# Chain sharpening guides



## mattjm1017 (Aug 15, 2013)

I was at Lowes today and browsed through the chain saw section and was wondering if these things are worth it for someone like me that hasnt ever sharpened a chain or are they just gimmicky marketing things aimed at me?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_41205-86886...uctId=3562432&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1

http://www.lowes.com/pd_91393-422-2...uctId=3678610&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1


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## clemsonfor (Aug 15, 2013)

Not sure i use to use a flat thing that clamped onto the round file, it showed the angle you needed to keep, but not sure if it helped many chains have marks in them to follow on the rakers and the cutters.

Honestly for the price i would not buy them knowing what i know now. But i doubt they can hurt till you get the idea down.  Back to my point. I purchased the harbor freight chain grinder on sale for $29.99. I have since seen if for like $24.99. It will sharpen a chain better than i ever did by hand and i thought i was ok with hand fileing.  If your careful you dont take a ton of tooth off either. Even if you dont have a HF near you thier shipping is always a flat either $5 or $7 i dont remember. I would buy thier grinder before spending the $15 or $23 on those things.


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## Clarkbug (Aug 15, 2013)

mattjm1017 said:


> I was at Lowes today and browsed through the chain saw section and was wondering if these things are worth it for someone like me that hasnt ever sharpened a chain or are they just gimmicky marketing things aimed at me?
> 
> http://www.lowes.com/pd_41205-86886...uctId=3562432&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1
> 
> http://www.lowes.com/pd_91393-422-2...uctId=3678610&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1




The Husky roller guides work very well.  Pretty simple to use, makes a great edge, and has provisions for progressive raker filing.  Great way to learn to file by hand, or to use on a regular basis.  The rubber on the rollers can wear eventually, but that would be after a lot of sharpening.....

Just remember to use sharp files and you should be OK.

Grinders are great for a really messed up chain, or when you have a bunch to sharpen.  But when out cutting, its nice to take a break and filing is a good excuse.


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## mattjm1017 (Aug 15, 2013)

Thanks yall Im wanting to learn how to file by hand and not have to pay someone to sharpen my chains for me. Ive looked at the harbor freight grinder and I guess for the money thats not bad maybe Ill get both one to have at home and the file kit for out in the field when I need a break.


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## bogydave (Aug 15, 2013)

I use this one. : Link
has angle marks for Stihl & Oregon chain
has a raker file & depth gauge


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## Clarkbug (Aug 15, 2013)

There is some good reading about the HF grinder here and around the web.  Sometimes they have issues with consistency between left and right hand cutters, but others have no problem at all.  If you get one, just take it slow, and make sure to only gently tap each tooth as you grind.  You dont want to burn the tooth or remove too much metal. 

There is a shop near me that charges $4 for sharpening.  I try to sharpen by hand, but if I screw it up badly (or hit some wire in a tree) its nice to know there is someone who can fix it up for me.  Less hassle than getting my own grinder (for now), and its nice to shoot the breeze with the old guy that works there.


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## Clarkbug (Aug 15, 2013)

Or you could go all out and get one of these.... 



Never used it, but the video looks neat!


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## mattjm1017 (Aug 15, 2013)

Clarkbug said:


> Or you could go all out and get one of these....
> 
> 
> 
> Never used it, but the video looks neat!



I love all of Stihls videos they are great! That looks like a much nicer/fancier version of the husky model from lowes.


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## clemsonfor (Aug 15, 2013)

Yea you need to tap the teeth n go slow not like ur using a chop to cut off a 2x4.  

Can I hand file...yes. can I hand file better than this HF grinder...NO. 

I just take extra chain and swap them in the woods and do them all at once.  Mine will cut the teeth uneven if I don't pay attention. I have to readjust it for the opposite side after I turn it or else it will usually remove to much from that one side??  It does sharpen even though. It will take a chain that was dull and cutting circles back to cutting straight.

U can clean up a chain that u trashed in the dirt in 5 mins and make it like new. Will a $300 grinder do better..prolly but I can't hand sharpen better than this thing and even for the $4 a chain some mention I have gotten my monies worth!!


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## Locust Post (Aug 15, 2013)

I like the file guides for at home, but usually out in the field I will just dress with a single file because it is hard to keep the saw steady out there. At home I just put the saw in the vise and clamp it against the bar then you can use the file guide and put a nice even angle on the teeth from one side spin the saw around and hit the other side teeth. One thing I would suggest if the file guide has the flat file to file the rakers make sure it allows you to remove it because you won't want to file those every time you sharpen the teeth. I have never used anything but a hand file and do just fine.


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## ailanthus (Aug 16, 2013)

bogydave said:


> I use this one. : Link
> has angle marks for Stihl & Oregon chain
> has a raker file & depth gauge
> 
> View attachment 108650


This is what I use too.  I thought I would still have to take it somewhere to correctly sharpen the chains periodically as I was learning, but I found it very easy to get the hang of.  Been over a year and I still haven't had to get the chains machine-sharpened.  I also bought one of the dremel-guide files, but never felt like I needed to try it.


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## Nixon (Aug 16, 2013)

I use both the .325 and .375 roller guide from husqvarna on a lot of my chains . But they are set to 35* so I don't use the on  Stihl chain ( RS and RM ) I've been looking at the Stihl FF1  (set at 30* ) roller guide as  already have the .325 and.375 Stihl file holders . They are only around $10 bucks ,as oppose to $30 ,or so for the FG 4 .


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## mattjm1017 (Aug 20, 2013)

I bought the husky sharpening set and sharpened up my two chains today. I like it its easy to use and set up to be pretty much a no brainer kind of thing. The one chain was quick and easy the other was a little bit harder as it was pretty worn out but I got it, and of course I included some pics they are before and after.


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## clemsonfor (Aug 20, 2013)

I ordered a dew chains from bailies a few yrs ago. The woodland pro chains came with a sharpening gauge,. I was like cool. Then they came. It was a flat piece of metal looks similar to the piece on urs. I had and still have no idea how to use it???  It told angle and taker depth I think??  I guess you lay it atop takers and the file them if something is somewhere?  

I know how to sharpen a chain and can lower my rakers but have no idea what it was to be used?  Just thought I'd throw that in for laughs.


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## mattjm1017 (Aug 20, 2013)

clemsonfor said:


> I ordered a dew chains from bailies a few yrs ago. The woodland pro chains came with a sharpening gauge,. I was like cool. Then they came. It was a flat piece of metal looks similar to the piece on urs. I had and still have no idea how to use it??? It told angle and taker depth I think?? I guess you lay it atop takers and the file them if something is somewhere?
> 
> I know how to sharpen a chain and can lower my rakers but have no idea what it was to be used? Just thought I'd throw that in for laughs.


 
Im not sure about what you have or the terminology involved in a chain but basically what I have sits on either side of the tooth and the way it sits lines it up perfectly with the angle mark on the tooth. Then its simply a matter of keeping it straight and parallel with the mark on the tooth. The flat part with the holes in it is to lay on the rakers and flat file them.


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## Clarkbug (Aug 21, 2013)

clemsonfor said:


> I ordered a dew chains from bailies a few yrs ago. The woodland pro chains came with a sharpening gauge,. I was like cool. Then they came. It was a flat piece of metal looks similar to the piece on urs. I had and still have no idea how to use it???  It told angle and taker depth I think??  I guess you lay it atop takers and the file them if something is somewhere?
> 
> I know how to sharpen a chain and can lower my rakers but have no idea what it was to be used?  Just thought I'd throw that in for laughs.



That's a Carlton File-O-Plate.  They also work very well, and are both a sharpening guide and a progressive raker gauge.  

For sharpening, put the part of the plate with the angle the same direction as the tooth.  This is a guide to help you keep the right angle with your file stroke.   It also holds your file up some so you don't just chew out the links.  

When you are done, you can flip it around and part of the raker should stick up through the slot, and you hit that with a flat file.  

Pretty nifty, but harder to use if you haven't done a lot of sharpening before, IMO.


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## Clarkbug (Aug 21, 2013)

mattjm1017 said:


> I bought the husky sharpening set and sharpened up my two chains today. I like it its easy to use and set up to be pretty much a no brainer kind of thing. The one chain was quick and easy the other was a little bit harder as it was pretty worn out but I got it, and of course I included some pics they are before and after.



Not bad!  But how does it cut?

I


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