File guides

[Kaveman]

Oh just hand file and stop making excuses, ya bunch of old codgers! Are we young whippersnappers passing you by?

That's ok, we will be waiting at the tasty freeze for the Cherry Coke you owe us...

 

[Wwallace52590]

Larger file creates less hook and more durable angles, slower cutting. Larger file works better on a new cutter…smaller diameter as the cutter is used up and gets lower.

I have some 1/4” files that I ground a flat side on that rides in the bottom of the gullet to maintain height…copy of stihl hexa file idea. Don’t have to pay as much attention to hand filing, or helps in awkward positions.


Husky roller guide for the win

1/4” chain…I dunno
3/8” Lp = 5/32”
.325” =3/16”
3/8” is 13/64” or 7/32”

So with semi chisel 3/8 LP like Oregon 91? I use a 5/32… but most of my 3/8 LP is full chisel now as I only use it on my 200 and 40cc poulan. And on the full chisel stuff I use 3/16 and might drop down to 11/64 when the teeth start getting small, if I tried to use 5/32 (which I have) I end up with waaaaayyy too much hook.

I have a husky roller guide for my 3/8th and .325 mini but I have a couple forester brand 3/8th chains and the husky guide doesn’t fit those chains right

 

[davidwyby]

So with semi chisel 3/8 LP like Oregon 91? I use a 5/32… but most of my 3/8 LP is full chisel now as I only use it on my 200 and 40cc poulan. And on the full chisel stuff I use 3/16 and might drop down to 11/64 when the teeth start getting small, if I tried to use 5/32 (which I have) I end up with waaaaayyy too much hook.

I have a husky roller guide for my 3/8th and .325 mini but I have a couple forester brand 3/8th chains and the husky guide doesn’t fit those chains right

File the guide to fit

 

[SeanKroll]

My opinion is guides are a learning tool , I refuse to be guide dependent and believe in hand filing (its like what if there was a disaster where guides are unavailable with work to do).On file diameter as Jerry teaches there is a place where dropping 1/32" is beneficial (after chisel is about half or better filed)

And consider a progressively raker setting.

 

[Wwallace52590]

And consider a progressively raker setting.

yea only chain I don’t have a progressive raker gauge for is the little 1/4” micro stuff on my “pole saw”

 

[Altissimus]

Matchbook (if you have one) is good raker depth gauge

 

[Kaveman]

A good flat mill file and give her five full strokes per sharpening for softwoods, 2-3 for hardwood. That will keep your rakers about right. Typically a good pronounced flat spot on the rakers, properly angled, and you're pretty much good for the life of the chain.

Folks get waaaaaay to uppity about their chains. The trick is to get a good edge established, clear the gullet, and keep the corner at a wicked point. Keep well away from rocks and metal and dirty wood and you won't spend much time playing with a file at all. Inspect your chain regularly, and just keep that hook mean.

These foothill oaks are very forgiving compared to the nasty high-desert trees I grew up with. I think I've filed the 32in chain on my 500i maybe 5 times in the last year, usually because I kissed a rock bucking something big.

Let's see, five species of oak, three of pine, and Western Red Cedar, manzanita of various species, buckeye, willow, sycamore, various brush species including buckthorn and mountain mahogany, redbud, dogwood and various fruit trees, so lots of variety on that chain. Just sayin. It's also eaten som granite and t post...just sayin...

 

[Burnham]

From an old thread, some thoughts by me... thread started by our sadly gone friend Jed. This is a good one.

Post in thread 'Someone Might Care... Who Knows?'

Dec 13, 2020

This has all been interesting, and I've certainly learned some things, even with 40 years of hand sharpening both chisel and round filed chain under my belt.

But at the end of the day, I think the primary idea to keep at the front of our minds as day in and out chainsaw users is...

Never keep cutting with a chain that is losing it's edge. It's stupid, and lazy, and self defeating. Either swap out to a second or third chain that is "sharp", or take the time to "sharpen" by hand filing the dulling one.

Because ime it really doesn't matter much if we are cutting with a chain that is in...

• Burnham

• 

 

[friedrich]

A good flat mill file and give her five full strokes per sharpening for softwoods, 2-3 for hardwood. That will keep your rakers about right. Typically a good pronounced flat spot on the rakers, properly angled, and you're pretty much good for the life of the chain.

Folks get waaaaaay to uppity about their chains. The trick is to get a good edge established, clear the gullet, and keep the corner at a wicked point. Keep well away from rocks and metal and dirty wood and you won't spend much time playing with a file at all. Inspect your chain regularly, and just keep that hook mean.

These foothill oaks are very forgiving compared to the nasty high-desert trees I grew up with. I think I've filed the 32in chain on my 500i maybe 5 times in the last year, usually because I kissed a rock bucking something big.

Let's see, five species of oak, three of pine, and Western Red Cedar, manzanita of various species, buckeye, willow, sycamore, various brush species including buckthorn and mountain mahogany, redbud, dogwood and various fruit trees, so lots of variety on that chain. Just sayin. It's also eaten som granite and t post...just sayin...

interesting, i use a raker gauge (gage? ) and would think that in general i take one pass with a dull (always forget to get a new one) flat file every other sharpening. but i sharpen as soon as it‘s slightly dull.
and i sharpen till the teeth are gone…

 

[SeanKroll]

Matchbook (if you have one) is good raker depth gauge

Do you use the same offset for the entirety of the tooth?

 

[Altissimus]

Yep , the thickness seems correct ... though quite honestly I've not used one a long time. If you look at it broadside once chisel teeth restored , place round file in line with bar so it lies on top of the chisels an view profile judging gap allow

 

[SeanKroll]

I've learned to file free- hand on a mountain side with 3 strokes per raker to adjust. A poor method until you know what you're doing and filing cutters well, allowing your brain to gather info about performance into a feedback loop.




Like people who use the "pull the chain and the tension is right if you can see 3 full drivers"... great if you know what you're doing and want to ignore every manufacturer, and don't want to account for 12" versus 60" bars.

For the average homeowner who has a 18"- 20" bar and will probably run their chain too tight and too dull, it's better than nothing.

No Sag, No Drag is so easy.


I adjust file size to the cutter and raker to the cutter and occasionally wood being cut. Mostly I cut soft softwood and soft hardwood, with occasionally hard hardwood.