove the working parts from the mounting bar.
• Disconnect the chain from the bar.

How to sharpen a chainsaw chain

Sharpening a chainsaw chain is a procedure that gardeners and professional woodcutters regularly encounter. In this article, the master plumber will tell you how to restore the damaged teeth of the saw chain, and quickly return it to its previous working condition.

To understand how to correctly sharpen the chain you need to understand the basic principles of how the chain works. You can’t just sharpen a chain by eye, you have to know the basic characteristics of the chain and its components.

Chainsaw chain consists of three types of links made of high-alloy steel:

• Cutters. basic elements of the chain. A distinction is made between right-hand and left-hand cutting teeth, which are arranged alternately, with their cutting edges above the plane of the bar. Tooth design includes cut depth limiters.
• Drives (shanks). transmit torque from gasoline engine to chain through drive sprocket. This feature extends sprocket life and makes the chain more stable on the bar.
• Connecting. connects the shanks and cutting teeth of the chain.

One of the main elements of the chain is the cutting tooth that plunges into the wood and removes chips. Tooth depth limiter controls the thickness of the wood chip and limits the depth of penetration into the wood.

Depending on the type of chain, the recommended values relative to the limiter are 0.025″ (0.65 mm) or 0.030″ (0.75 mm).

The long life of any chainsaw depends on proper care and use, including the chainset. Good performance of the latter affects the performance of the device and the productivity parameters. Incorrect sharpening can cause some problems with the saw itself. The most common are:

• Crooked cuts;
• Heavy loads on the saw, resulting in increased wear and tear on the parts of the device, and thus a reduction in the life of the entire device;
• Increased fuel consumption.

If the saw produces fine, dusty chips, and the saw itself sinks into the cut with great force, it means that the target has blunted.

There are also other signs of a dull chain:

• The speed of the tool has decreased;
• Uneven and sharp sawdust is produced;
• It is necessary to put a lot of effort to cut the wood;
• The chain is stretched or has become slack.

A chainsaw chain can quickly become blunt for the following reasons:

• If you work with the saw too often;
• When the operator puts a lot of pressure on the saw while sawing;
• If the chain is made of poor quality metal or if the steel has not been properly heat-treated;
• If you frequently saw raw or resinous wood;
• When sawing hardwood trees such as: oak, birch Karelian, cherry, acacia, elm, ash and others;
• If a chain encounters an obstacle in the form of sand or stones;
• If the chain is not properly sharpened or has insufficient tension when working.

The design of all chain saws is similar, so the algorithm for removing the chain will be the same:

• Wear cotton gloves first to prevent cuts by the cutting teeth.
• Remove the protective cover from the working part of the chainsaw and put it on its side on a flat surface.
• Use a socket wrench of the right diameter to unscrew the fastening nuts that hold the body and guide bar, remove the top cover of the body.
• Now you need to slide the tire all the way down to the sprocket, thereby relaxing the chain, and remove the working elements from the fastening bolts.
• Disconnect the chain from the bar.

Using the machine

Specialists agree that it is better to use a special electric chain sharpening machine to sharpen chains from chain saws. It can be used to achieve factory precision.

To learn how to properly sharpen the chain from your chainsaw on the machine, you need to follow these steps:

• the saw should be set in the special hole;
• loosen the chain clamping screw;
• Adjust the level of sharpening based on the table or on the condition of the bluntest tooth;
• Work one tooth after the other, reversing the polarity on the machine;
• Or work the teeth through one (right, then left), so as not to reverse the polarity;
• After the sharpening procedure is complete, apply machine oil to the chain saw.

That’s it, the procedure is complete. Minimum time and maximum precision.

What mistakes beginners make

There are a few common mistakes made by beginner sharpeners.

To avoid them, you should follow a few rules:

• For each tooth to be sharpened, you should make the same number of movements with the tool;
• Always apply as much force as possible to avoid uneven sharpening;
• If the chain is badly dulled, using a file is no longer meaningful;
• For severely worn tools, an electric tool is the only option;
• Angle of sharpening should be chosen based on the direction in which the chainsaw will cut the material.

This knowledge will help you avoid unnecessary mistakes and keep your chainsaw in optimal working condition with your own hands.

Have you ever sharpened a chainsaw yourself?? What was used for this? How good was the result??

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