How To Sharpen A Chain On A Chainsaw

Chainsaw chain sharpening with your own hands Chainsaw chain sharpening with your own hands The chain tooth planes wood like a plane, and the thickness of the shavings is regulated by the height of the limiter. Intense sawing results in rapid dullness

Chain sharpeners

The round file holder has a mowing line that can be correctly positioned in relation to the chain. The holder fits onto the sharpened tooth in accordance with the line orientation. In this case, the insert itself rests on the upper edge of the tooth and the depth gauge, and the file is located under the cutting edge.

The use of a holder ensures that the file will fit to the tooth at the correct height. There are different holders for different pitches of the saw chain. The correct choice of holder, combined with the correct file diameter, ensures that the file protrudes over the back of the tooth by 1/5 of its diameter. Use only special saw chain files.

Before sharpening the chainsaw chain, it is advisable to secure the bar. When sharpening, it is necessary, keeping the position of the holder and pressing the file to the sharpened edge, to make several (2-3) turning movements away from you. Do not try to press too hard on the file, the movements should be smooth and measured. Rotate the file regularly to avoid one-sided wear. All other teeth are sharpened in the same way. It is more convenient to first sharpen the teeth in one direction, then change the position and do the same with the teeth in the other direction.

When sharpening all teeth, file the same number of strokes at the same pressure. This will result in the same tooth length. All cutting teeth must be of the same length. Different tooth lengths cause uneven chain running and cracking. If the length of the teeth is not the same, all cutting teeth must be filed to the length of the shortest tooth.

After several sharpening of the cutting teeth, the depth gauge is ground. To do this, a template is superimposed on it so that the limiter falls into the slot, and the tip protruding from the slot is grinded with a flat file.

The principle of using another set for sharpening chainsaws is no different from the first, although its design is different.

A round file is also used for sharpening the cutting tooth, and for sharpening the depth gauge. Flat. A special template provides parameters for sharpening both cutting teeth and stops. In the first case, it is superimposed on the chain in such a way that it falls into its slots. The file, placed on the template and brought under the cutting edge, rests on the guide rollers. The direction of movement of the file must be parallel to the lateral edges of the template.

When sewing the stopper, the template is applied so that the stopper falls into the slot, near which it says SOFT (for soft wood) or HARD (for hard wood). As in the case of the first device, the file is seamed with smooth, even movements of the flat file away from you.

Do-it-yourself chainsaw sharpening

The chain tooth planes the wood like a plane, and the chip thickness is adjusted by the height of the stop.

Intense sawing will quickly dull the chain. Several sharpenings may be required within one day. The problem is aggravated by the fact that the tooth quickly dulls when it meets the ground. It is enough to hook the soil with the tire once or twice, and the work can be stopped. The shavings become fine and the saw stops going deep into the wood.

The sooner dull teeth are sharpened, the less material needs to be removed during sharpening, as a result. The service life of the saw chain is longer. Determining the moment when sharpening is already required is quite simple. An important feature is the feed force. A properly sharpened chain is pulled into the cut with just a little pressure. If, on the contrary, the chainsaw is forced to cut by increased feed force, then the teeth are dull. A dull chain can also be recognized if only small chips fly out of the cut instead of coarse, thick chips.

In this situation, the chainsaw must be sharpened urgently. Do not cut with a dull or defective saw chain. The consequence is high stress in the body, high cyclic load, poor cutting results. In addition, this means reduced productivity, high fuel consumption and increased wear on all parts of the chainsaw.

Chain teeth parameters

To achieve optimal cutting properties, the tooth blades are angled. The back of the tooth falling back at an angle forms the posterior angle of the upper blade. This angle is needed to cut the upper blade into the wood.

The backward tapering blade of the tooth forms the back angle of the end blade. This angle is needed for side cutting of the chips.

The edge of the end blade forms a rake angle with the sliding surface of the cutting link. The rake angles for different types of chains range from 60 ° to 85 °.

The back angle of the top blade refers to the backward tilt of the top blade.

This angle is measured relative to the sliding plane of the cutting link and, depending on the type of saw chain, ranges from 50 ° to 60 °. The top blade is the main blade and the back corner of the top blade. This is the most important corner. The clearance angle of the upper blade is difficult to measure, and the correct value is obtained by observing other prescribed values.

The grinding or entering angle is obtained by measuring from the top cutting edge at right angles to the guide bar.

The sharpening angle can be changed, depending on the application. As a rule of thumb, the larger the sharpening angle, the higher the cutting performance when cutting non-frozen softwood. Reducing the sharpening angle when cutting frozen and / or hard wood contributes to a smoother saw blade and less vibration. However, sharpening angles greater than 35 ° and less than 25 ° should be avoided (except for rip chains, where this angle is 10 °).

The rake angle, sharpening angle and upper blade angle change during sharpening. These angles have a decisive influence on the cutting performance of the chain. Be sure to observe the prescribed values.

A depth gauge is located on each cutting link in front of the tooth blade. The difference in height between the top edge of the depth gauge and the front edge of the back of the tooth is defined as the distance of the depth gauge.

The depth of penetration of the upper blade into the wood (chip thickness) and thus productivity depends on the distance of the depth gauge. The distance of the depth gauge is set depending on the chain pitch and type of execution. Normally, it should be 0.5-0.8 mm, more often 0.6 mm. High values ​​will result in an increased tendency of the chainsaw to kickback, too much grip and chain vibration. Low values ​​lead to a drop in performance. Since the distance of the depth gauge decreases with each sharpening of the saw due to a decrease in the upper edge of the tooth, the depth gauge also needs to be filed periodically. After 5-10 chain sharpenings.

File and chainsaw. A successful tandem!

Remember to pay attention to each link in the chain. The rule should also be taken into account that the efficiency of the saw is determined by the difference in heights: we are talking about the distance between the cutting teeth and the limiter itself. Differences in height parameters allow the teeth to cut into the tree (usually a stop tooth in its characteristics should be about 0.7 mm lower than the cutting tooth).

How to sharpen a chainsaw chain. Instructions for action

Do you want to use sawing equipment for a long time? Then take care of its timely prevention. It is necessary to sharpen the tool as needed.

How to sharpen a chainsaw correctly. We will show you the tool yourself!

A chainsaw without a normal chain belt is like a machine without a motor. This proven postulate will be confirmed by any tech-savvy person. The chain must always be well sharpened if you want to always use your chainsaw. Otherwise, she will not forgive you for miscalculations. This means that you will not see accuracy, efficiency and safety of work.

Any professional will confirm that the final result of such a laborious activity as working with a chainsaw will depend on sharpening the teeth of your tool, even more than on the motor itself. Experienced lumberjacks give the following good advice. Sharpening is necessary as the sharpening sharpness deteriorates. If you have to put in a lot more effort than before, the saw starts to cut as it pleases and changes the angle, slowing down your work, in which case you have no choice. Start sharpening.

Pay attention to the sharpness of the chain and escaping chips. If everything is in order with sharpness and sharpening, then your chips will be almost uniform, and the resulting sawdust will be square in shape. If the need for sharpening is ripe, then this will be seen by the dust in the shavings and sawdust in the form of needles.

Sharpening angle grinder

Professionals consider this work to be primitive. There is a risk of tire damage, and more.

Process (seemingly easy, but really difficult)

  1. The chain also stays on the bus;
  2. We attach a metal cutting disc with a thickness of 1.5-2 mm to an angle grinder. It is advisable to take not a new one, that is, with a worn edge;
  3. We put an obstacle in front of the chain and the tire (the chip will come off);
  4. We sharpen at the right angle;
  5. Upon completion of work, the chain must be properly tightened.

With a professional approach and a “full hand”, the number of sharpenings in this case can be more than 7.

“For a beginner, it’s better not to“ experiment ”with a saw, chain, etc. With your body parts! “

Advantages of the method: Fast, cheap and does not take away energy;

Disadvantages: You need special skills, a steady hand and the ability to comply with safety techniques.

We sharpen the chainsaw chain with our own hands. All possible and available ways

“A lumberjack working with a blunt ax was advised:. Sharpen the ax.

He replied:. No time. The forest must be cut down. “

Greetings to all readers!

Today I decided to tell you about the tool, without which, it seems to me, today it is simply impossible. A good tool should work well, and this largely depends on its owner.

Cleaning the autumn garden, preparing firewood for winter, building a bathhouse, repairing a wooden fence will require not only time and desire, but also the readiness of the “cutting” tool. If it is a chainsaw, then it must be properly sharpened.

Of course, there are paid specialists, and you, for example, have extra money. But we know that such a procedure is performed periodically, and therefore a natural question arises: how to sharpen a chainsaw chain at home? I’ll tell you about that. Go!

In this article, you will learn:

We work with a file

how to sharpen a chain on a chainsaw

The best solution is simple gadgets for grinding work. This set includes a round and flat file, special holders, a gauge template, a hook for removing chips, etc. Structurally, “adaptations” may differ, but the functionality has a common logic.

The diameter of the round file is directly related to the chain size:

  • – Chains with ø 1.3. Require a file of ø 4 mm (used much more often);
  • – Chains with ø 1.6. Require a file ø 5.2 mm;
  • – Use a flat file to sharpen the depth gauge.

Sharpening process

  1. Having previously “turned on” the chain brake, firmly grip the tire of the chainsaw in a vice (a firmly clamped saw is the key to successful sharpening)
  2. Position the template so that the arrow points towards the nose of the tire. Be sure to mark (with chalk) the tooth from which you started sharpening, otherwise you can go along the second circle;
  3. Sharpen in the direction of the arrows. Remember, there is a special factory cut on each tooth in the chain. It indicates the maximum sharpening angle.
  4. In addition to the cutting tooth, there are stops on each link. Their sharpening is carried out as needed. This is necessary when, as a result of sharpening, the height of the tooth decreases, and problems arise in the operation of the chainsaw. As a rule, the limiter is sharpened after 2-3 sharpening of the teeth;

“If you don’t have the skills to sharpen, it’s best to start with inexpensive chains.”

Recommendations:

  • The file should not go over the top of the cutting edge by more than 1/5 of the working part of the file. The pressure is carried out with the same effort;
  • The movement of the grinding tool is performed in one direction “away from you”, and the number of movements for each tooth should be equal;
  • To sharpen a vertical plane, the position of the file must be at right angles;
  • For sharpening a horizontal plane, file position, at an angle of 20-30 °
  • If there are teeth of different heights, the reference is the smallest.

Advantages: The ability to “charge the saw” in the field. At the same time, it’s cheap.

External signs of a blunt cutting edge of a chainsaw tooth

Recall that the chainsaw tooth has a complex configuration (see Fig. 1), which also depends on the direction of movement of the chain. It has two working edges: the lateral one, which is located perpendicular to the axis of movement of the links, and the upper one, located at a certain angle to the direction of the chain movement. In addition, a limiter is provided on each tooth, the parameters of which determine the height of the removed chips. Since the main cutting effort falls precisely on the working angle, then all subsequent work with the tool will depend on which angle to sharpen the tooth.

Before starting long-term work with a chainsaw, she needs to inspect and perform test sawing, as a result of which:

  1. Check the feed force at which the tool runs stably, with a fast cut. For sharp teeth, the initial moment of penetration of the tooth into the wood occurs quickly, and without significant material resistance.
  2. Find out the presence of chain vibrations during a steady cut. If they are noticeable, then the teeth must be sharpened.
  3. Inspect the appearance of the just cut end (especially if the tool is used for ripping). If there are rough chips and dents, the chainsaw chain must be sharpened.

Chainsaw chain sharpening template

When purchasing a chainsaw, it is advisable to acquire a special template (see Fig. 3), with which you can easily set the optimal values ​​of the tooth angles. With its help, the values ​​of the back angles of the upper and end blades are controlled, as well as the front edge angle (it is indicated in the manufacturer’s instructions, and can vary within 65… 80 °).

It is especially important to use a template to estimate the value of the clearance angle of the upper blade. This angle of sharpening of the chainsaw chain is very difficult to determine otherwise, but meanwhile it must be maintained within rather limited limits. From 50 to 60 °.

Measurement of the sharpening angle is performed by determining the angle between the upper cutting edge and a line perpendicular to the chain guide.

The angle of sharpening of the chainsaw chain can be changed, depending on what kind of work will be done. As the hardness of the wood increases, its value should be lower. In general, it is considered the optimal value of the angle 10. 12 °. With a longitudinal cut, and 25. 30 °. With a cross cut.

Figure 3. Appearance of the template for sharpening the teeth of a chainsaw

Sharpening can be done manually using a round file with a working diameter of 4. 5.5 mm, or on a machine. In the first case, it is extremely important to correctly position the tool in relation to the sharpened tooth. The upper edge of the working part of the file is approximately one fifth higher than the upper edge of the tooth. The tool is positioned perpendicular to the chain axis, and at an angle of 25. 30 ° to the upper edge of the tooth

One round file is not enough. You will need a flat file to sharpen the limiter, and a hook that removes the resulting sawdust to clean the work area. There are also special holders on the market, on which the mowing line is graduated with the direction of movement of the file relative to the axis of the chain. As seen from Fig. 4, the holder can be installed on top of the tooth and rest on its upper edge. Since the height of the holder is adapted to a certain chain pitch, it should be selected in relation to chainsaws of specific models and brands.

The minimum required set in order to obtain the correct sharpening angle of the chain by hand is shown in fig. Five.

Figure 5. A set of sharpening tools and accessories

First, the teeth are sharpened in one direction, and then in the other. Start with light pressing of the tool away from you, gradually increasing the load. During sharpening, the round file is periodically rotated along its axis.

Chainsaw chain sharpening angle. How to choose the right one?

Even the popular Stihl does not last forever: once the teeth of a chainsaw wear out, which is easy to determine by the nature of the chips formed. With a blunt cutting edge, the chips are small, because the working edge does not cut, but crumples the wood. Naturally, the effort expended by the operator increases dramatically. It’s time to sharpen the saw. How to do this correctly. Choose the optimal technology, establish what angle of sharpening the tooth should be and how to check it?