knows his stuff? LOOOOL Chainsaw sharpening Basics... When you use the file to move the chain, to get to your next tooth... You put the file BEHIND the cutter and pull the chain forwards on the bar... Pushing it backwards, like in the video, Is not the safe way to do it.. If your finger slips off the file, Or the file slips off the tooth when pushing it backwards, Your fingers / hand can come into contact with the very sharp part of the tooth.. Sliding it the correct way.. FORWARDS... if the file slips, Your finger hit the back of the tooth.. The non-sharp part...
I was running this saw for about 2 hours at about a 30-50% duty cycle ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxfQm1wmg0ItKDLavxj1nXtQY9HP7EF504 and it did a great job. I used the lever for the built in sharpener to clear chip buildup out more than to actually sharpen the chain. It managed to cut some hardwood stumps much larger than it's size without bothering the neighbors with hours of 2 stroke noise.
I bought the electric chain sharpener at Harbor Freight for about $25 ten years ago. It is similar to the Oregon machine while obviously lower quality. It has always provided an accurate grind and sharp chain and paid for itself many times over.
I bought a Homelite Lil Red with a 14" bar to cut a large branch a storm broke off an old maple tree. When I was getting ready to pay for it, a decent guy asked me if I had a sharpening kit for it. I didn't know what he was talking about. He was a customer like me but took me back where the files were and showed me a book with kits including one for my saw. Real nice guy. I read the operators manual several times until I got the nerve to start the saw and cut the branch into 12" pieces. I haven't used it since because I knew I didn't what the hell I was doing. I'll be re-watching your site and taking notes! Thanks for the great video!
Ran a saw a long while ago... this is how I did it hand held file flipping the saw to do the opposite side...as he said every tank of gas and rakers every 3 or 4 sharpening. The thickness of the chip is governed by the top of the tooth to raker. if your chips are getting thin and papery you know to lower your rakers... always use a raker file WITHOUT teeth on the sides. You can screw up your cutting teeth if you use a regular flat file that has teeth on the edge. Great video with excellent explanation so important to pass this knowledge on.
One of the better how to sharpen a chain videos I've seen. I can actually take the information and apply it to my reality and be better at the end of the day.
Really great video. Having several different lads just chipping in with their own preferred methods, and just chatting, covers everything really well. Much better than some guy in a studio who spends a week writing his script to get it "perfect".
Good demo. I learnt to hand file when I started using a chainsaw a few years ago. I still use my guides to help get the angle right. Now I can sharpen my chain better than using a local centre and to mention a lot cheaper. Retouching the chain when working makes such a difference. A sharp chain is a safe one.
I'm grateful I found this video. We've been working it out on our own and as it turns out, we've been doing everything that was explained in this video. Thank you guys for the instructions and the nomenclature refresher course.
I run a tree business and sharpen a lot of chains. It’s always good to see how others do the most basic chores. I think one finger Frankie should do a chainsaw safety video!!!
Lol, I worked with some tools that thought the rakers aka depth gauges never needed filing.. Took me months to finally convince a couple that they do in fact need to get filed down as the chain is filed.. Amateurs they were!!
Good job guys!! I have been lazy and just purchased a new chain every time one got dull. I'll wait for a nice rainy day and see how many of them I can sharpen up. That will give me more $$ for the next beer run.
Just a tip - don't do too many by hand in one session, especially if they're long chains. The first few turn out great, then the quality of work suffers. I don't know if it's fatigue, eyestrain, or whatever, but everyone I have ever cut with has given me that advice. Any time I have gotten cocky and ignored that advise to sharpen many in one sitting, I ended up with lousy chains. Also, don't forget to dress the bar too. You don't need to do it as often but it needs to be done. It's beyond the scope of this video so I don't blame them for not mentioning it, but search to learn this often forgotten step if you aren't already doing it.
They were wrong about the tooth size. You can file one more than the other and it'll work. Just take your depth gauges down proper way. I've done that many times and it works very well, and i'm not "professional". If you want to know more, check Buckin' Billy Ray videos, i learned from him and he really knows what he's talking about!
I like this video on the proper way to sharpen a chain saw blade, I ask a person that boasted he was all-knowing about such matters I was told I bought the wrong brand of saw! I cut a maple, small one about 4" in diameter with a dull blade, then after sharpening according to how the pros sharpen a chainsaw blade ,i sailed right through a much larger maple with no problem at all. I also learned it's not the saw its the blade! I will not be buying another saw anytime soon. I already have 4 with dull blades, no more thanks to you! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EXCELLENT VIDEO
@john blackthorn No? lol Not good enough for you? lol ok Then please by all means make a better video showing us your "better" methods. I'm really interested to see how you do it better and how that translates to the thousands of people who will be sharpening chains.
@@xpeeriments6452 My family collectively has like 100 years of tree work experience between us. Although I'm sure that's not gonna be good enough for some of you fucktards.
I enjoy all of these videos on sharpening, helps pick up good tips. My go to is Buckin Billy ... Used to buy 3 new chains every year, now i have a life time of chains since learning how to sharpen. Grab the rifht file and learn, it will be the best feeling ever, plus it makes the work easier in the end. Good luck to all of the new chainsaw sharpeners.
Great video! At least for those of us that want to learn! I realize there are many techniques, but appreciate the best practices as I feel they were trying to explain. Thanks. Yes more of these types of videos would be great! Like the idea of “from the experts”.
There are two things I suggest. For Stihl saws, I have to set the depth gauges a little lower than specs to get the chains to cut like new. Another issue is that if you use the suggested depth gauge setting tool for the chain, I found that you can't set the depth gauges as low as they should be because of the curve in the saw blade. Also, to prevent blueing of the cutters when using a grinding wheel, I suggest using Kool-Grind.
Nice Job! It showed us the basics of chainsaw sharpening. You gotta start somewhere, and having pros that do it all the time, show us, is a good place to start.
This was pretty interesting. I've been running saws my whole life and the one thing I've never mastered was sharpening the chain. I had no idea that the takers needed to be filed down that's probably where I have been going wrong. Keep these videos gping things like this can make a big difference for DIY people like me.
A sharp tooth is exactly that. It doesnt matter if one tooth took 5 passes and the next tooth only took 3 passes. Unless you enjoy buying chains. Your not going to cut crooked if all the teeth arnt the same length, your not going to remove less wood either. Counting strokes is and old school wives tale. But by all means,keep the same edge profile and angle. Stop counting. KISS And yes file your rakers. Also Check out Buckin Billy Ray Smith for more wood cutting wisdom and a touch of axe throwing.
I shoot and edit videos for cable network TV and that video right there was more informative and well produced than 95% of the videos that are produced with entire crews and production staff. Well done sir.
We just got done with a major ice storm here in okc. I work at a large mower sales and service. I bet ive sharpen 5 or 6 hundred chains. I felt the need to understand it better. Ive been a mechanic for 20 years. Thanks this was helpful
Can’t tell you how many chains I have tossed out because I had no clue on how to sharpen them. This gave me a much better understanding of the chain and how it works. Thanks everyone 👍👍
Thank you for your patience, humor, and your excellent instruction. People seem to get hung up on terminology, sometimes. Just remember bar and chain. Thanks again guys. Drop them. Limb them. Buck them. Then you either sell them at a specified length. Or split them. Pile them. Or stack'em. Wood warms you more than just the fireplace. But that's the best time. Hahaha
Great video!! My Great grandfather, Grandfather and Father were loggers and Saw Mill owners. My Dad told me that's how his dad taught him to sharpen a chain. That was since way back in the 60's. I love good educational stuff about how good hard work is done. Thanks for the video and God Bless you all.
These guys know exactly what they are talkin about! Totally experienced. I endorse every little detail they presented! (Oops, all but one. You always drive your stump vise into the stump before you put the bar in the vice. That way you have a nice flat surface to drive the vice into the stump and do not have to worry about hitting on the chain and bar) I was a tree thrower on a logging crew and learned real quick how to hand file my saw. Out there in a timber, you don't have an electric grinder to file your chain. I got to where I could cut a slot into a stump and use that as my stabilizing vise for sharpening so I didn't have to carry that extra weight with me through the timber of the stump vise and hammer.
I do the same .The vise would be cool cause you wouldn't have to lift your bar to move the chain. It's a good idea to mark your chain first for a starting point. Stihl chains have a green or yellow link already.
I was sharpening chains for years before I tried using a guide. It makes such a difference in keeping the angles to 30 deg. Without the guide I have a tendency to making the angle more acute over time and inconsistent from tooth to tooth. Getting a consistent 30 deg on every tooth makes the chain cut as well as when it was new and also makes it last longer (I.e can be sharpened more times before the teeth get too short). Maybe the pros can do it by hand but for everyone else I recommend buying a guide. They are cheap enough.
@@mat7247 I got the “OREGON 4.0mm (5/32-Inch) Chain Sharpening and Bar Maintenance Kit for 1/4-Inch, 3/8-Inch Low Profile Chainsaw Chain”. You might need a different size depending on what chain you have. You can buy 12 packs of files as well as they wear out after a while.
On raker depth, you can actually use the grinder to bring down the rakers simply by setting the depth then running the Rakers slowly through the grinding wheel to shave off a small amount in each one.
I was very interested by Tanner's comment. He shows how experience is the best teacher IF you think about what you are doing. Most people know that when you grind hardened steel and it turns blue you have lost its heat treatment and it will be softer and not hold its edge. But Tanner says it becomes harder as well! How does that happen? Well he is bang on... heat treatment of steel involves quenching and that locks the carbon particles in place uniformly stressing the steel, when you grind too quickly you heat it and this allows the carbon to move "relaxing the stress" However, if you have tool steel, Chromium and Molybdenum form very hard carbides. These carbides are best when small. When you heat the steel by grinding the carbides grow bigger but they do not strengthen the steel just mess up your file since they are harder than the file. Great observation Tanner!
I hate to be "that guy" (only kinda), but Buckin' Billy Ray has way better advice on sharpening. There are so many things to point out, I won't start. Just look up Buckin' Billy Ray and you'll see.
Definitely a good video for someone that's trying to figure out how to sharpen a chain. One thing they missed tho is you don't sharpen the gullet but you do need to take out some gullet as you go back on the tooth because as you go and the tooth gets lower you need to take out some gullet to keep your sawdust capacity and your your tooth profile.
@@mikekeen9710 yeah same here just mentioned that one because he specifically said not to sharpen the gullet. I have been cutting and hand filing for twenty years and there's definitely a lot more to it than what they mentioned. It's always interesting to here from fellow loggers, good luck and be safe.
I trust Tanner - Good job explaining execution expert. Great video Ya'll. Thanks to Wes and Tanner for demonstrating their trade expertise. Thank you Stanley for sharing the production skills.
I fell a lot of trees in Idaho and Montana, back in the day. I found that good bar maintenance helps a lot too. I would flip my bar over once a week. It's like rotating your tires. Your bar will last a lot longer. When we were just out getting firewood, I would use my 12 volt Granberg hand held sharpener. It is fast and easy. And after the Mt. St Helen ash fallout, you were luck to get 5-6 cuts before you had to sharpen your chain. And our trees were Tamarack (hardwood), ranging from 2 to 4 feet in diameter.
Stihl makes a hand tool with a combination flat file and 2 round files that sharpens the tooth and takes the raker down at the same time. It also has a bar guide for the correct angle. Hand sharpening is a bit more tedious but the chain stays sharper longer in my experience. Grinder may work faster but it takes off more metal and shortens the chain life sooner.
Great video! I am filing the rakers first then the tooth, because when u use the raker gauge it will dull the tooth a little bit. My experience and I hope it is a relevant tip.
Old video but i learned something. Ive been cutting wood since i was old enough to swing an axe. We used wood heat growing up in western Washington so we went through some wood. My dad always ran the saw and sharpened the chain though. Ive only sharpened a handful of times and had no idea the raker needed taken down. Makes perfect sense after looking at it.
@@brendalux2462 Yea, would have had to download the manual from the manufacturer. Most owners manuals get chucked in the recycle bin here after I've gone through them.
Great video, most Iv seen they don’t explain much and u find yourself watching someone file the blade from 4ft away with 0 info. This was great to explain.
My brother just bought a new saw and his second cut BANG right into a 3/8 chain in the middle of the tree 😂 he was pissed... Good thing I Know how to file on the spot
You can get a raker height file guide that has a .025 for hardwood and .035 for softwood as well as a file guide to hold your file high on the tooth being filed to get the optimum cutting angle. The file guides also have at least 2 different angle markings for filing the tooth. Different chain manufacturers use different angles for different style of chains.
The different depth rake height is for the type of chain you're using, .025 depth is for semi chisel low Kickback chain, AKA Johnny homeowner / Rental customer. .035 is 4 full chisel chain
Knowing how to do something, and being able to explain it to someone else, is truly two different skillsets. This video was helpful to me. If Stan had done in two takes, it probably would have been much clearer. You look at the comments here, and you can see many have suffered at even uglier explanations of this subject. Stihl, or some other manufacturer, should come out with a clear, concise, step by step explanation of this neccessary skill, in an equally clear and legible 20 minute video! We have the knowledge and the technology!
CS 352, CS 590....my go to saws. I have almost always gotten the tooth sharpening right, never quite understood the rakers file down well enough like today. Thanks
Thanks guys that was great. We're professional tile Setters so this is really helpful. We're here in Georgia and after Hurricane Michael there is a ton of tree work that needs to be done.
It would be good to make a video about chainsaw bar maintenance, greasing the tip, dressing the sides of the bar, and closing the gap when it gets over worn. The video was great and had a lot of good info. I always count each swipe if you don't your saw will J-hook when cutting. Another good video I wish someone like Stan was around when I started out.
Thanks a bunch for the good practical demonstration of the Oregon power sharpener. I got the same machine a year or so ago when the local Stihl dealer raised his sharpening price 30%. It will take a while to recoup the cost of the machine, but I like to do things myself anyway. One minor critique... When you overheat a tooth and "blue" it, the tooth will be softer, not harder. I promise.
Went from being totally ignorant on how to sharpen a chain, to having some idea how to go about it. Wish there were some recommendations of the tools needed and best place to find them. Thanks guys for putting this togehter.
Great job on how to sharpen a chain on a chainsaw I will be using these methods for sharpening the chain on my own saw. Keep the great videos like this coming. Thanks
How often you sharpen also depends a lot on the type of wood you're cutting. Ash, pine and other soft woods you can cut for days, even weeks if you're careful where cutting oak/cherry etc It's probably going to need sharpened every truck load or at least daily. The most important thing when cutting a log on the ground, do not let the chain touch the dirt. One quick oops can turn a razor sharp chain throwing big curly kerfs into a chain that throws tiny sawdust and smokes. Nails and even knots in a log can do this too but the #1 thing I see guys doing cutting logs on the ground is letting the chain contact the dirt.
I trained my self on an old sp125 McCulloch 38" bar, if you dont touch ground you can cut with any saw with out touching. That saw weighed close to 30-35 ibs.
Love the video! Glad to see your channel always has everything I need. Such a variety of things! Just bought my first stihl yesterday. Just wanting to learn everything I can about it
They know what they're talking about when it comes to chainsaw chains. If you start seeing sawdust when your cutting wood stop and sharpen your chain if it bites too much file your rakers. Good video Stanley!
The opposite happens if your rakers are taller than your tooth edge, it won't bite at all. You can have the teeth sharp but if the rakers are too tall and blocking the tooth cutting edge you will just be spinning your wheels. If it bites too much chances are you rakers are too short.
Very educational!!! Two thumbs up!! Always ask the Pros...yes indeed...that is by the way, the folks whose livelihood depends on their skill / trade. Great job!!!
Good advice on the pro chain sharpener. I have one very similar to this one and they're wonderful to have if you do a lot of saw work. Here's the thing, Tanner -- and listen up. You have to get that sharpener secured to that it doesn't bounce around a half-inch with each stroke. You're wasting motion, time, and energy. Take that sharpener off that 2X4 and set it aside. Now take another length of 2X4 and mount it near the floor just like the original is mounted horizontally. Now take a 2X6 or 2X8 and secure it vertically between the two. Now mount the sharpener *securely* onto the vertical board. NOW you have a secure mount. You'll thank me later. Now be careful with those sharp-ass chains! Thanks for the vid, Stanley. Always enjoy them.
They left out some very important information about sharpening with an electric grinder. Not one word about about the width of the wheel, proper radius and proper depth. I've been a sawyer for a long time. Good video for those who do not know any better
For 25 you would be a lot better buying a new one. In my opinion you getting ripped off and you should be able to get it sharpened cheaper elsewhere, what I have done is look at a whole lot of sharpening videos where there sharpening with hand files and I’m getting real good at it, practice makes perfect, good luck mate
I had an outdoor wood boiler that heated my house and shop for a decade, and I got very aquainted with sharpening a chain. I used an Oregon 12 volt rotary grinder sharpener(like a Dremel). I could sharpen the chain on my saw in about 2 minutes, 3 minutes if I was touching up the rakers. A chain would usually last a season- and I would usually cut between 16-20 cord of wood (I was heating a 3,000 square foot house, my hot water, and my 30x40 shop for 5-6 months).
Great video! I used the same grinder/sharpener! I however cut the gullet down level with the top of the links. If you don't cut it low enough it does affect how it cuts. And keeping the teeth all the same size definitely makes a huge difference! They need to be identical.
Hand sharpened chain in the woods for 50+ years, raker height is important... if you find you've gone a bit low on them and the saw starts grabbing, switch from 7/32'' file to a 1/4''.. the 1/4'' really takes the hook out of the teeth, stops any grabbing, makes for smooth cutting. grabbing is extremely hard on chain side links, drivers and drive sprockets. This works well for .404'' and 3/8'' pitch chains. Ground chain is good, but the grinder has to be set up properly... cheap ones are junk, good ones are VERY expensive, last good one I looked at was $1200. I decided a $10 pair of drug store glasses might do the trick... they do !
Good video, it depends on the size chain and type of wood you are sawing but I generally try to run my rakers.020 to .025 thousands below the cutting tooth
Years ago I bought a chain sharpener from good ol' Harbor Freight. $30-35 but it does the job, & lots faster than hand filing. I take off as little as possible to just take off the dull edge, & make chains last longer. It does have a little give & wobble here & there, but tighten everything down solid & get to goin.
@@MARKE911, it means adjusting the rakers (aka, depth gauges, drags) and teeth to the power of the saw. Square grind and round grind, soft wood and hard wood, high altitude and sea level, all need fine tuning of the rakers. When you're cutting all day long seven days a week you'll feel the difference.
I knew most of what was said but another point worth mentioning is to rotate the bar and also file it flush from the sides as they" lip up " and can cause you to cut around corners👍 great vid btw
Thanks, I bought one of these from Lowe"s and watching you video on your channel enabled me and Several others to learn how to use a Electric sharpener and how to adjust the rackers...between all 3 of us, we have 5 STIHL Chainsaws with Extra chains for each one. Great channel and video !!! ...Robert R.
Between me and my father over roughly 500,000 + chains have been sharpened and made. Used a bank of 8 sharpeners on stands. Different angles, different wheels, setup for rakers. But another key factor of good chain maintenance is cleaning them. Soak them in a tub of pitch cleaner / solvent that also works as a lubricant for the drive links and then use a stiff hand brush to clean them after the tank and then blow them out with compressed air. Another good point is the direction your wheel engages the chain. It should go into the cutter link. I flip the chain not the angle, My sharpeners angle stays set always. This prevents a burr on the outer edge of the chain. High dollar sharpeners like foleys and silveys have a bi directional motor for this purpose but I find when your doing a lot in a day changing the angle is a waste of time. As there are many types of chains out there you need to use the right chain with the saw your using and the conditions your cutting. I don't sharpen chains anymore as I work in a different industry now.
I soak chains in a solution of water and ammonia, about a cup of ammonia to a gallon of water. Let it soak 10-15 minutes and clean with a stiff parts brush, works pretty well for cleaning pitch off chains and it's cheap and environmentally friendly. Small dirty chains overheat and "blue" more easily.
Sounds like you sharpened a lot of homeowner saws. A chain that is kept sharp and properly lubricated will not pick up enough pitch to worry about. The only saw chains with pitch or resin are those that were run dull or run out of oil and got way too hot.
Good Info; men. i've had my chain depth gauge, for a year. FIRST VIDEO i found, DEMONSTRATING its' use. Good one. Was filing the depth tooth, with flat file till now. OK . ..on with it....
@@Jonathan-hq8od True,I didn't say he was burning,I was laughing about the wall moving.What do I know,I'm a grumpy old bastard that does it all with files,lol ;-)
I hand file my chains using the husqvarna jig with the 2 rubber rolers and that works well for me. The jig also has a depth gage on it with two settings: hard wood and soft wood. I prefer taller rakers. My saw is a bit on the weak side and it runs smoother when the raker is a bit taller than what the jig tells me to. It just works best for me after some experimenting.
I didn't hear it either, but if the guys said they did... They are called witnesses marks by many of the guys I know, they are not on all chains, but most. Also many chains have them on the sideplate to help you to get the correct hook/profile.
In my sharpening kit i also keep a Broken Hacksaw Blade for cleaning the chain gruve in the bar , the broken end gives a pointed end for also cleaning the oil gallery hole ,a clean gruve lets the bar oil flow & keeps the bar tip from overheating . I also have a 8 ft bucking horse made from 5 ft & 8' aluminum scaffold tube [ Tube & Clamp - 2-8' ,12-5' tubes & 15 Right angles] i can load 1 cord on this [2 ft -40' bundled logs ] & with the chain optimum fresh sharped i have cut a whole cord with 1 tank of gas [ most times it takes 2 -3 tanks ,a old nylon rope to cinch the logs is handy sometimes .
i think using the file is good and fast enough. It's nice to have this explanations. Thanks! Btw, I did the single hand thing today and quickly realized it is a terrible idea. I dont wanna be the next one finger charlie!
I have been an arborist since the 1980s, with a background in forestry. And I have been a steady You Tube watcher for perhaps five years. I understand turning to the Tube for information. I have done it too. But because of guys like you, my least favorite subject on You Tube is chain saw sharpening. That is where I find record breaking amounts of half-baked or outright wrong information! Let's take a look: •Where are you guys located? How is it you don't know how to pronounce Oregon? It is Or-E-Gun. That applies to the chainsaw accessory company, and to that beautiful state. It is still there. It is not GONE! •Raker: that is a nickname where chains are concerned. It is a depth gauge. It regulates the dept of tooth bite in wood. Long ago, rakers were the Y shaped tooth on some two-man crosscut saws. •You posted a teaching video here. Quit switching names for things. Depth gauge, raker, blade, bar, and even the electric chain sharpener. It is NOT a bench grinder! Learn proper terminology and be consistent. •Stump vise: very good to point it out. Good tool. If you hand sharpen a saw on a work bench, the stump vise can be used there too, to stabilize the saw. Like the bipod on a rifle. •File: It is called a round file. For beginners it would be good to point out it is not a rat tail file, which tapers and is usually too coarse anyway. Your chain file needs to be the same diameter over its' entire length. And some beginners need to be made aware of this. •File Maintenance: Files need cleaning. You sort of brushed up against this subject. You can use an old tooth brush, a small wire brush, a "file card", or at least a rag. You get a better job with a clean file. This applies to the flat file too. •When you ask a man to do a job, you may know to stand back and let him do it. The same goes for video making. When one of you jumped into the other guy's presentation, do you know what I got out of it? I did not get more chain information. I got that you looked bad. Are you a boss of some kind? That is poor leadership. •This is not a bull session fueled by beer. It is a mechanical presentation. You need to have one main speaker, and he must have thought carefully about what he is going to say. If you are going to divide the video between speakers on different facets of the subject, introduce the next speaker and get out of the way. The floor is his now. How about something like this? Now here is Fred who will talk to us about bar maintenance. •When you showed that most chains on the wall were the dull ones and you made a BS statement about prefering to cut trees. Then you turned and I saw what looked like a tree company logo on the back of your shirt, what was the intended impression? What I saw was a company who doesn't even CARE about the maintenance every tree company has to do. It was also the way you talked. Should I hire you to prune my trees when you come off as so careless? Do you all make flush cuts because they are quicker and easier? Or do you prefer to leave 6" stubs? And to climb my tree with spikes? Or would you rather look sensible and trained enough that I might hire you to work on my trees? You need to inspire confidence. And not brag. •Here is something that will help. You can get the Oregon Company's little booklet called OREGON MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY MANUAL. It has a ton of good pointers, regardless of which chainsaw or chain you use. Call 800-223-5168. Or Baileys sells them for about three bucks. This will put you all on the same page, and it is excellent for both beginners and experienced guys and gals. The industry has changed a lot through the years, and it is still changing. This is a good little book that will help you keep current.
The motor can be switched so the burr isn't left on the one side as it always is. Granted the sparks will be coming at you but I've done it for almost 17 years now.
Man you took what I was thinking and said it there are way to many fly bye night business in the world that have no clue about what it means to learn a skill and then how to teach that certain skill the last right generation is slowly passing away a so will the skilled trades work
A couple of really good tips that could have been said more succinctly and less rude. Such as “I like to clean my file with a wire brush, it does wonders to keep a file clean.”
@@BorderPaps I'll go with that. Rudeness was not the intent. But I have been doing this a long time and have studied a lot. So I'm not very tolerant of poor presentations with erroneous information. The materials are out there: including the manual that comes with every chainsaw, the Oregon book and numerous others. One fault that many otherwise good sources have is failing to tell about the good shop methods. There have even been "instructional" videos that used a rattail file on saw chains. In short, I have seen more seriously flawed chainsaw maintenance videos than those who only came close. I do tend to chime in concerning some things. When I do, I write for both the video maker and those who read comments. I hope to put out good informstion useful to all of them. And thst certsinly includes all the praise I can find to share. I do believe in pats in the back and reinforcement. I accept the criticism. Rudeness was not the intent.
I've watched a bunch of Videos, this one has been the best so far. Thank you for being Very Clear on the Important Points and not wasting anyone's time. I feel like I'm one of the guys there, getting a friendly tutoring. Ty, again.
This is a great video with Tanner (orange shirt). He really knows his stuff. Everyone else needs to stop interrupting him and just let him teach.
knows his stuff? LOOOOL
Chainsaw sharpening Basics... When you use the file to move the chain, to get to your next tooth...
You put the file BEHIND the cutter and pull the chain forwards on the bar...
Pushing it backwards, like in the video, Is not the safe way to do it..
If your finger slips off the file, Or the file slips off the tooth when pushing it backwards, Your fingers / hand can come into contact with the very sharp part of the tooth..
Sliding it the correct way.. FORWARDS... if the file slips, Your finger hit the back of the tooth.. The non-sharp part...
I felt like telling the other guy to go away and leave (orange shirt) alone.
@@RGD-Audio-Repairs
Aren't you humble.
The best sharpening video I've ever seen. Speaking from 40 years of experience.
I was running this saw for about 2 hours at about a 30-50% duty cycle ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxfQm1wmg0ItKDLavxj1nXtQY9HP7EF504 and it did a great job. I used the lever for the built in sharpener to clear chip buildup out more than to actually sharpen the chain. It managed to cut some hardwood stumps much larger than it's size without bothering the neighbors with hours of 2 stroke noise.
I bought the electric chain sharpener at Harbor Freight for about $25 ten years ago. It is similar to the Oregon machine while obviously lower quality. It has always provided an accurate grind and sharp chain and paid for itself many times over.
I bought a Homelite Lil Red with a 14" bar to cut a large branch a storm broke off an old maple tree. When I was getting ready to pay for it, a decent guy asked me if I had a sharpening kit for it. I didn't know what he was talking about. He was a customer like me but took me back where the files were and showed me a book with kits including one for my saw. Real nice guy. I read the operators manual several times until I got the nerve to start the saw and cut the branch into 12" pieces. I haven't used it since because I knew I didn't what the hell I was doing. I'll be re-watching your site and taking notes! Thanks for the great video!
Ran a saw a long while ago... this is how I did it hand held file flipping the saw to do the opposite side...as he said every tank of gas and rakers every 3 or 4 sharpening. The thickness of the chip is governed by the top of the tooth to raker. if your chips are getting thin and papery you know to lower your rakers... always use a raker file WITHOUT teeth on the sides. You can screw up your cutting teeth if you use a regular flat file that has teeth on the edge. Great video with excellent explanation so important to pass this knowledge on.
Appreciate the great comments, thanks Gregory!
One of the better how to sharpen a chain videos I've seen. I can actually take the information and apply it to my reality and be better at the end of the day.
Just bought a chain sharpener and watched 20 videos and this is definitely the best one !!
Happy to help 😁👍
Really great video. Having several different lads just chipping in with their own preferred methods, and just chatting, covers everything really well.
Much better than some guy in a studio who spends a week writing his script to get it "perfect".
I will now sharpen my own blades. Thankyou for the knowledge.
Yep. Me too. Gonna buy the correct round file and depth gauge too.
Good demo. I learnt to hand file when I started using a chainsaw a few years ago. I still use my guides to help get the angle right. Now I can sharpen my chain better than using a local centre and to mention a lot cheaper. Retouching the chain when working makes such a difference. A sharp chain is a safe one.
Thanks Alex
learned
Ive only wver hand filed mine. But never ground down the depth gauge
going to try again
I'm grateful I found this video. We've been working it out on our own and as it turns out, we've been doing everything that was explained in this video. Thank you guys for the instructions and the nomenclature refresher course.
I run a tree business and sharpen a lot of chains. It’s always good to see how others do the most basic chores. I think one finger Frankie should do a chainsaw safety video!!!
Lol, thanks for watching Derek!
Love it!
agreed man
Nope to Frankie doing a safety video. Ain't got no credibility.
@@darrowfortheprosecution1404 he'd give you the finger ,if he had one to spare :)
Far and away the best chain saw sharpening video I've ever seen! Thanks folks! I learned a lot!
Thank you for doing this. Never knew about checking rakes on the chain. Learned a new thing today. Kudos to the gents for show us the way!
It took me years to realize that the depth gauge needed filing.
Won’t cut if it’s too high
Lol, I worked with some tools that thought the rakers aka depth gauges never needed filing.. Took me months to finally convince a couple that they do in fact need to get filed down as the chain is filed.. Amateurs they were!!
It will make all the difference in how your saw cuts.
If they are too low like to kick back, so you're new to it use file gage, on both raker and tooth.
I really enjoy the repetition/monotony of chain sharpening by hand. Like reloading. It's therapeutic.
Good job guys!! I have been lazy and just purchased a new chain every time one got dull. I'll wait for a nice rainy day and see how many of them I can sharpen up. That will give me more $$ for the next beer run.
Just a tip - don't do too many by hand in one session, especially if they're long chains. The first few turn out great, then the quality of work suffers. I don't know if it's fatigue, eyestrain, or whatever, but everyone I have ever cut with has given me that advice. Any time I have gotten cocky and ignored that advise to sharpen many in one sitting, I ended up with lousy chains. Also, don't forget to dress the bar too. You don't need to do it as often but it needs to be done. It's beyond the scope of this video so I don't blame them for not mentioning it, but search to learn this often forgotten step if you aren't already doing it.
They were wrong about the tooth size. You can file one more than the other and it'll work. Just take your depth gauges down proper way. I've done that many times and it works very well, and i'm not "professional". If you want to know more, check Buckin' Billy Ray videos, i learned from him and he really knows what he's talking about!
I like this video on the proper way to sharpen a chain saw blade, I ask a person that boasted he was all-knowing about such matters I was told I bought the wrong brand of saw! I cut a maple, small one about 4" in diameter with a dull blade, then after sharpening according to how the pros sharpen a chainsaw blade ,i sailed right through a much larger maple with no problem at all. I also learned it's not the saw its the blade! I will not be buying another saw anytime soon. I already have 4 with dull blades, no more thanks to you! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EXCELLENT VIDEO
It's a BAR not a BLADE! The CHAIN does the cutting. The BAR guides the CHAIN!
I'm qualified to say this was a decent sharpening video... It covered the parts of the chain and the common best practices. Good job Stanley.
Who do you suck off
@@travisdavis3974 Giving credit where it's due there jimbo. When you grow up you'll learn everyone's sucking someone else off lol
@john blackthorn No? lol Not good enough for you? lol ok Then please by all means make a better video showing us your "better" methods. I'm really interested to see how you do it better and how that translates to the thousands of people who will be sharpening chains.
Please provide qualifications
@@xpeeriments6452 My family collectively has like 100 years of tree work experience between us. Although I'm sure that's not gonna be good enough for some of you fucktards.
I enjoy all of these videos on sharpening, helps pick up good tips. My go to is Buckin Billy ... Used to buy 3 new chains every year, now i have a life time of chains since learning how to sharpen. Grab the rifht file and learn, it will be the best feeling ever, plus it makes the work easier in the end. Good luck to all of the new chainsaw sharpeners.
Great video! At least for those of us that want to learn! I realize there are many techniques, but appreciate the best practices as I feel they were trying to explain. Thanks. Yes more of these types of videos would be great! Like the idea of “from the experts”.
Appreciate the comments, thank you !
Won't lie, that Stihl sharpening tool has saved my life. After years of hand filing chains, bought one of the Stihl tools at Ace. So nice.
There are two things I suggest. For Stihl saws, I have to set the depth gauges a little lower than specs to get the chains to cut like new. Another issue is that if you use the suggested depth gauge setting tool for the chain, I found that you can't set the depth gauges as low as they should be because of the curve in the saw blade. Also, to prevent blueing of the cutters when using a grinding wheel, I suggest using Kool-Grind.
Nice Job! It showed us the basics of chainsaw sharpening. You gotta start somewhere, and having pros that do it all the time, show us, is a good place to start.
This was pretty interesting. I've been running saws my whole life and the one thing I've never mastered was sharpening the chain. I had no idea that the takers needed to be filed down that's probably where I have been going wrong. Keep these videos gping things like this can make a big difference for DIY people like me.
A sharp tooth is exactly that. It doesnt matter if one tooth took 5 passes and the next tooth only took 3 passes. Unless you enjoy buying chains. Your not going to cut crooked if all the teeth arnt the same length, your not going to remove less wood either. Counting strokes is and old school wives tale. But by all means,keep the same edge profile and angle.
Stop counting. KISS And yes file your rakers. Also Check out Buckin Billy Ray Smith for more wood cutting wisdom and a touch of axe throwing.
I shoot and edit videos for cable network TV and that video right there was more informative and well produced than 95% of the videos that are produced with entire crews and production staff. Well done sir.
Really appreciate that , thank you !
I was equally informed and bewildered...
We just got done with a major ice storm here in okc. I work at a large mower sales and service. I bet ive sharpen 5 or 6 hundred chains. I felt the need to understand it better. Ive been a mechanic for 20 years. Thanks this was helpful
Can’t tell you how many chains I have tossed out because I had no clue on how to sharpen them.
This gave me a much better understanding of the chain and how it works.
Thanks everyone 👍👍
Haha me too. I’ve been stockpiling dull chains for a hot minute now though. Got a sharpener from harbor freight, got plenty of practice material!
Thank you for your patience, humor, and your excellent instruction. People seem to get hung up on terminology, sometimes. Just remember bar and chain. Thanks again guys. Drop them. Limb them. Buck them. Then you either sell them at a specified length. Or split them. Pile them. Or stack'em. Wood warms you more than just the fireplace. But that's the best time. Hahaha
Thank you very much! Really appreciate the comments !
Great video!! My Great grandfather, Grandfather and Father were loggers and Saw Mill owners. My Dad told me that's how his dad taught him to sharpen a chain. That was since way back in the 60's. I love good educational stuff about how good hard work is done. Thanks for the video and God Bless you all.
Thank you for the comments Harold!
These guys know exactly what they are talkin about! Totally experienced. I endorse every little detail they presented! (Oops, all but one. You always drive your stump vise into the stump before you put the bar in the vice. That way you have a nice flat surface to drive the vice into the stump and do not have to worry about hitting on the chain and bar) I was a tree thrower on a logging crew and learned real quick how to hand file my saw. Out there in a timber, you don't have an electric grinder to file your chain. I got to where I could cut a slot into a stump and use that as my stabilizing vise for sharpening so I didn't have to carry that extra weight with me through the timber of the stump vise and hammer.
Thank you Phillip
I think he knows you hammer it in first, he just said it in a weird way in the video because he forgot to say bang it in before he clamped the saw in
I do the same .The vise would be cool cause you wouldn't have to lift your bar to move the chain. It's a good idea to mark your chain first for a starting point. Stihl chains have a green or yellow link already.
doing the rakers more regularly was a good reminder , i must get me one of the new stihl hand files that do the teeth and the rakers simultaneously
I was sharpening chains for years before I tried using a guide. It makes such a difference in keeping the angles to 30 deg. Without the guide I have a tendency to making the angle more acute over time and inconsistent from tooth to tooth. Getting a consistent 30 deg on every tooth makes the chain cut as well as when it was new and also makes it last longer (I.e can be sharpened more times before the teeth get too short). Maybe the pros can do it by hand but for everyone else I recommend buying a guide. They are cheap enough.
What brand/model guide are you using? Im looking at getting one.
@@mat7247 I got the “OREGON 4.0mm (5/32-Inch) Chain Sharpening and Bar Maintenance Kit for 1/4-Inch, 3/8-Inch Low Profile Chainsaw Chain”. You might need a different size depending on what chain you have. You can buy 12 packs of files as well as they wear out after a while.
On raker depth, you can actually use the grinder to bring down the rakers simply by setting the depth then running the
Rakers slowly through the grinding wheel to shave off a small amount in each one.
Yes and no it's a different size grinder desk than the grinder you use to sharpen the teeth usually the grinder for the 404 teeth
I was very interested by Tanner's comment. He shows how experience is the best teacher IF you think about what you are doing. Most people know that when you grind hardened steel and it turns blue you have lost its heat treatment and it will be softer and not hold its edge. But Tanner says it becomes harder as well! How does that happen? Well he is bang on... heat treatment of steel involves quenching and that locks the carbon particles in place uniformly stressing the steel, when you grind too quickly you heat it and this allows the carbon to move "relaxing the stress" However, if you have tool steel, Chromium and Molybdenum form very hard carbides. These carbides are best when small. When you heat the steel by grinding the carbides grow bigger but they do not strengthen the steel just mess up your file since they are harder than the file. Great observation Tanner!
The 2 guys gave some really great advice - I learnt a lot.
Many thanks.......all the way from London !
Thanks Paul and happy that you got some useful info!!
we dont learnt mate....no wonder you guys lost the war
@@johnmassengill2253 "Learnt" is actually the original proper English form of "Learned".
This is the best video I’ve seen on this. Assumed nothing and explained everything. Thanks!
Been sharpening my own chains for many years now and I agree with these guys!
In my opinion, the best video on hand-filing on the internet. Well done!
Thank you Roger !
I hate to be "that guy" (only kinda), but Buckin' Billy Ray has way better advice on sharpening. There are so many things to point out, I won't start. Just look up Buckin' Billy Ray and you'll see.
Definitely a good video for someone that's trying to figure out how to sharpen a chain. One thing they missed tho is you don't sharpen the gullet but you do need to take out some gullet as you go back on the tooth because as you go and the tooth gets lower you need to take out some gullet to keep your sawdust capacity and your your tooth profile.
Thanks for the comments Dan and thanks for watching !
good call i feel there where some things missed but in saying that how much info do you give the newbie to start with. logger of some 25yrs
@@mikekeen9710 yeah same here just mentioned that one because he specifically said not to sharpen the gullet. I have been cutting and hand filing for twenty years and there's definitely a lot more to it than what they mentioned. It's always interesting to here from fellow loggers, good luck and be safe.
I trust Tanner - Good job explaining execution expert. Great video Ya'll. Thanks to Wes and Tanner for demonstrating their trade expertise. Thank you Stanley for sharing the production skills.
Good video, it's one thing to explain how to do something but even better to explain why!
that was so informative and concise. not only what to do, but what not to do. more videos like that please!
I don't care what it's called. I'm going to sharpen my own chains from now on. Thanks for the video Stan!
You're welcome Rick , thank you !
You need to learn . Lots of small engine places won’t even sharpen a chain anymore they’d rather just sell you a new one .
I fell a lot of trees in Idaho and Montana, back in the day. I found that good bar maintenance helps a lot too. I would flip my bar over once a week. It's like rotating your tires. Your bar will last a lot longer. When we were just out getting firewood, I would use my 12 volt Granberg hand held sharpener. It is fast and easy. And after the Mt. St Helen ash fallout, you were luck to get 5-6 cuts before you had to sharpen your chain. And our trees were Tamarack (hardwood), ranging from 2 to 4 feet in diameter.
Stihl makes a hand tool with a combination flat file and 2 round files that sharpens the tooth and takes the raker down at the same time. It also has a bar guide for the correct angle. Hand sharpening is a bit more tedious but the chain stays sharper longer in my experience. Grinder may work faster but it takes off more metal and shortens the chain life sooner.
Plus they over heat the cut edge
Hand type is best and the new shitl is great but to high price
@@philliphall5198 Worth it to grind both blade and guide in one pass. Got one and never went back.
Yeah the new Stihl hand sharpeners are really nice and doing a quick touch up is a easy thing to do! To me they are worth the price!
Great video! I am filing the rakers first then the tooth, because when u use the raker gauge it will dull the tooth a little bit. My experience and I hope it is a relevant tip.
You need to sharpen the teeth first. There's no way to know how much to file the rakers down until all the teeth are sharp and at the same level.
Great video. Very informative. I learned a lot. Just a home owner but now understand how the chain really works to cut wood.
Thank you Kevin glad it was helpful !
The lazy person just use a Oregon Powersharp tool.
Sharpening chainsaw
Old video but i learned something. Ive been cutting wood since i was old enough to swing an axe. We used wood heat growing up in western Washington so we went through some wood. My dad always ran the saw and sharpened the chain though. Ive only sharpened a handful of times and had no idea the raker needed taken down. Makes perfect sense after looking at it.
I’ve had one of those gauges in my tool box for years and didn’t have a clue. Thanks hope I can find it now
Good luck Dale, thanks !
Who did you steal it from ? 😂
Might have helped if ya read the owners manual :)
@@trevors8577 didn't have an owner manual. It was in my dad's tool box that I inherited. He had a lot of stuff that was a mystery to me.
@@brendalux2462 Yea, would have had to download the manual from the manufacturer. Most owners manuals get chucked in the recycle bin here after I've gone through them.
Great video, most Iv seen they don’t explain much and u find yourself watching someone file the blade from 4ft away with 0 info. This was great to explain.
How to find a nail in a tree: put a new chain on your saw, start cutting.
Mike Sokolow never fails! Lol!
My brother just bought a new saw and his second cut BANG right into a 3/8 chain in the middle of the tree 😂 he was pissed... Good thing I Know how to file on the spot
Lol of course
hahahahah...I hate that this is true
You ain't NEVER Lied!!!!!!!!
Very useful video. Well done guys. This is the sort of instructional video that makes UA-cam the best program on the net. Thanks for doing it.
You can get a raker height file guide that has a .025 for hardwood and .035 for softwood as well as a file guide to hold your file high on the tooth being filed to get the optimum cutting angle. The file guides also have at least 2 different angle markings for filing the tooth.
Different chain manufacturers use different angles for different style of chains.
The different depth rake height is for the type of chain you're using, .025 depth is for semi chisel low Kickback chain, AKA Johnny homeowner / Rental customer.
.035 is 4 full chisel chain
Knowing how to do something, and being able to explain it to someone else, is truly two different skillsets. This video was helpful to me. If Stan had done in two takes, it probably would have been much clearer.
You look at the comments here, and you can see many have suffered at even uglier explanations of this subject. Stihl, or some other manufacturer, should come out with a clear, concise, step by step explanation of this neccessary skill, in an equally clear and legible 20 minute video! We have the knowledge and the technology!
Harbor freight sells a chain sharpener for 35 bucks, been using it for 2 years and it still works great. No need to blow 600 on a grinder.
Files or grinder
@@patrickflorine9211 grinder. Just like the one in this video only cheaper quality, but it works great
The HF one is a little flexible for pros but adequate for someone who doesn't use it a lot.
CS 352, CS 590....my go to saws.
I have almost always gotten the tooth sharpening right, never quite understood the rakers file down well enough like today.
Thanks
Thanks guys that was great. We're professional tile Setters so this is really helpful. We're here in Georgia and after Hurricane Michael there is a ton of tree work that needs to be done.
Glad the video helped out and thank you !
hey there -I learnt something today...that depth gauge tooth is really important !! cheers guys
It would be good to make a video about chainsaw bar maintenance, greasing the tip, dressing the sides of the bar, and closing the gap when it gets over worn. The video was great and had a lot of good info. I always count each swipe if you don't your saw will J-hook when cutting. Another good video I wish someone like Stan was around when I started out.
Thanks for the suggestion Cory and thanks for being here watching !
Thanks a bunch for the good practical demonstration of the Oregon power sharpener. I got the same machine a year or so ago when the local Stihl dealer raised his sharpening price 30%. It will take a while to recoup the cost of the machine, but I like to do things myself anyway. One minor critique... When you overheat a tooth and "blue" it, the tooth will be softer, not harder. I promise.
Thanks Mark and thanks for the feedback!
+Mark Reich another youtube "expert" with no videos posted - put up or shut up
Really useful always good to see how professionals do the maintenance. Thanks
So glad ya liked it! Thanks Adrian 😀
Went from being totally ignorant on how to sharpen a chain, to having some idea how to go about it. Wish there were some recommendations of the tools needed and best place to find them. Thanks guys for putting this togehter.
Thanks a lot for watching Mark !
These are the videos that I enjoy, I miss the podcasts you use to have!
Thank you, appreciate that!
Great job on how to sharpen a chain on a chainsaw I will be using these methods for sharpening the chain on my own saw. Keep the great videos like this coming. Thanks
How often you sharpen also depends a lot on the type of wood you're cutting. Ash, pine and other soft woods you can cut for days, even weeks if you're careful where cutting oak/cherry etc It's probably going to need sharpened every truck load or at least daily. The most important thing when cutting a log on the ground, do not let the chain touch the dirt. One quick oops can turn a razor sharp chain throwing big curly kerfs into a chain that throws tiny sawdust and smokes. Nails and even knots in a log can do this too but the #1 thing I see guys doing cutting logs on the ground is letting the chain contact the dirt.
Exactly. You don't have to file as often if you keep it out of the dirt. Tree bark also traps a lot of grit. Dirty wood bad for chain.
I trained my self on an old sp125 McCulloch 38" bar, if you dont touch ground you can cut with any saw with out touching. That saw weighed close to 30-35 ibs.
Thank You!!!! The best video I have watched and learned from for sharpening chainsaw blades.
Love the video! Glad to see your channel always has everything I need. Such a variety of things! Just bought my first stihl yesterday. Just wanting to learn everything I can about it
They know what they're talking about when it comes to chainsaw chains. If you start seeing sawdust when your cutting wood stop and sharpen your chain if it bites too much file your rakers. Good video Stanley!
Appreciate it, thanks!
The opposite happens if your rakers are taller than your tooth edge, it won't bite at all. You can have the teeth sharp but if the rakers are too tall and blocking the tooth cutting edge you will just be spinning your wheels. If it bites too much chances are you rakers are too short.
I been free handing for years muscle memory is the key
Learning to free hand is the easiest sharpening in my books. skill ive never lost
Same here. Keep it sharp tank to tank. Now I'm running battery powered saws way more than I like to admit. So battery to battery. 🙂
Very educational!!! Two thumbs up!! Always ask the Pros...yes indeed...that is by the way, the folks whose livelihood depends on their skill / trade. Great job!!!
You got it! Thanks Mark
Good advice on the pro chain sharpener. I have one very similar to this one and they're wonderful to have if you do a lot of saw work. Here's the thing, Tanner -- and listen up. You have to get that sharpener secured to that it doesn't bounce around a half-inch with each stroke. You're wasting motion, time, and energy. Take that sharpener off that 2X4 and set it aside. Now take another length of 2X4 and mount it near the floor just like the original is mounted horizontally. Now take a 2X6 or 2X8 and secure it vertically between the two. Now mount the sharpener *securely* onto the vertical board. NOW you have a secure mount. You'll thank me later. Now be careful with those sharp-ass chains!
Thanks for the vid, Stanley. Always enjoy them.
Appreciate that, thank you !
Trying to learn how to do that myself and there's definitely an act for it great video
I use a harbor freight chain grinder works great best 30 bucks I spent
They left out some very important information about sharpening with an electric grinder. Not one word about about the width of the wheel, proper radius and proper depth. I've been a sawyer for a long time. Good video for those who do not know any better
cheers....very informative...they charge $25 au at local stil dealer to sharpen up blunt chains so this is gold.
that's the cost of a new one
@@scientist100 right most I've seen is usually$0.25 a tooth
For 25 you would be a lot better buying a new one. In my opinion you getting ripped off and you should be able to get it sharpened cheaper elsewhere, what I have done is look at a whole lot of sharpening videos where there sharpening with hand files and I’m getting real good at it, practice makes perfect, good luck mate
I guess they charge 25 because they really don't want to be spending their time sharpening chains. I mean take a hint.
I had an outdoor wood boiler that heated my house and shop for a decade, and I got very aquainted with sharpening a chain. I used an Oregon 12 volt rotary grinder sharpener(like a Dremel). I could sharpen the chain on my saw in about 2 minutes, 3 minutes if I was touching up the rakers. A chain would usually last a season- and I would usually cut between 16-20 cord of wood (I was heating a 3,000 square foot house, my hot water, and my 30x40 shop for 5-6 months).
Great video learned a lot I’m gonna put this to use when I’m sharpening saws for our firewood business
Awesome, thank you !
Great video very good points and shared knowledge I’ve been running a chainsaw for 48 years and still don’t know what a chainsaw blade is.
Thank you Gary!
Great video! I used the same grinder/sharpener! I however cut the gullet down level with the top of the links. If you don't cut it low enough it does affect how it cuts. And keeping the teeth all the same size definitely makes a huge difference! They need to be identical.
Thank you Elias, and thanks for watching !
Great video. Like safety glasses, safe raker size explanation.
quite interesting, i learned more than what i used to do when sharpening a chain
That's great timothy, thank you !
Hand sharpened chain in the woods for 50+ years, raker height is important... if you find you've gone a bit low on them and the saw starts grabbing, switch from 7/32'' file to a 1/4''.. the 1/4'' really takes the hook out of the teeth, stops any grabbing, makes for smooth cutting. grabbing is extremely hard on chain side links, drivers and drive sprockets. This works well for .404'' and 3/8'' pitch chains. Ground chain is good, but the grinder has to be set up properly... cheap ones are junk, good ones are VERY expensive, last good one I looked at was $1200. I decided a $10 pair of drug store glasses might do the trick... they do !
Good video, it depends on the size chain and type of wood you are sawing but I generally try to run my rakers.020 to .025 thousands below the cutting tooth
Thanks Larry
Pinoyscandal
For misquite trees its 15/20 is what I find the best and chain last little longer, plus only cut when leaves are green
Years ago I bought a chain sharpener from good ol' Harbor Freight. $30-35 but it does the job, & lots faster than hand filing. I take off as little as possible to just take off the dull edge, & make chains last longer. It does have a little give & wobble here & there, but tighten everything down solid & get to goin.
Best sharpener for light users is Stihl 2 IN 1 EASY FILE or Pferd Cx-s. Just match to the size chain you are running.
only complaint about it is that they like to disappear sometimes... haha
Yes, have one of those and i love it. Makes a cleaner cut and sharpens both the teeth and the rakers at the same time.
I don't like them because I like to tune the chain to the engine.
d hamby what do you mean by tune the chain to the engine? Never heard that before
@@MARKE911, it means adjusting the rakers (aka, depth gauges, drags) and teeth to the power of the saw. Square grind and round grind, soft wood and hard wood, high altitude and sea level, all need fine tuning of the rakers. When you're cutting all day long seven days a week you'll feel the difference.
I knew most of what was said but another point worth mentioning is to rotate the bar and also file it flush from the sides as they" lip up " and can cause you to cut around corners👍 great vid btw
Great video.....good close-ups and explanations. Thanks!
Thanks, I bought one of these from Lowe"s and watching you video on your channel enabled me and Several others to learn how to use a Electric sharpener and how to adjust the rackers...between all 3 of us, we have 5 STIHL Chainsaws with Extra chains for each one. Great channel and video !!! ...Robert R.
That's great Robert and happy the videos have helped you out ! Thank you !
Between me and my father over roughly 500,000 + chains have been sharpened and made. Used a bank of 8 sharpeners on stands. Different angles, different wheels, setup for rakers. But another key factor of good chain maintenance is cleaning them. Soak them in a tub of pitch cleaner / solvent that also works as a lubricant for the drive links and then use a stiff hand brush to clean them after the tank and then blow them out with compressed air.
Another good point is the direction your wheel engages the chain. It should go into the cutter link. I flip the chain not the angle, My sharpeners angle stays set always. This prevents a burr on the outer edge of the chain. High dollar sharpeners like foleys and silveys have a bi directional motor for this purpose but I find when your doing a lot in a day changing the angle is a waste of time.
As there are many types of chains out there you need to use the right chain with the saw your using and the conditions your cutting.
I don't sharpen chains anymore as I work in a different industry now.
Thanks for the comments!
I soak chains in a solution of water and ammonia, about a cup of ammonia to a gallon of water. Let it soak 10-15 minutes and clean with a stiff parts brush, works pretty well for cleaning pitch off chains and it's cheap and environmentally friendly. Small dirty chains overheat and "blue" more easily.
Lonnie.... Thank you for your comment! I got more from you than the video! Thanks again!
Sounds like you sharpened a lot of homeowner saws. A chain that is kept sharp and properly lubricated will not pick up enough pitch to worry about. The only saw chains with pitch or resin are those that were run dull or run out of oil and got way too hot.
Lonnie Burkett kkkk
Good Info; men. i've had my chain depth gauge, for a year. FIRST VIDEO i found, DEMONSTRATING its' use. Good one. Was filing the depth tooth, with flat file till now. OK . ..on with it....
He's "feathering" it,but the whole wall flexes,LMAO!Still,thanks for sharing!
No matter what those grinders are attached to. It’ll still flex. He is still feathering. Not burning
@@Jonathan-hq8od True,I didn't say he was burning,I was laughing about the wall moving.What do I know,I'm a grumpy old bastard that does it all with files,lol ;-)
I hand file my chains using the husqvarna jig with the 2 rubber rolers and that works well for me.
The jig also has a depth gage on it with two settings: hard wood and soft wood. I prefer taller rakers. My saw is a bit on the weak side and it runs smoother when the raker is a bit taller than what the jig tells me to. It just works best for me after some experimenting.
i appreciate the close-up views. They didn't mention the angle line engraved on every tooth
Yes they did
Yes they did mention that
I didn't hear it either, but if the guys said they did...
They are called witnesses marks by many of the guys I know, they are not on all chains, but most. Also many chains have them on the sideplate to help you to get the correct hook/profile.
In my sharpening kit i also keep a Broken Hacksaw Blade for cleaning the chain gruve in the bar , the broken end gives a pointed end for also cleaning the oil gallery hole ,a clean gruve lets the bar oil flow & keeps the bar tip from overheating . I also have a 8 ft bucking horse made from 5 ft & 8' aluminum scaffold tube [ Tube & Clamp - 2-8' ,12-5' tubes & 15 Right angles] i can load 1 cord on this [2 ft -40' bundled logs ] & with the chain optimum fresh sharped i have cut a whole cord with 1 tank of gas [ most times it takes 2 -3 tanks ,a old nylon rope to cinch the logs is handy sometimes .
Really useful video. Michael Dougfir makes some valid points but I took loads of info from the video.
Great to hear that Peter, thank you for viewing
i think using the file is good and fast enough. It's nice to have this explanations. Thanks! Btw, I did the single hand thing today and quickly realized it is a terrible idea. I dont wanna be the next one finger charlie!
No, don't be ! Thanks for watching !
I have been an arborist since the 1980s, with a background in forestry. And I have been a steady You Tube watcher for perhaps five years.
I understand turning to the Tube for information. I have done it too. But because of guys like you, my least favorite subject on You Tube is chain saw sharpening. That is where I find record breaking amounts of half-baked or outright wrong information!
Let's take a look:
•Where are you guys located? How is it you don't know how to pronounce Oregon?
It is Or-E-Gun.
That applies to the chainsaw accessory company, and to that beautiful state. It is still there. It is not GONE!
•Raker: that is a nickname where chains are concerned. It is a depth gauge. It regulates the dept of tooth bite in wood. Long ago, rakers were the Y shaped tooth on some two-man crosscut saws.
•You posted a teaching video here. Quit switching names for things. Depth gauge, raker, blade, bar, and even the electric chain sharpener. It is NOT a bench grinder! Learn proper terminology and be consistent.
•Stump vise: very good to point it out. Good tool. If you hand sharpen a saw on a work bench, the stump vise can be used there too, to stabilize the saw. Like the bipod on a rifle.
•File: It is called a round file. For beginners it would be good to point out it is not a rat tail file, which tapers and is usually too coarse anyway. Your chain file needs to be the same diameter over its' entire length. And some beginners need to be made aware of this.
•File Maintenance: Files need cleaning. You sort of brushed up against this subject. You can use an old tooth brush, a small wire brush, a "file card", or at least a rag. You get a better job with a clean file. This applies to the flat file too.
•When you ask a man to do a job, you may know to stand back and let him do it. The same goes for video making. When one of you jumped into the other guy's presentation, do you know what I got out of it? I did not get more chain information. I got that you looked bad. Are you a boss of some kind? That is poor leadership.
•This is not a bull session fueled by beer. It is a mechanical presentation. You need to have one main speaker, and he must have thought carefully about what he is going to say. If you are going to divide the video between speakers on different facets of the subject, introduce the next speaker and get out of the way. The floor is his now. How about something like this?
Now here is Fred who will talk to us about bar maintenance.
•When you showed that most chains on the wall were the dull ones and you made a BS statement about prefering to cut trees. Then you turned and I saw what looked like a tree company logo on the back of your shirt, what was the intended impression? What I saw was a company who doesn't even CARE about the maintenance every tree company has to do. It was also the way you talked. Should I hire you to prune my trees when you come off as so careless? Do you all make flush cuts because they are quicker and easier? Or do you prefer to leave 6" stubs? And to climb my tree with spikes? Or would you rather look sensible and trained enough that I might hire you to work on my trees? You need to inspire confidence. And not brag.
•Here is something that will help. You can get the Oregon Company's little booklet called OREGON MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY MANUAL. It has a ton of good pointers, regardless of which chainsaw or chain you use. Call
800-223-5168.
Or Baileys sells them for about three bucks. This will put you all on the same page, and it is excellent for both beginners and experienced guys and gals. The industry has changed a lot through the years, and it is still changing. This is a good little book that will help you keep current.
The motor can be switched so the burr isn't left on the one side as it always is. Granted the sparks will be coming at you but I've done it for almost 17 years now.
Man you took what I was thinking and said it there are way to many fly bye night business in the world that have no clue about what it means to learn a skill and then how to teach that certain skill the last right generation is slowly passing away a so will the skilled trades work
that burr will be knocked off as soon as the chain passes thru some wood.
A couple of really good tips that could have been said more succinctly and less rude. Such as “I like to clean my file with a wire brush, it does wonders to keep a file clean.”
@@BorderPaps
I'll go with that.
Rudeness was not the intent. But I have been doing this a long time and have studied a lot. So I'm not very tolerant of poor presentations with erroneous information. The materials are out there: including the manual that comes with every chainsaw, the Oregon book and numerous others.
One fault that many otherwise good sources have is failing to tell about the good shop methods. There have even been "instructional" videos that used a rattail file on saw chains.
In short, I have seen more seriously flawed chainsaw maintenance videos than those who only came close.
I do tend to chime in concerning some things. When I do, I write for both the video maker and those who read comments. I hope to put out good informstion useful to all of them. And thst certsinly includes all the praise I can find to share. I do believe in pats in the back and reinforcement.
I accept the criticism. Rudeness was not the intent.
I've watched a bunch of Videos, this one has been the best so far. Thank you for being Very Clear on the Important Points and not wasting anyone's time. I feel like I'm one of the guys there, getting a friendly tutoring. Ty, again.