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Thread: The importance of even teeth?
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3rd September 2013, 04:51 AM #1
The importance of even teeth?
I've been off my sawing for a while but seeing as I'm just about to get back into it I thought I'd give everything a good clean and tidy up; and I want to confirm something before I declare everything ready.
It looks like when I've been sharpening by hand that I've been doing it unevenly as all the teeth on one side of my chains are visibly shorter than on the other side. I guess it's come from using my dominant arm (left) on one side and using the weaker arm on the other.
Should the teeth be the same length on both sides of the chain?
I'm guessing yes because surely it (the length and consequently the tooth's height) would have an effect on the raker depth if filed with a plate. It probably also goes some way to explaining why when firewooding a big log the cuts would sometimes drift off to one side depending on the age of the chain I was using.Every time you make a typo, the errorists win.
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3rd September 2013 04:51 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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3rd September 2013, 09:23 AM #2
Yes it makes a difference. I find the saw definitely want to cut on a curve if they are different, but will still cut. These days I am doing more hand sharpening, but at the end of the day, still do a proper sharpen with the grinder to even things up.
Neil____________________________________________Every day presents an opportunity to learn something new
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3rd September 2013, 09:45 AM #3
Thanks big guy
(I hope you know I'm only referencing the "dai" part of your name when I say that and not saying that you're a portly fellow - no idea what you look like - I just like using nicknames of nicknames )
I was always a bit haphazard in my sharpening and more often than not would just give the chains a quick swipe so I could go out and cut something quickly, always intending to fix them up later...but it never happened of course. The intention was always to file by hand with grinds at 1/3 and 2/3 of their life to get things back in line.
I'll give everything a good grind to balance the teeth up, redo the rakers and hopefully be back out cutting huntsmen into little pieces soonEvery time you make a typo, the errorists win.
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3rd September 2013, 11:58 AM #4
He's a skinny little guy. But cute.
I am learning, slowley.
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3rd September 2013, 12:52 PM #5.
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If you set your rakers all to the same depth then cutters on one side being longer will definitely cause a problem because the longer cutters will have a higher raker angle (see picture) and so will bite more.
However cutter length alone is not the determining factor at to how much a cutter bites. Chainsaw chain is highly flexible and does not passively sit on the bar like a plane blade does in a plane.
When the cutter bites it lifts the cutter (and a section of chain) off the bar and the extent to which it first bites the wood is actually determined by the raker depth and the cutter hook. The cutter then bites and the raker resists in an alternately seesawing/rocking motion, until the chain tension gets too high and a chip is torn out - this is how chainsaw chain works.
What this means is if the rakers are set to constant angle instead of constant height or depth then the cutters being the same length is far less critical.
This only works if the lengths are sort of randomly distributed - if more cutters are longer on one side than the other then I do give them an extra swipe or two with the file to get them a bit shorter.
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3rd September 2013, 09:14 PM #6
If you use something like a filo-o-plate to set your raker depth, it won't matter how sharpened down one set of cutters are, the raker height will be adjusted so that the tooth takes a proportionate amount of material. less tooth, more raker depth, more tooth less raker depth - this has the effect of keeping the chain running straight - check one out
I love my Lucas!! ...just ask me!
Allan.
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4th September 2013, 09:13 AM #7
I've only used the Husky filing plate - near enough I guess. Maybe it's the way I'm using it but I have to stop a few times a chain because my hands *REALLY* hurt from holding it, and it tends to rock and slip all over the place.
Every time you make a typo, the errorists win.
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4th September 2013, 09:17 PM #8Senior Member
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I had the same problem when sharpening my saw, I got a good tip from an old bloke one day, Once you sharpen one side of the chain( Dominant side) Turn the saw upside down, You are now sharpening the other side of the chain using the same hands, so you shouldn't have this issue.
cheers,
Jon
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5th September 2013, 12:38 AM #9
That right there is pure bloody gold!
Although, are chainies like lawnmowers and when you tip them over does the oil gets to places it shouldn't? I'm assuming it doesn't as (from my understanding) the oil reservoir is purely for the bar and separate from the oily 2str fuel/carby.
I sorted out the teeth and rakers on all my chains today . Gave them a good filin' with vernier calipers in hand, so they're all pretty much the same length now...give or take .Xmm or so.Every time you make a typo, the errorists win.
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5th September 2013, 01:37 PM #10
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5th September 2013, 05:26 PM #11.
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Correct, and wider or taller teeth will cut a slightly wider kerf. There is also a tendency for the bar to drift in the direction of the widest cut but provided variable length cutters are randomly distributed between LH and RH cutters they should even each other out.
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5th September 2013, 07:51 PM #12
I have a tendency to sharpen more on one side than the other and it definitely encourages the saw to head off in a curve. I attempt to counteract this by sharpening what I call the backhand side first (that is the left hand side of the chain when viewed from the motor). Then I do the RHS (which I suppose is the forehand ). This is because I can exert more pressure on the RHS (this is as a right hander) and I start on my weakest side before I tire a little.
This is not sufficient so I also give an extra stoke of the file on the LHS, but certainly not every sharpening. probably every other. I just gauge it by eye as to when I think the cutters on one side are becoming longer (umm that's really one side getting shorter ).
As the chain wears down through sharpening there is some loss of efficiency. An ex logger I know said he used to discard the chain shortly after the cutters had worn down to half length. Time for him was more valuable than chain. I sharpen until the first tooth falls off .
Regards
PaulBushmiller;
"Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"
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18th September 2013, 03:28 PM #13Senior Member
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I have this same problem with hand saws & chainsaws. Only with the shape of the teeth it is more pronounced on hand saws.
To get over this I sharpen (Example) 3 strokes when using my dominant hand & 5 strokes when using my less dominant hand.
This works for me anyway & that's all that matters.
Give it a try , you've got nothing to lose.
HTH
ColChucks are like potato chips....you can't have just one.
www.bouvardbush.com
http://www.mandurahwoodturners.com/
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18th September 2013, 09:31 PM #14Senior Member
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Like Bushmiller, I was taught by an old timer to always sharpen with your weak hand / side first. If you start with your good side you inevitably take off more than you do from the other
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