Chain Saw Blade Cutting Question

Dan Mosley

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Palm Springs, Ca
I use a bench top grinder for resharpening my electric chain saw blades for cutting wood blanks. I set it to match the original angle that the blade is when I bought them new - which is 35'. The thing I notice is that it cuts well but not as good as when the blade was brand new.
Anyone know why? ..............kinda puzzling and it happens with both chains I have
 

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Having worked in a small engine shop where we had mostly chainsaws coming in I had my fair share of sharpening those chains. It got tiring when the guys brought in a bucket full of chains off of their saws with a 6' bar!:eek:

It might help if you showed a pic of your chain after you have sharpened it.

Note to look for is you will see the cutting tooth has a slight slope to it. As you sharpen it it actually becomes shorter. You then need to also file down the raker in front of the tooth to the same diff in hight as original.

This can be one reason for not cutting well.

Two, is the chain is hardened and also chromed. If you get the tooth too hot sharpening it it can lose it's temper.DAMHIK:D

Three, the very corner of the tooth (where it turns and goes back to the chain), if this is worn and you do not file/grind it back just past this so it is a nice sharp point again, then it will not cut well either.

There are several other reasons why too. Could be the size stone your using, the profile of the stone, how much of an undercut or bevel your putting on the tooth among others.

Maybe others have some pointers as well.

Brian
 
Dan I have had the same problem as you have when I first got my saw. I had the dealer sharpen them for me as they dulled. I just bought new ones as when I got them back they just didn't cut well at all. I found out I could do a better job with my dremel, a small chainsaw stone, and sharpening attachment. So now that I have about 9 chains I just keep them all sharp and ready to go. I just don't like those bench top systems but that is just me.
 
Brian - Bernie ---- It works but just not like when new.........I am not familiar with doing it with a dremel-stone-guage............I used to take them into a local lawnmower shop and they sharpen them using the same type bench top grinder. I watched them do it and the tracking bar on it that holds the chain made it a fast and simple procedure to do. I decided to buy one and save the $8.00-$10.00 per sharpening ........which it does but I was wondering if I was doing it correctly.......read the instructions - watched the U-tube etc.........I think I am and I can live with it but wish I could make them as sharp as new.................................Thanks
 
I'll second Brian's suggestion about checking the height of the rakers. If you grind the teeth much without lowering the rakers, the new sharp parts of the chain can't get to the wood the way they used to. It cuts, but not as well as a new chain.
 
The rakers are commonly missed by many who sharpen a chainsaw chain.
We used to take the rakers down a bit on a new chain a bit right out of the box. This was when I was running a professional saw with lots of HP. There is an increased kick- back risk when doing this and I wouldn't recommend it for the occasional user.
The factory sharpen on a chain is done so that the tooth has an almost honed finish. This is hard to do unless you have a real good sharpener and a well dressed stone.
I usually use a file to sharpen my chains unless I have hit a nail or stone and the point of the tooth is knocked off.

The second common mistake is to leave a burr on the cutting edge of the tooth. This will break off when you first start cutting and immediately dull the tooth somewhat. So when I want a sharp chain I file into the cutting edge so that the burr is off the back of the tooth rather than the front.

I knew a chainsaw competition pro who sharpened with a file and he was meticulous about not leaving any burrs and always filing into the tooth. It's not an easy method to learn because you have to roll the file at the end of each stroke to pull the burr down and file it off.

I have toyed with the idea of grinding a chain and then honing it to see how sharp I could get it...........but I don't know if I want to spend the time to do this so it stays in the 'ole brain box....rattling around.

I once was asked to help clean up a 9 acre woods by a friend. He had 2 descent saws so he told me to leave mine at home. They were Stihl 042's and I figured they would work well. They were so dull that I brought files with me the second day and proceeded to sharpen the chain on the old saw I was using. After a few minuets of me cutting fast and efficiently he came over and said that his new saw wasn't running right and wanted to trade. Well, I went ahead and sharpened the new saw up and soon he was back and wanted to know how I had gotten his new saw to cut so well.:rofl::rofl: I gave him some sharpening lessons right on the spot.
 
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