Lest anyone misunderstand, the chainsaw file is not a "rat tail" file. It does not taper. You will get very bad results if you do have a tapering rat tail file and use it on a chain saw chain. Like Cody says, look up the correct file that is meant for your chain size and style, and you can enjoy using it with good results. Read your saw manual. They wrote that to help you get the best service from your saw. Just look up the thing you are dealing with, which in this case is chain sharpening.
Nice job again Cody. Very well done! I'm glad you put this up again for folks.. I have sent the past saw sharpnng video to everbody who ask me how to sharpen a chain saw. Sure is better than trying to discuss over the phone.
This was real helpful. I have begun to sharpen mine this way. Just remember, it takes a little practice but well worth it. The hardware store I used to go to charged me $ 12.00 each chain. I bought good files and raker guide and they paid for themselves already. Thanks Cody
Hello Wranglerstar, greetings from England. Today I used the info you put in this video to great effect. It is great to have this resource on the internet. Thanks.
Thanks! I am new to using a chainsaw and your, "get to the point', well explained and informative video helped me sharpen my chain for the first time, fast and with perfect effect. I am grateful.
Because of you I just bought my first chainsaw for my homestead I just also purchased. I got a stihl 026 model because of your personal reviews and others. Thanks for all your vids.
OK 1st and foremost, this guy knows his stuff. His tips and suggestions are on mark. 2nd, you don't need to mark any teeth in an effort to show where you started filing your chain. If you feel you need to do this, you probably should be using a file guide. Just look for the shiny metal underneath the cutterhead when the chain comes back around. It should look a lot different than a dull tooth, and trust me, you'll be waiting for it and will probably discover it 4 or 5 teeth before it gets to you. Only other thing to remember: your chain has to ride on what is basically a railroad track (the bar rails). If one is higher than the other then the chain will lean to the lower side. A leaning chain can cause you to cut curves. No fun and not productive, no matter how sharp your chain is. That means you have to file down the high side to the same height as the low one. Careful doing this because there will inherently be metal slivers which will become metal splinters. Just be aware of it and you'll know what to do. Google it, as I'm sure there are some videos.
After all of the time I have spent watching video on how to sharpen a chainsaw, this is by far the best I have seen! Sharpening a chain is not rocket science, it is just common sense. Very well explained. Thank you!
We've talked a few times Wranglerstar... It's that time of year once more and I'm taking a few more dead standing hardwoods for the winter fires up here in the Northeast! I have an MS 311 which is a bit too much for my girly back because... well... I'm a girl... but I wanted to mention.. just to make it EVEN easier a Stihl chain also has one link that is painted a different color (gads I'm in the kitchen and my saw is not here at the moment but I want to say the one link in the chain is painted green (though it would make more sense if it were orange but I seem to remember that its green) So if all the nice people here learning how to manage sharpening properly find that one link, you can start there and then not make the mistake of sharpening every tooth and then a few more by accident, because consistency is the key in this! I take 3 even swipes with the file and guide. I don't get rid of those "training wheels" and you're right the guide is exactly that, but it takes away some of the human error (and yes we all have that.. admit it folks!) And I would say remember that your Stihl should be throwing chunks. If it isn't you shouldn't be cutting for the mere reason that if you're getting all that super fine saw dust from your saw, its likely getting in your eyes and you should never be sawing if you can't see properly! Chain saws are OBSCENELY DANGEROUS! It is the most important thing you should remember at every moment! So you should instead have small chips of wood ( eh... somewhere between 1/2 a centimeter to a centimeter ) This is an excellent video Wranglerstar! No one will walk away from it with questions and if they do this is a great and friendly place to ask those questions because no one is born knowing how to sharpen a chainsaw... its a learned skill. You'll find too that your skill will increase as you perform the sharpening and your saw will cut better after having sharpened it 5 or 6 times, once you've become more comfortable with the task. That's mostly what I wanted to say but its funny story time as well! My husband and I were out cutting about a week ago. We never cut without the other being there because using a chainsaw is obscenely dangerous! We take turns generally. I take 5 cuts or so then he takes 10 and we give the saw a break, allow it to cool a bit and move some of the wood. So here we were cutting and doing a fine job but he had to go put some shoes on a horse. While he went and did that I brought my saw to the kitchen, I took out my Q-tips (yeah I don't have compressed air btw for me its Q-tips and very gentle cleaning of the bar oil channels with a straightened paper clip ...VERY GENTLE!!! You don't want to scratch the metal on the inside, it will simply become a better place for the saw dust to collect!) This is btw, how a girl cleans a chainsaw... with Q-tips and my husband has no issues with it because I actually get it clean! I save all the bits of oil soaked saw dust and the used Q-tips ... great fire starters in an outdoor fire pit! So I took it apart I cleaned it, I sharpened it to perfection, turned the bar over.... the whole thing. He gets home and I'm called away! We finally get back together and we still have a couple of hours of light. He starts sawing and here I am watching the saw throw nearly mulch sized chunks (okay yes I'm exaggerating but they were the biggest I've ever seen and even bigger than a brand new blade gives us) So he finally shuts it off and here I am ... typical woman... fishing for a compliment... I say to him "Hey its throwing nice chunks huh?" He answers "Yeah I just sharpened it!" I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED! lololol I still haven't told him that I sharpened it as well. You may think that's odd to not tell him but every time you sharpen any tool you are taking a bit more of the metal away. My husband is a farrier and his hoof knife that he uses to mostly pare down the sole of the horse's foot also loses metal every time he sharpens it which is before each horse. Your chainsaw blade goes through just as much hard work. Really and truly by double sharpening it that day, we had taken away the ability for that chain to be sharpened one time and it was purely by accident (and poor communication but wanting to please our mate too so I suppose that has some value) Well at least it also got a very thorough cleaning that day as well!!! Cheers to you and your family Wranglerstar!!! Say hi to the Mrs. for me from the other side of the states! Be safe. Be careful!!!
Fenikkusuuk: Dear Mrs Fenikkusuuk, It's been a while since you wrote your piece here, but just in case you ever check back here, I wanted to reply. So, greetings from the north end of the Sierras! (Northeastern California mountains.) First, I was a widower for 17 years. But the Lord recently gave me a good Christian wife. (SO nice to have that companionship & fellowship again!) And New Wife is a budding woodswoman too. So I shared your complete story with her. She was nodding, with a big smile. At the end she affirmed that a paper clip and Qtip were good choices, and just what she would have used. Regarding the chain, the green link indicates that it is a safety chain. Look at some other chains if you get a chance. They may have a yellow link. Or no colored link. You will see that your safety chain has some extra bumps on the links between the cutting teeth. Without my going into detail, it's something the factory did to reduces chances of certain mishaps with a running saw. Anyway, you are a good writer and we enjoyed your submitting those things.
Great vid. Exactly how I sharpeen mine! Also any sprocket bar will have the grease holes. Even my 14" poulan and my 8" polesaw bars. Theyb put those holes there for a reason so make sure to grease them
Thank Bernfya for posting his comments about the file guide being necessary. It doesn't just give angle guidance for the cutting angle, it does as he points out also help with the creation of the gullet- which peels away the 'kerf',chip or whatever you want to call it (look end on at the file in situ and you'll notice that a small portion is held above the bed of the guide and so doesn't come in contact with the tooth-so you don't need to "file in a slightly upward direction")
it also gives the top plate angle- the chiseling edge to the top of the chain tooth which gives the initial cut to the timber AND these angles have all been created not just to cut timber but to do so in the most efficient manner with regard to the longevity of saw,chain,bar and yes operator !
If you change your own clutch sprockets then consider running two or more(depending on life you get out of them) chains alternately with each new sprocket as the chains and sprockets then wear together instead of a new chain going on an old sprocket and having it's drive links stretched or worn down by contact with drum. Clutches with rim sprockets, the sprocket rim has limit of life markins- bit like a car tyre- when the rim is worn down to this the rim won't hold drive links off bar's bed
cont... 3. The file guide... It is a popular belief that the file guide isn't necessary and can be a bit cumbersome. With practice an attention to the right details, you can't get a more sharp chain out there. Even better than factory! This is a generalized, egoic concept that I don't accuse you of but that I can tell that you have heard this and adopted the belief. The file guide is great also because you can use it in shop or out in the field where most of the sharpening should be occuring.
Great videos. Got cheated, didn't get shots in your outdoor beauty. A tip I've followed is to slacken your chain some at end of day so it doesn't get tight. Longer bars would have more contraction. I always carry a scrench to make chain adjustments.
Rakers; the raker actually doesn't clean out any debris. Its purpose it to set how much wood is being cut. If it is too low (over filed) it will grab too much wood and cause more kick-back, bog down in logs and generate high temeretures on all metal parts including the bar, the sprockets, the powerhead and the piston! If not filed down at all, then the saw won't be cutting any wood but also generating excess heat and damaging the saw parts and piston.
The laser-cut angle line shows also the limit of life for the chain as it cannot be correctly sharpened past this point as the angles mentioned cannot be obtained.
I didnt borrow my father's saw I just took it. He was complaining how it didn't work so I took it and cleaned it. It starts right up but runs a little rough. I will run some carb cleaner in it tomorrow. He probably messed the gas oil ratio too. I will get it running proporly for him and then go get a stihl saw.
Great video !! I seem to learn new things in many of your videos.. here I never knew about filing the rakers or about the small oil feed holes in the bar..." Never loan out your wife or chainsaw" I like that. :-)
I see by what you say in this video that you hadn't found Madsen's Saw Shop yet. You can get everything you referenced there. Sorry if that sounds like spam, but if its logging or chainsaw related, no one has more experience in supplying you.
@satinwarship Dremels and grinders take the temper out of the steel by applying too high of heat. Also they are too aggressive and take too much material too fast. Even if you have rocked your chain, 10 or so strokes with the file should take care of it. That said, sharpening still only takes about 10-15 minutes.
Not bad. I personally prefer using a grease gun with a needle injector instead of the plastic Chain Saw Grease Gun. Not as portable but it works better.
Ouch to that poor little flat file while your filing the cutting depth gages. I'm sure you've learned by now files are made to cut in one direction. Forward. Dragging them backward will end the life of your file prematurely. Lift, reverse, down and cut. The other thing i caught was the upwards pull on the round file. Wrong. It's steady pressure horizontal. If users look carefully at the chain as it came from the factory, they'll notice the very bottom of the belly cut. That should be maintained at all costs for optimum cutting efficiency. So a steady pressure sideways or horizontally, into the tooth will guarantee that. Not up, not down, horizontal. If anyone has ever run into metal, which i did recently, and took out my entire left side cutters, and had to spend the next hour correcting and reducing every single tooth, left and right, to exactly the same size as the worst tooth. Almost 3/16". With such a major correction, and with the horizontal force applied, you'll see that your belly cut is maintained at exactly the same plain as the original cut. I finished sharpening and adjusting my rakers to correspond with the new tooth length, and it cuts like it did when it came out of the box. Nothing like seeing those big chips fly off! Anyway, minus the tweeks, good video.
Omg are there no real hand sharpening Sawyers out there? The only tools I use to sharpen my saw are the round and file raker file. That is all you need! Apparently there are no videos about hand sharpening chains.
you say to leave the chain reasonably loose. thats the opposite to other instructions,they say chains should be reasonably tight. stihl 038 manual says hold nose of bar up and tension chain until it lies against the underside of the bar then tighten the hex nuts. ie, no daylight. i dont know your qualifications but on the video it does look a little too loose.the weight of the saw should not be on the bar when tightening this will cause more wear on your bar as oil needs small clearence to work
Here's a problem I always run into, how do you know you've been all the way around when you're filing the teeth? I guess you could count them, but there's gotta be an easier way.
yakomuto just look at the cutting edge of the link. If you've already sharpened it, the metal should look raw. If it looks like its been used, it probably has.
Cody, I can't tell you how helpful this was to me. We bought our land last year and I've been sawing and clearing the homesite since then. Now one had ever shown me this stuff. I now will be able to maintain my saws properly. Thank you sir! All the best to you and your family.
I really enjoy your your helpful tips Mr W, im a new subscriber, and kinda new at youtubing. One thing i might add as to the tautness of a chain, is remove it from the vise, loosen the two nuts from the chain brake, grab the tip of the bar between your thumb and finger, lift until there is no slack left hanging, then tighten the 2 nuts back up while your still holding the nose tip upward. Im sure that most of your subscribers already know this tip. 4th generation logger myself, but always looking for tips and tricks to improve. Thanks for your videos.
First of all... I have used the "don't loan out your wife or chainsaw" line many times. Second, I have sharpened my Stihl chainsaws for years, but have never been completely satisfied with my results. This should help... When do you know it's too far gone? Is there a rule of thumb about how much of the blade is left before you chunk it? Thanks, alan
6 years later and this video is still helpful. I just sharpened a chainsaw for the first time (with training wheels) and it cuts amazing now. Thanks again Cody.
Well done as usual Cody. I was a logger years ago and one tip an old timer gave me was to get used to filing with both hands. By that I mean use your right hand to file the right side and your left hand to file the left. Keeps everything even. As far as the file gauge, the file handle has the angle already on it. take a look, 25 or 30 degree.
your comment about cleaning the lubrication ports, i had always done this but felt it was an unneccasary precaution, just cuz im new to the chainsaw world. but hearing it from an older more experienced chainsaw user i feel like i knew thing about saws that i didnt know i knew, lol.
That's weird, my comment received too many negative votes, and yours was marked as spam. It obviously wasn't. All I meant is a GAUGE isn't supposed to be used as a GUIDE. The gauge is calibrated for a certain depth for your chain. If you file on top of the gauge, you will also be making the gauge deeper over time, and it will loose it's accuracy...which would be really dumb. Using a straight edge and feeler gauge sounds like it would work munch better.
the rakers regulate the depth of the cut. if they are to tall the chain will skip and produce a dusty chip with little cutting progress, if they are to short the teeth will cut to deep and will bog the saw down creating a jerking like effect while cutting. crooked cuts and rough cuts are from improperly sharpened cutting teeth. Making sure each tooth is the same size and angle will produce smooth clean cuts. a properly sharpened chain will reduce wear are tear on the power head, use less fuel, cut faster, in crease chain life and reduce the chances of kickback. Wranglerstar love your videos. thanks for taking your time in your work and sharing with others
A really great video, demystifying the sharpening process. Would be good to include some close ups of correctly sharpened teeth if you are ever thinking about updating - otherwise I've learned a lot from this great vid.
You may have mentioned this and I simply missed hearing it , but need to mention that you never pull the file back through the sharpening stroke. You always push the file and then lift it. You did it correctly but need to mention it since I've seen so many people push the file through , then pull it back and forth. File in one direction only like you do in the video , or you will dull your file and dull the saw chain. File and lift, file and lift, never draw the file back through on the return stroke.
Thank you for taking the time to make one of the more informative and clearer chainsaw sharpening videos out there, I'm glad of the advice not to get the more time consuming sharpening device, so I am buying the file & guide you show using at the start of the demonstration. But one area of your advice contradict the method described in my manual, and another I feel would be a common sense method from my experience on cars, motorbikes, construction etc. When adjusting the tension my manual has a big tick over the picture indicating lift the bar upwards and pull the chain upwards from above the bar to test the tension, and a big cross over the picture indicating testing the tension by pulling the chain down from below the bar whilst the weight of the bar is pulled down by gravity. Is there a reason you test from the bottom, as logic tells me that during rotation, the chain is resisted by the wood on the underside, so between the motor gear tooth and the first point of contact on the wood, the slackest point on the chain will be the top. As the chain spins, when I'm taking off the thin stuff, the only airtime I ever see is between top of the bar and the lower edge of the main chain, I never see airtime on the lower bar between the wood and pulling motor gear (hope that makes sense?) My second point is with tightening following tensioning, I would have imagined that lifting the bar and tightening would give more consistent tension then having the motor heavy end and the bar dropping, after all, to cut you do apply (varying) pressure onto the lower bar when lifting the motor against the wood creating a pivot, basically a elongated 'V' pivot, as oppose to a elongated '/\' pivot, so would tightening (indeed lifting the bar whilst adjusting the tension) not be more appropriately undertaken by removing the small amount of play on the adjusting area by having the positions of the bar and power unit in the position force is applied in the field? (again, I hope that makes sense)?
lol....the 2 things in life ya dont lone out........I say my wife and ANY of my tools!! I love my wife buuuut.........honestly, I'm not sure what cost more, but I do know what I have more fun "playing" with😎
Wranglerstar dont tighten the chain when it get hot u will make the chain snap because when it heats it expands and when it cools it shrinks back so when u tighten the chain when its hot it will get even tighter when it cools off so plz take this to heart
Sorry for digging up an old video. Weather is terrible in N.MN right now. I have to disagree on the Granberg-style file guide. 40 years ago, when I hadn't any experience with maintaining saw chain, I used one about 2-3 times during the life of each chain to restore chain angles uniformly. Also good if chain hits rock or metal. Over time, I learned to file more accurately and use the jig rarely, but still have one or two in my workshop. Agree wholeheartedly on buying quality files.
Husqvarna makes a chain roller guide with a raker depth gauge all built in one, of course they come in different sizes. I absolutely love using it though I have never used an electric setup.
Amen, my wife is mine and my saw is my bread and butter.Very good common since advice.I hope that just one do it yourselfer learned something.A chain saw can be dangerous but a dull saw is worse.Thanx for all your advice.Go with god!
Nice video good for Amateurs not my league thpugh, goofy files and other Specializing tools are.what I.use of course they are not For amateurs cuts Up to 4 Times faster and chaps will not stop the chain All my chains.are coustom Modifided for highest efficientcy.
That was a great explanation of how to sharpen the chain. I have one Poulan which I need to sharpen the chain. I have 2 chains from that saw which was taken off when they were dull. I also have a Stihl saw which I thought would be fantastic, but the Poulan is much better and has not been in the shop since buying it. The Stihl is a piece of junk and much newer. I have been to the shop three times and still don't want to start.
I love your videos, but you might want to tell your watchers that isn't a "rat tail" file. Rat Tail files are tapered, you are using non tapered "chainsaw files." Keep up the excellent videos.
Good video, agrees a long way, but personally I prefer to mount the round file on a round file holder, from Oregon, the reason for this is that you do not always know in advance whether the file has been led in the right height earlier on, if you such, files a chain for a friend? To ensure that all teeth are the same height, which is of great importance to counteract vibrations, imagine that the chain's cutting speed is about 100 km / h, there will be a high rake?, or cutting tooth, which sends the saw bar, just a few distance upwards ?, how many teeth whizzes around in the air, without cutting before there is contact between the saw teeth, and the tree again? ........ why I would recommend purchasing a short caliper made of brass, brass don't harm the cutting edge. then I'll find the shortest sawtooth, by measuring from the rear edge of the saw tooth, to the cutting edge, be aware, that the rearend and top end, are obtuse-angled, so take the measure in the same level each time, start by file the shortest tooth, and afterwards measure the length of this cutter, use this measurement as a reference for the rest of the teeth, it is important at this stage to point out, that I'm waiting with the rakers, until I have sharpened all the teeth, remember not to put too much pressure on the file, draw attention to that the file is fairly thin and can easily bend upwards or downwards if round file previously have been led in the wrong altitude. Now is the time for the rakers, now all saw teeth must be the same length = same height, pay attention to file gauge rests on top of the teeth, so it is important to carry out the work in the correct sequence, and not start to file the rakers first. Pay attention, the raker gauge are made from hardened steel, the same material as the flat file, the result from filing in the rake guide vil ruin the file tooths, and the raker guide, then grasp the raker guide as a measuring instrument, not as a depth limiter for the flat file, start by placing the raker guide on top of the cutting tooth, depending on model, Oregon, or El, which means Electrolux, the one that you buy at Husqvarna dealers, Husqvarna is owned by Electrolux Sweden, therefore emblazoned "EL ", to all parts, also their rake guide, if you use a raker guide the Brand Oregon, resting usually over 2 saw teeth, I recommend filing in direction so that the rake sitting on the opposite side from the direction I file from, appeared to have learned that the rake is less prone to self-oscillate. oscillation of the chain. leads to a bad result, it is not good for the file, or the file result. First measure if the raker protruding above the depth guide, if so? take a file stroke or 2 and set depth gauge on the raker until you can no longer feel the raker when you slide the corner of sharp metal edge across the top of depthgauge you feel even the slightest, that the raker protrude over the depth gauge, with this approach. When all the rakers are done, to the right height, then they are rounded with a single cut flat file, file from the bottom towards the tip, while the file are turned in a counterclockwise motion, take nothing of the height of the rakers. If you follow these tips, and guide the file in the correct level, and at right angles, in accordance with the chain manufacturer's data, which can be found, here on the internet, then I almost promise you State guarantee, that you'll get a perfect result. Hope you understand? it's a little difficult to be precise in the language, I'm Dane, and a little difficult when it comes to explain technique?
loved the end... never let anyone borrow ur chain saw. I had somone think they were doing me a favour and they resharpened it badly, more on one side than the other and it cut like a damn banana! I fiddled with it but just ended up buying a new chain.
12 years later.... A big help to a new chainsaw user. Thanks.
Lest anyone misunderstand, the chainsaw file is not a "rat tail" file. It does not taper. You will get very bad results if you do have a tapering rat tail file and use it on a chain saw chain.
Like Cody says, look up the correct file that is meant for your chain size and style, and you can enjoy using it with good results.
Read your saw manual. They wrote that to help you get the best service from your saw. Just look up the thing you are dealing with, which in this case is chain sharpening.
Nice job again Cody. Very well done! I'm glad you put this up again for folks.. I have sent the past saw sharpnng video to everbody who ask me how to sharpen a chain saw. Sure is better than trying to discuss over the phone.
This was real helpful. I have begun to sharpen mine this way. Just remember, it takes a little practice but well worth it. The hardware store I used to go to charged me $ 12.00 each chain. I bought good files and raker guide and they paid for themselves already. Thanks Cody
by far the best chain sharpening video on youtube
Hello Wranglerstar, greetings from England. Today I used the info you put in this video to great effect. It is great to have this resource on the internet. Thanks.
One of the best instructional videos I have ever seen.
Thanks
Simple, accurate advice. Thanks for taking the time to teach us all!
Thanks! I am new to using a chainsaw and your, "get to the point', well explained and informative video helped me sharpen my chain for the first time, fast and with perfect effect. I am grateful.
Because of you I just bought my first chainsaw for my homestead I just also purchased. I got a stihl 026 model because of your personal reviews and others. Thanks for all your vids.
OK 1st and foremost, this guy knows his stuff. His tips and suggestions are on mark.
2nd, you don't need to mark any teeth in an effort to show where you started filing your chain. If you feel you need to do this, you probably should be using a file guide. Just look for the shiny metal underneath the cutterhead when the chain comes back around. It should look a lot different than a dull tooth, and trust me, you'll be waiting for it and will probably discover it 4 or 5 teeth before it gets to you.
Only other thing to remember: your chain has to ride on what is basically a railroad track (the bar rails). If one is higher than the other then the chain will lean to the lower side. A leaning chain can cause you to cut curves. No fun and not productive, no matter how sharp your chain is. That means you have to file down the high side to the same height as the low one. Careful doing this because there will inherently be metal slivers which will become metal splinters. Just be aware of it and you'll know what to do. Google it, as I'm sure there are some videos.
Without a doubt, the most informative and useful video on chainsaw sharpening and adjusting! Thank you!
Excellent video. Gets right to the point on everything...
After all of the time I have spent watching video on how to sharpen a chainsaw, this is by far the best I have seen! Sharpening a chain is not rocket science, it is just common sense. Very well explained. Thank you!
Best instruction video I have watched for a while, clear and informative - well done
I learned a few things I didn't know. I have a ms210c and a 660 magnum. Great video!
What a wealth of valuable information here. Some of this has taken me months to figure out and I learned a lot here.
We've talked a few times Wranglerstar...
It's that time of year once more and I'm taking a few more dead standing hardwoods for the winter fires up here in the Northeast! I have an MS 311 which is a bit too much for my girly back because... well... I'm a girl... but I wanted to mention.. just to make it EVEN easier a Stihl chain also has one link that is painted a different color (gads I'm in the kitchen and my saw is not here at the moment but I want to say the one link in the chain is painted green (though it would make more sense if it were orange but I seem to remember that its green) So if all the nice people here learning how to manage sharpening properly find that one link, you can start there and then not make the mistake of sharpening every tooth and then a few more by accident, because consistency is the key in this! I take 3 even swipes with the file and guide. I don't get rid of those "training wheels" and you're right the guide is exactly that, but it takes away some of the human error (and yes we all have that.. admit it folks!) And I would say remember that your Stihl should be throwing chunks. If it isn't you shouldn't be cutting for the mere reason that if you're getting all that super fine saw dust from your saw, its likely getting in your eyes and you should never be sawing if you can't see properly! Chain saws are OBSCENELY DANGEROUS! It is the most important thing you should remember at every moment! So you should instead have small chips of wood ( eh... somewhere between 1/2 a centimeter to a centimeter )
This is an excellent video Wranglerstar! No one will walk away from it with questions and if they do this is a great and friendly place to ask those questions because no one is born knowing how to sharpen a chainsaw... its a learned skill. You'll find too that your skill will increase as you perform the sharpening and your saw will cut better after having sharpened it 5 or 6 times, once you've become more comfortable with the task.
That's mostly what I wanted to say but its funny story time as well!
My husband and I were out cutting about a week ago. We never cut without the other being there because using a chainsaw is obscenely dangerous! We take turns generally. I take 5 cuts or so then he takes 10 and we give the saw a break, allow it to cool a bit and move some of the wood. So here we were cutting and doing a fine job but he had to go put some shoes on a horse. While he went and did that I brought my saw to the kitchen, I took out my Q-tips (yeah I don't have compressed air btw for me its Q-tips and very gentle cleaning of the bar oil channels with a straightened paper clip ...VERY GENTLE!!! You don't want to scratch the metal on the inside, it will simply become a better place for the saw dust to collect!) This is btw, how a girl cleans a chainsaw... with Q-tips and my husband has no issues with it because I actually get it clean! I save all the bits of oil soaked saw dust and the used Q-tips ... great fire starters in an outdoor fire pit! So I took it apart I cleaned it, I sharpened it to perfection, turned the bar over.... the whole thing. He gets home and I'm called away! We finally get back together and we still have a couple of hours of light. He starts sawing and here I am watching the saw throw nearly mulch sized chunks (okay yes I'm exaggerating but they were the biggest I've ever seen and even bigger than a brand new blade gives us) So he finally shuts it off and here I am ... typical woman... fishing for a compliment... I say to him "Hey its throwing nice chunks huh?" He answers "Yeah I just sharpened it!" I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED! lololol
I still haven't told him that I sharpened it as well. You may think that's odd to not tell him but every time you sharpen any tool you are taking a bit more of the metal away. My husband is a farrier and his hoof knife that he uses to mostly pare down the sole of the horse's foot also loses metal every time he sharpens it which is before each horse. Your chainsaw blade goes through just as much hard work. Really and truly by double sharpening it that day, we had taken away the ability for that chain to be sharpened one time and it was purely by accident (and poor communication but wanting to please our mate too so I suppose that has some value) Well at least it also got a very thorough cleaning that day as well!!!
Cheers to you and your family Wranglerstar!!! Say hi to the Mrs. for me from the other side of the states! Be safe. Be careful!!!
Fenikkusuuk:
Dear Mrs Fenikkusuuk,
It's been a while since you wrote your piece here, but just in case you ever check back here, I wanted to reply.
So, greetings from the north end of the Sierras! (Northeastern California mountains.)
First, I was a widower for 17 years. But the Lord recently gave me a good Christian wife. (SO nice to have that companionship & fellowship again!) And New Wife is a budding woodswoman too. So I shared your complete story with her. She was nodding, with a big smile. At the end she affirmed that a paper clip and Qtip were good choices, and just what she would have used.
Regarding the chain, the green link indicates that it is a safety chain. Look at some other chains if you get a chance. They may have a yellow link. Or no colored link. You will see that your safety chain has some extra bumps on the links between the cutting teeth. Without my going into detail, it's something the factory did to reduces chances of certain mishaps with a running saw.
Anyway, you are a good writer and we enjoyed your submitting those things.
So good to hear something like this from a expert. Brilliant, thanks !!
Great vid. Exactly how I sharpeen mine! Also any sprocket bar will have the grease holes. Even my 14" poulan and my 8" polesaw bars. Theyb put those holes there for a reason so make sure to grease them
I have been using a chainsaw for years but always hated sharpening it. Thanks for the video!
What a wonderful and informative video. Thank you for posting and taking your time to post this.
I’ve never touched a chainsaw in my life and it’s 11:24 at night all I can say is I just learned how to sharpen one and I feel proud
Excellent video mate!! Thanks a lot of taking the time to make it :)
Thank Bernfya for posting his comments about the file guide being necessary. It doesn't just give angle guidance for the cutting angle, it does as he points out also help with the creation of the gullet- which peels away the 'kerf',chip or whatever you want to call it (look end on at the file in situ and you'll notice that a small portion is held above the bed of the guide and so doesn't come in contact with the tooth-so you don't need to "file in a slightly upward direction")
it also gives the top plate angle- the chiseling edge to the top of the chain tooth which gives the initial cut to the timber AND these angles have all been created not just to cut timber but to do so in the most efficient manner with regard to the longevity of saw,chain,bar and yes operator !
Excellent video. Thanks for showing the raker guide.
Wish all RUclips advice vids were this good. Thanks eh.
Great video.
If you ever have to change out a Stihl oil pump, I would like to see a video of that.
Thankyou bro much needed info in this video .it will help me loads with my saw .peace.
If you change your own clutch sprockets then consider running two or more(depending on life you get out of them) chains alternately with each new sprocket as the chains and sprockets then wear together instead of a new chain going on an old sprocket and having it's drive links stretched or worn down by contact with drum. Clutches with rim sprockets, the sprocket rim has limit of life markins- bit like a car tyre- when the rim is worn down to this the rim won't hold drive links off bar's bed
Thanks Cody.
I have found your videos to be very helpful brother. Ty
cont...
3. The file guide...
It is a popular belief that the file guide isn't necessary and can be a bit cumbersome. With practice an attention to the right details, you can't get a more sharp chain out there. Even better than factory! This is a generalized, egoic concept that I don't accuse you of but that I can tell that you have heard this and adopted the belief. The file guide is great also because you can use it in shop or out in the field where most of the sharpening should be occuring.
Great videos. Got cheated, didn't get shots in your outdoor beauty. A tip I've followed is to slacken your chain some at end of day so it doesn't get tight. Longer bars would have more contraction. I always carry a scrench to make chain adjustments.
Thank You
Rakers;
the raker actually doesn't clean out any debris. Its purpose it to set how much wood is being cut. If it is too low (over filed) it will grab too much wood and cause more kick-back, bog down in logs and generate high temeretures on all metal parts including the bar, the sprockets, the powerhead and the piston! If not filed down at all, then the saw won't be cutting any wood but also generating excess heat and damaging the saw parts and piston.
words to live by, great intro
Thanks Wranglerstar!!!
i also LOVE that verse GOOD job
Thank you for the helpful info.
The laser-cut angle line shows also the limit of life for the chain as it cannot be correctly sharpened past this point as the angles mentioned cannot be obtained.
Watching this video gave me an AH HA! moment. Thanks.
I didnt borrow my father's saw I just took it. He was complaining how it didn't work so I took it and cleaned it. It starts right up but runs a little rough. I will run some carb cleaner in it tomorrow. He probably messed the gas oil ratio too. I will get it running proporly for him and then go get a stihl saw.
great...i see you have full skip chain on it...is this chain better than standard STIHL RS chain
Correct!
Great video !! I seem to learn new things in many of your videos.. here I never knew about filing the rakers or about the small oil feed holes in the bar..." Never loan out your wife or chainsaw" I like that. :-)
great video.
Why did you hold the depth guage at an angle when filing? Doesn't it need to be level to be accurate?
I see by what you say in this video that you hadn't found Madsen's Saw Shop yet. You can get everything you referenced there. Sorry if that sounds like spam, but if its logging or chainsaw related, no one has more experience in supplying you.
I can hire my wife out though yeh?
:D
Great video BTW
I'm told to file down file back then come up and sharpen the upper part a few strokes
@satinwarship
Dremels and grinders take the temper out of the steel by applying too high of heat. Also they are too aggressive and take too much material too fast. Even if you have rocked your chain, 10 or so strokes with the file should take care of it. That said, sharpening still only takes about 10-15 minutes.
I noticed I needed a bigger file for my Stihl ms170 chain than was recommended. File is too small and leaves a gap when using 5/32.
Not bad. I personally prefer using a grease gun with a needle injector instead of the plastic Chain Saw Grease Gun. Not as portable but it works better.
"Two things you should never loan to anyone, one is your wife, the other is your chainsaw." Great quotation from Wranglerstar.
Ouch to that poor little flat file while your filing the cutting depth gages. I'm sure you've learned by now files are made to cut in one direction. Forward. Dragging them backward will end the life of your file prematurely. Lift, reverse, down and cut.
The other thing i caught was the upwards pull on the round file. Wrong. It's steady pressure horizontal. If users look carefully at the chain as it came from the factory, they'll notice the very bottom of the belly cut. That should be maintained at all costs for optimum cutting efficiency. So a steady pressure sideways or horizontally, into the tooth will guarantee that. Not up, not down, horizontal. If anyone has ever run into metal, which i did recently, and took out my entire left side cutters, and had to spend the next hour correcting and reducing every single tooth, left and right, to exactly the same size as the worst tooth. Almost 3/16". With such a major correction, and with the horizontal force applied, you'll see that your belly cut is maintained at exactly the same plain as the original cut. I finished sharpening and adjusting my rakers to correspond with the new tooth length, and it cuts like it did when it came out of the box. Nothing like seeing those big chips fly off! Anyway, minus the tweeks, good video.
Ok, correction: maybe 13 minutes too long. The raker thing is pretty useful!
how do you know if your chain cant be sharpened or teeth are to small thanks
One man sharpens another
OK so trying to comment on ever single Video you have in hope of winning the toolkit I save up for like 3 month to get a real good steel fill
Omg are there no real hand sharpening Sawyers out there? The only tools I use to sharpen my saw are the round and file raker file. That is all you need! Apparently there are no videos about hand sharpening chains.
you say to leave the chain reasonably loose.
thats the opposite to other instructions,they say chains should be reasonably tight.
stihl 038 manual says hold nose of bar up and tension chain until it lies against the underside of the bar then tighten the hex nuts. ie, no daylight.
i dont know your qualifications but on the video it does look a little too loose.the weight of the saw should not be on the bar when tightening this will cause more wear on your bar as oil needs small clearence to work
@D7eadnaught. I can't agree more. Files are overlooked in care and use. Protect those fine teeth and remember they are one directional.
Here's a problem I always run into, how do you know you've been all the way around when you're filing the teeth?
I guess you could count them, but there's gotta be an easier way.
always start at the master link on the chain. it will always have 2 of the same teeth connected.
yakomuto just look at the cutting edge of the link. If you've already sharpened it, the metal should look raw. If it looks like its been used, it probably has.
What my grandfather and I do is use a marker and put a mark on the top of the tooth that gets done first
Are you wearing Geier gloves?
Casco, watch "Tools To Survive Economic Collapse".
Costco
Another tip for you, I use a sharpie marker on the first tooth and raker I did. that way I can keep up with where I started.
Tony Hyden
I love you.
Or u can colour them all and leave 1 👍
put off at first by the "scripture" stuff at beginning- not that clever or insightful really--but the sharpening info was very good--thanks.
Cody, I can't tell you how helpful this was to me. We bought our land last year and I've been sawing and clearing the homesite since then. Now one had ever shown me this stuff. I now will be able to maintain my saws properly. Thank you sir! All the best to you and your family.
I really enjoy your your helpful tips Mr W, im a new subscriber, and kinda new at youtubing. One thing i might add as to the tautness of a chain, is remove it from the vise, loosen the two nuts from the chain brake, grab the tip of the bar between your thumb and finger, lift until there is no slack left hanging, then tighten the 2 nuts back up while your still holding the nose tip upward. Im sure that most of your subscribers already know this tip. 4th generation logger myself, but always looking for tips and tricks to improve. Thanks for your videos.
First of all... I have used the "don't loan out your wife or chainsaw" line many times.
Second, I have sharpened my Stihl chainsaws for years, but have never been completely satisfied with my results. This should help...
When do you know it's too far gone? Is there a rule of thumb about how much of the blade is left before you chunk it?
Thanks,
alan
6 years later and this video is still helpful. I just sharpened a chainsaw for the first time (with training wheels) and it cuts amazing now. Thanks again Cody.
Well done as usual Cody. I was a logger years ago and one tip an old timer gave me was to get used to filing with both hands. By that I mean use your right hand to file the right side and your left hand to file the left. Keeps everything even. As far as the file gauge, the file handle has the angle already on it. take a look, 25 or 30 degree.
your comment about cleaning the lubrication ports, i had always done this but felt it was an unneccasary precaution, just cuz im new to the chainsaw world. but hearing it from an older more experienced chainsaw user i feel like i knew thing about saws that i didnt know i knew, lol.
That's weird, my comment received too many negative votes, and yours was marked as spam. It obviously wasn't. All I meant is a GAUGE isn't supposed to be used as a GUIDE. The gauge is calibrated for a certain depth for your chain. If you file on top of the gauge, you will also be making the gauge deeper over time, and it will loose it's accuracy...which would be really dumb. Using a straight edge and feeler gauge sounds like it would work munch better.
man this goes back in time!!! God has blessed you immensely Cody!!!
GREAT information. You revealed a lot of information I wasn't aware of and it really helped. Thanks so much!
Love the quote at the start! Thanks for a great video and clear explanation.
Love the proverb, “Iron sharpens iron. So one man sharpens another”
keep repping the good book that's the only guarantees in this. Looking forward to meeting you on the streets of gold one day. God Bless
the rakers regulate the depth of the cut. if they are to tall the chain will skip and produce a dusty chip with little cutting progress, if they are to short the teeth will cut to deep and will bog the saw down creating a jerking like effect while cutting. crooked cuts and rough cuts are from improperly sharpened cutting teeth. Making sure each tooth is the same size and angle will produce smooth clean cuts. a properly sharpened chain will reduce wear are tear on the power head, use less fuel, cut faster, in crease chain life and reduce the chances of kickback. Wranglerstar love your videos. thanks for taking your time in your work and sharing with others
very well done, thank you, has been very helpful, God bless!!😂
A really great video, demystifying the sharpening process. Would be good to include some close ups of correctly sharpened teeth if you are ever thinking about updating - otherwise I've learned a lot from this great vid.
You may have mentioned this and I simply missed hearing it , but need to mention that you never pull the file back through the sharpening stroke. You always push the file and then lift it. You did it correctly but need to mention it since I've seen so many people push the file through , then pull it back and forth. File in one direction only like you do in the video , or you will dull your file and dull the saw chain. File and lift, file and lift, never draw the file back through on the return stroke.
Wranglerstar, exelentes tu vídeos donde afilas las cadenas de las motosierras Stihl . 👌👍. Walter de Argentina.
Thank you for taking the time to make one of the more informative and clearer chainsaw sharpening videos out there, I'm glad of the advice not to get the more time consuming sharpening device, so I am buying the file & guide you show using at the start of the demonstration.
But one area of your advice contradict the method described in my manual, and another I feel would be a common sense method from my experience on cars, motorbikes, construction etc.
When adjusting the tension my manual has a big tick over the picture indicating lift the bar upwards and pull the chain upwards from above the bar to test the tension, and a big cross over the picture indicating testing the tension by pulling the chain down from below the bar whilst the weight of the bar is pulled down by gravity.
Is there a reason you test from the bottom, as logic tells me that during rotation, the chain is resisted by the wood on the underside, so between the motor gear tooth and the first point of contact on the wood, the slackest point on the chain will be the top. As the chain spins, when I'm taking off the thin stuff, the only airtime I ever see is between top of the bar and the lower edge of the main chain, I never see airtime on the lower bar between the wood and pulling motor gear (hope that makes sense?)
My second point is with tightening following tensioning, I would have imagined that lifting the bar and tightening would give more consistent tension then having the motor heavy end and the bar dropping, after all, to cut you do apply (varying) pressure onto the lower bar when lifting the motor against the wood creating a pivot, basically a elongated 'V' pivot, as oppose to a elongated '/\' pivot, so would tightening (indeed lifting the bar whilst adjusting the tension) not be more appropriately undertaken by removing the small amount of play on the adjusting area by having the positions of the bar and power unit in the position force is applied in the field? (again, I hope that makes sense)?
Tips from a ship wright has a realy good sharpening video to.
lol....the 2 things in life ya dont lone out........I say my wife and ANY of my tools!! I love my wife buuuut.........honestly, I'm not sure what cost more, but I do know what I have more fun "playing" with😎
Wranglerstar dont tighten the chain when it get hot u will make the chain snap because when it heats it expands and when it cools it shrinks back so when u tighten the chain when its hot it will get even tighter when it cools off so plz take this to heart
Sorry for digging up an old video. Weather is terrible in N.MN right now. I have to disagree on the Granberg-style file guide. 40 years ago, when I hadn't any experience with maintaining saw chain, I used one about 2-3 times during the life of each chain to restore chain angles uniformly. Also good if chain hits rock or metal. Over time, I learned to file more accurately and use the jig rarely, but still have one or two in my workshop.
Agree wholeheartedly on buying quality files.
Husqvarna makes a chain roller guide with a raker depth gauge all built in one, of course they come in different sizes. I absolutely love using it though I have never used an electric setup.
Awesome thank so much, I'm not afraid to try anything just need good guidance like from this video.
Amen, my wife is mine and my saw is my bread and butter.Very good common since advice.I hope that just one do it yourselfer learned something.A chain saw can be dangerous but a dull saw is worse.Thanx for all your advice.Go with god!
Nice video good for Amateurs not my league thpugh, goofy files and other
Specializing tools are.what
I.use of course they are not
For amateurs cuts Up to 4
Times faster and chaps will not stop the chain
All my chains.are coustom
Modifided for highest efficientcy.
That was a great explanation of how to sharpen the chain. I have one Poulan which I need to sharpen the chain. I have 2 chains from that saw which was taken off when they were dull. I also have a Stihl saw which I thought would be fantastic, but the Poulan is much better and has not been in the shop since buying it. The Stihl is a piece of junk and much newer. I have been to the shop three times and still don't want to start.
I love your videos, but you might want to tell your watchers that isn't a "rat tail" file. Rat Tail files are tapered, you are using non tapered "chainsaw files." Keep up the excellent videos.
Good video, agrees a long way, but personally I prefer to mount the round file on a round file holder, from Oregon, the reason for this is that you do not always know in advance whether the file has been led in the right height earlier on, if you such, files a chain for a friend? To ensure that all teeth are the same height, which is of great importance to counteract vibrations, imagine that the chain's cutting speed is about 100 km / h, there will be a high rake?, or cutting tooth, which sends the saw bar, just a few distance upwards ?, how many teeth whizzes around in the air, without cutting before there is contact between the saw teeth, and the tree again? ........ why I would recommend purchasing a short caliper made of brass, brass don't harm the cutting edge. then I'll find the shortest sawtooth, by measuring from the rear edge of the saw tooth, to the cutting edge, be aware, that the rearend and top end, are obtuse-angled, so take the measure in the same level each time, start by file the shortest tooth, and afterwards measure the length of this cutter, use this measurement as a reference for the rest of the teeth, it is important at this stage to point out, that I'm waiting with the rakers, until I have sharpened all the teeth, remember not to put too much pressure on the file, draw attention to that the file is fairly thin and can easily bend upwards or downwards if round file previously have been led in the wrong altitude.
Now is the time for the rakers, now all saw teeth must be the same length = same height, pay attention to file gauge rests on top of the teeth, so it is important to carry out the work in the correct sequence, and not start to file the rakers first.
Pay attention, the raker gauge are made from hardened steel, the same material as the flat file, the result from filing in the rake guide vil ruin the file tooths, and the raker guide, then grasp the raker guide as a measuring instrument, not as a depth limiter for the flat file, start by placing the raker guide on top of the cutting tooth, depending on model, Oregon, or El, which means Electrolux, the one that you buy at Husqvarna dealers, Husqvarna is owned by Electrolux Sweden, therefore emblazoned "EL ", to all parts, also their rake guide, if you use a raker guide the Brand Oregon, resting usually over 2 saw teeth, I recommend filing in direction so that the rake sitting on the opposite side from the direction I file from, appeared to have learned that the rake is less prone to self-oscillate. oscillation of the chain. leads to a bad result, it is not good for the file, or the file result.
First measure if the raker protruding above the depth guide, if so? take a file stroke or 2 and set depth gauge on the raker until you can no longer feel the raker when you slide the corner of sharp metal edge across the top of depthgauge you feel even the slightest, that the raker protrude over the depth gauge, with this approach.
When all the rakers are done, to the right height, then they are rounded with a single cut flat file, file from the bottom towards the tip, while the file are turned in a counterclockwise motion, take nothing of the height of the rakers.
If you follow these tips, and guide the file in the correct level, and at right angles, in accordance with the chain manufacturer's data, which can be found, here on the internet, then I almost promise you State guarantee, that you'll get a perfect result.
Hope you understand? it's a little difficult to be precise in the language, I'm Dane, and a little difficult when it comes to explain technique?
Thanks a bunch. The video was clear, precise, and very helpful. You made cutting with a chainsaw fun again. Thank you.
20 years ago and you're still going strong!
loved the end... never let anyone borrow ur chain saw. I had somone think they were doing me a favour and they resharpened it badly, more on one side than the other and it cut like a damn banana! I fiddled with it but just ended up buying a new chain.