Filing down rakers

  • Thread starter JamesTX
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JamesTX

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Whe you file down the rakers on a chain, do you just file off the top, or do you have to try and keep the same shape?
 
I have always just filed down the top, and not really worried about maintaining shape.
 
Filing rakers is often a compensation for not so well filed chain.
It is also very sensitive to what tree and chain it is.
Some chains you can take them down pretty hard, but others you can't even touch them. Bar and engine power decide how much you can take.
Each cutter consume X amount of power. When lowering raker, the tooth takes more power and cut thicker curls.
It is not a good thing as between the tooth and raker the material should be curled up. If not it can not fit in so much wood and it will cut slower.

Too aggressive setting is not only dangerous, it will make the tooth want to travel sideway's and in time it will damage bar and the tie straps.

Put flat file across the chains cutters you see how much clearance there is.

I rarly tuch them unless tooth is half gone.
 
I do a couple of swipes about every fourth sharpen, not that I actually count.
 
I have a depth gauge but to tell the truth I seldom use it . The only ones I get real concerned about are my version of a race .They are not the best ,just the best I can muster up at the moment .
 
i'll take em down as and when they need it, i'll do it with a gauge or by eye and feel. i was told on my cuting course to round them but i never have. the front is angled so i'd imagine that through use it'll round off that angle.

Jamie
 
I don't bother shaping the rakers either, it's not necessary. Just a couple swipes flat across the top when they are due. The front edge is still slightly rounded anyway.

edit: Yeah, what Jamie said. :withstupid:
 
I always take three swipes with the file when I feel the rakers need to be adjusted. I don't use a gauge, although I have several. I don't round them, the wood does it for me.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15
Thanks.

I use Stihl safety chain (yeah, I know, but I'm just a homeowner so the extra safety is worth the decrease in performance). When the chain is new, I can sharpen it and get some good results. After a while it seems to lose some of it's pull. Originally I thought the rakers were too high, so I filed them down, but I can't seem to get the performance back.
 
JamesTX said:
Thanks.

I use Stihl safety chain (yeah, I know, but I'm just a homeowner so the extra safety is worth the decrease in performance).
Click to expand...

Not jumping on ya, but as long as you keep the tip off the cut, safety chain is no safer than normal chain, and even then, it wasn't prevent it, but only reduces the tendency.

My Dad still uses it, even though he use to run a saw on a fireline, and fall buring trees.
 
I dress the depth gauges about every 3-4 sharpenings. Things vary based upon state of the teeth and existing clearance but generally they get 3 licks with the file flat across the top and a fourth swipe that breaks the corner on the new flat. There is a rythym to it all and I can do the whole chain very quickly and have it come out better than trying to use a stupid depth-gauge gauge
 
It says in the instructions to try and keep the same shape to the rakers but I don't and it seems to work fine.
 
Man I'm very a*** about my rakers and use only progressive guages like carltons and huskys they both give a nice angle to the raker so I don't feel the need to round them off and these gauges make every teeth take a bite of the same size even though the teeth's are uneven !
 
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