Worx Jawsaw sharpening

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

niftyprose

New Member
Jun 25, 2024
3
Somerset, UK
Hello guys, first post here, and it's about the Worx WG307 jawsaw.

I feel a bit defensive to be posting about this unloved saw on a forum frequented by serious woodcutters. I've found mine a useful purchase -- it enables one to cut high branches without needing a ladder, and it can be used safely by family members who wouldn't be confident with more conventional equipment. Cheap, too, especially if you have other Worx tools and can share powerpacks.

The main problem for me has been that the ultra-short chain wears rapidly, and sharpening is awkward. I've so far done the obvious, that is, using the maker's Magic Red Peg to hold the main handle in a half-depressed position, thus exposing the chain within the jaws and enabling me to have at it with a file. This works but is awkward. It's easy enough to remove the bar and chain and clamp them separately for attention, but I wonder if anyone has come up with a neat hack to hold the chain in position while you're working on it?

NP.
 
I had to watch a couple videos, but it looks like Worx recommends removing the chain to sharpen.

This is a fairly light duty tool, so I don’t think it was designed to be disassembled often for sharpening in the middle of a job. Maybe they think that the sharpening will be done before starting the job or after the last job is finished?

Disassembling to sharpen mid job would get annoying fast. Maybe picking up a spare chain would be less aggravating as you could sharpen both at once and just swap them out as needed. I think if you’re needing to sharpen more than 2 chains to complete a job you might want to upgrade equipment.
 
Thanks, EBL. Nice of you to watch videos on my behalf. My primany concern is with how to sharpen. I don't mean that I need guidance on picking an appropriate file, working at the right angle etc etc. But the tiny chains used in the JawSaw are awkward and much more difficult to manage than conventional ones. Someone must have evolved a neat way of handling them, surely? Best, NP
 
Keep it out of the dirt as best you can. Buy two extra chains. Sharpen all at once with the bar in a vice and a bottle or something similar keeping tension on the chain while you sharpen. The job is not done (or started) until all the chains are sharpened. I do wonder how if the chains are decent quality. Some brands have harder cutters than others. It might be worth it to see if there is an after market chain that fits.
 
I have done a couple for customers , Pull apart, put chain in a standard vise , hand file with a round needle file as all my regular chain files were too large and I have all sizes available. depth gauge about .020 Similar to those carving discs for right-angle grinders too small to get on any of my grinders.
 
Paydirt! Thanks, Blades, I knew someone out there would have done it for real. Really appreciate the reply. The vice I can manage easily enough. Oregon (who make the Worx chains) seemed to me to be saying a 4mm file -- that would be 5/32 in the US, I believe. Does that square with your experience, or would you go smaller? Best, NP.