Thread: Chainsaw sharpening

sorry to get off subject but;

Barry, I have been reading posts most of the morning trying to get my head around how to resize and post a pic on here. You post was quite timely , could you pm me, if appropriate, the way you just did it??

Cheers

Bob K

Bob

There are several ways of doing it but I have a program that came with my Canon Scanner called PhotoStudio 5 and I just open the pic in that and click on edit and resize photo and just reduce the size until it is under 100k.

If you do a search there are several free photo resizer programmes around. I have one called "JPEG Compress" but it is no longer free.

Here is a link to another one. http://www.irfanview.com/

Originally Posted by Barry_White

Bob

There are several ways of doing it but I have a program that came with my Canon Scanner called PhotoStudio 5 and I just open the pic in that and click on edit and resize photo and just reduce the size until it is under 100k.

If you do a search there are several free photo resizer programmes around. I have one called "JPEG Compress" but it is no longer free.

Here is a link to another one. http://www.irfanview.com/

Cheers for that, all sorted now.

Bob K

for what its worth, i think there are many ways to keep your chain sharp, people have different ways to achieve the exact same result, i think it comes down to what works for you, I use a clamp on jig that I use in a vice or stump vice, I get great results, I am however changing from this, the other day I completed my tree falling ticket, the chap taking the course, was a pro faller for a fair stint, gave me some good advice, he thinks the best way to sharpen is simply a file and handle, but how is that going to help me, well what I now do is use the jig still but for the next 2 sharpens try free hand, I can always go back to the jig if I stuff it up, also by going back to the jig I should be able to tell where I am going wrong free hand, eg to heavy fileing on my right hand compared to my left. I to thought files are directional but they are not . My course teacher was able to back stroke on the file as well as forwards, as he did this he also seemed to rotate the file on each stroke, I thought I kept my saw (66 magnum) fairly sharp but after using his 66 after he had sharpened it wow, it acually pulled me intowards the tree, for me the best advice has come from pro fallers and over here they seem to be of a very high standard .
regards john

ps the best things in life are not things

Last year I made a handsaw sharpening vice from some hardwood floorboards I posted this somewhere in a previous post. A couple of months ago it dawned on my that it could make a great chain vice.

The clamping screws are made from threaded pieces of brass plumbing and the screwing handles are old tap bodies. At the bottom front you will notice two tap handles. These move the clamp apart at the botton acting as a counterlever to provide additional clamping action. They work really well.

Photo 2 shows a close up of the chain so you can see how neatly it is gripped. It grips the drive links nice and tight and there is way less chattering than doing it on the bar, especially when filing square cut chain from the outside in!

A much better working height too, especially for blind people like me who need to wear a magnifier to see what they are doing

Hmm
a couple of things

You should be filing all the cutting surfaces of the tooth if the blade is in the correct shape with the guide on the file.
I used to free hand but use a a simple guide ( as i'm sure you have seen).
the file should be cutting the underside of the chisel and the edge of the upright all at the same time.
If the blade has been... Hmmmm......not sharpened straight and early enough it will take quite some work to get it back to the correct geometry.

It is my belief that whatever sharpening system you use you should use it and it alone, because different systems will give you a different tooth shape thus you will either not sharpen properly or you will ahve to remove too much material.

as for the saw no going straight..... either the geometry of the teeth is way out or it simply isnt sharp.

A sign that a chain is going off is that it wont cut straight.

so the tooth should look like a chisel..... the top surface should be flat and rising upward nad meet the sharpened edge at the uppermost point.
if you cant cut yourself with it it isnt sharp.

I always sharpen on the bar on the machine..... I most certainly prefer to do this in a vice.

I think it is unlikely that the crosscut chain you have is unsaveble.... if there is still enough tooth length I recon it can be saved.
I'm still prepared to put my file where my mouth is ( its a figure of speach).
bring it arround & i'll see what I can do.

as to getting chains " professionaly" sharpened......I did once....... never again.......and I've heard the same story many times..... chain comes back with half the life groud out of it.

cheers
(Soundman fellow mango disaster survivor)

Thanks Bazza for putting me onto this thread excellent information!!

Bob... that floorboard thing? does the chain run inside the groove of the board? sorta makes sence that... geez your either a real tightwad or your an original greenie recycling everything like that!

So Im best to stick with the sharpener thing like Baz shows (got the set from stihl) I think I'll shoot in and have a gander around Bunbury tomorrow and see what price those other dodats go for

My blade seems to go blunt faster than I can phart... dont know if its the timber or what just doesnt seem to hold sharp... and Im damned if Im taking it back to the dealer here might get another blade I reckon but Im doin all services and sharpening and keeping the $70 in my pocket! the things come back BLUNT on both occasions Ive taken it to them so I may as well blunten it meself and keep me money!

Cheers!!

Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

Bob... that floorboard thing? does the chain run inside the groove of the board? sorta makes sence that... geez your either a real tightwad or your an original greenie recycling everything like that!

Shane there are two floorboards in that gizmo, which is a hand saw sharpener. A simpler (easier to to understand ?) version is shown here.

I find it holds the chain much tighter than just leaving it in the bar so filing is a bit easier.

Cheers

Just a little side note. For the last 28 years all my chainsaw work was to gather fire wood. I have been using a couple of Jonsered saws for this. The chain I have always used is a Semi Chisel and had a top plate angle of 35 degrees and they always cut satisfactorily.

I recently bought a new chain and didn't take much notice of it until I came to sharpen it after cutting up a dirty log. When I went to put the jig on it with the top plate angle set at 35 degrees I realised that the top plate angle on the chain was set at 20 degrees.

In my Oregon chainsaw maintenance book a 20 degree angle is not mentioned anywhere. The closest being a ripping chain with a top plate angle of 10 to 15 degrees.

But the thing about it is that this chain is the best cutting chain I have ever used for dead hardwood.

When I go back to my Chainsaw dealer I will have to make some enquiries about it.

UKAlf has an article from an old woodwork magazine on making a saw clamp on her website.

There is a chainsaw in dad's shed, but I don't think I will get around to using it for a while, so I don't need a chain sharpening vice yet - I put handsaws in my Sargent saw vice.

Originally Posted by Barry_White

I realised that the top plate angle on the chain was set at 20 degrees.

That's an interesting one Barry, do you know what brand the chain is?

Originally Posted by djstimber

That's an interesting one Barry, do you know what brand the chain is?

DJ

The chain came in an Oregon box but that isn't a guarantee so I went out and put a magnifying glass on the chain and it is definately an Oregon chain.

The interesting thing is that it surprised my brother-in-law who does a lot of logging for the local sawmill and also does a lot of firewood cutting. He couldn't believe how well that it cut and has always had his chains at a 35 degree angle for cross cutting.

Where I buy my gear is a Rural supplies store that has been around for 75 years or more and are one of the oldest chainsaw distributors in Tamworth. The day I bought the chain the regular guy that has been there for 30 years was on holidays and the guy that served me was like a Bunnings wally that usually only loaded the dog food on your vehicle and didn't know anything so when I go back in I will check with the regular guy.

They buy their chain in bulk and make up the chains in their workshop to suit the various bar lengths and then just put them into an Oregon box.

C'mon BAz, you've had all day, what's the verdict?

Originally Posted by outback

C'mon BAz, you've had all day, what's the verdict?

Hey Outback

I live out of town and only go there once a week. So you'll have to wait.