How to choose a file for sharpening a chainsaw chain

Storage rules

Files are made from hard but brittle tool steel. The storage and transport of several copies in one box may affect their performance.

As part of the factory sets, the files are provided with optimal storage conditions. It is recommended to keep a set of several separate instruments in a sectional case like a cartridge belt.

Files with a dirty or oily cut can be restored to function by scrubbing with a stiff brush and rinsing in a solution of dish grease remover, acetone or unleaded gasoline.

Benefits of a branded assortment

In any case, the best result can be obtained using a proprietary chain sharpening tool, the capabilities of which are an order of magnitude higher than cheap counterparts.

The practice of working with the brand tools shows that the products of the leading manufacturers Stihl, Husqvarna, Oregon and a number of others do not differ in quality characteristics.

Recommendations for the use of the working chain set

The practice of working with one chain is fundamentally wrong. Experienced sawers are advised to keep several copies in the kit and periodically operate them in working mode.

In this version, uniform wear of the tire and the drive sprocket occurs, the service life of these expensive elements will be equal to the total resource of 3 or even 4 saw chains.

Chainsaw chain sharpening file. features of choice and application

Chainsaw operation with blunt edges of the cutting links of the saw chain reduces the efficiency of the tool by almost half. In the simplest version, the problem is solved by a file for sharpening chainsaws, complete with a guide device.

A simple attachment is inferior in performance to sharpening devices with an electric or mechanical drive, but provides a significant cost benefit. The correct sharpening of the chain with the proper quality can be performed by the operator directly on the working site.

The list of advantages of manual sharpening:

compactness and low weight of sharpening kits;
autonomy of work, which allows the circuit to be brought into working condition at a distance from power sources;
less intensive consumption of the service life of the saw chain.

Wear-resistant chains with carbide cutting elements are recommended to be sharpened only with special equipment.

Composition of sharpening kits

The selection of the required round file for the diameter is determined by the chain pitch of the saw attachment. A standard chain sharpening kit consists of several parts. In addition to cylindrical and flat files, the list includes several templates and a headset cleaner.

Both files are used for each cutting link. In particular, cylindrical. the cutting edge of the tooth, the upper and end blades are formed.

A flat file is used to cut the cutting depth gauge. As a result of straightening the cutting teeth, the productivity of sawing wood of different species is significantly increased.

Advantages of machine and manual sharpening of saw chains

Despite the efficiency, autonomy and other advantages of manual sharpening, experts recommend periodically sharpening chains on special machine equipment. Even a single operation has a positive effect on the calibration of the cutting links.

On the other hand, mechanized sharpening significantly affects the resource of the saw chain, since all cutting links are subjected to standard processing, regardless of their condition.

In order to sharpen the chain yourself in the field, you need to have strong skills in working with the existing tool. The best option is to keep several chains in stock, which can be changed with minimal loss of working time.
To properly sharpen the cutting edges of the headset, in addition to a good eye and a firm hand, you need a special sharpening kit, which includes a flat and round file.

The choice of a file taking into account the parameters of the saw chain

The quality of the final result largely depends on the correct file diameter. When operating a chainsaw complete with an incorrectly sharpened chain, at best, sawing performance will decrease, at worst, the chain will be hopelessly damaged. Also, there is a high probability of damage to the tool as a whole.

In everyday life, for sharpening chains with a pitch of и, 0.325 ″, 3/8 ″ and 0.404 ″, files with a diameter of 4.0 / 4.8 / 5.2 and 5.5 millimeters are recommended. For some exclusive saw chains, cylindrical counterparts Ø 3.2 mm are used. The most convenient file size for manual chain sharpening is 200 mm.

Alternative options

On the Russian market, there is a wide range of auxiliary equipment that allows you to choose a file or a chain sharpening device of various configurations and price levels. The best quality is distinguished by the products of the leading manufacturers of chainsaw equipment.

A significant part of the proposals is made up of branded accessories for different models of sharpening machines. These files do not have shanks and handles, therefore they are not suitable for manual sharpening. Piece products can be sold separately or complete with templates, mandrels, holders or other optional equipment.

how to sharpen a chainsaw chain with a file

Benefits of a branded assortment

In any case, the best result can be obtained using a proprietary chain sharpening tool, the capabilities of which are an order of magnitude higher than cheap counterparts.

The practice of working with the brand tools shows that the products of the leading manufacturers Stihl, Husqvarna, Oregon and a number of others do not differ in quality characteristics.

Chainsaw sharpening. when to grab a tool?

Even if you have never had to use a round tool, then after buying a chainsaw you will have to “make friends” with it. Her chains also tend to dull from time to time, but not throw them away! Much cheaper than buying a new chain will be to buy (or dig out from the bottom of the toolbox) a round file for sharpening chains! By the way, if you have to buy a tool, then take an interest in the presence of a whole set, which is specially designed for sharpening chains.

The chainsaw tooth has a complex configuration. In fact, the chainsaw does not cut wood, but only slices very narrow chips, which is possible due to the two cutting edges. the side one and rather. The upper edge is beveled at an angle to the mowing line of the chain movement, which allows it to plan. In addition to cutting elements, each tooth also has a stop-protrusion that regulates the saw cut into the wood. With intensive work, the chain may need to be sharpened quite often, even several times a day. And if you accidentally hooked on the soil, then you can immediately go for this procedure. the teeth very quickly become dull from small stones that are in the soil.

In any case, try to pay attention to the chainsaw as often as possible, then you will not have to linger for a long time at the chain, removing a decent layer of metal. The easiest way to understand the need for sharpening is by the work of the chainsaw itself. a properly sharpened tool is literally pulled into the cut even with a slight pressure, and the chips will fly out large. If the teeth are dull, the effort will need to be applied much more, while the chips will be fine. But, in addition, fuel consumption will increase, wear of all parts of the tool will increase, and you yourself will get tired much faster from such a saw.

Alternative options

how to sharpen a chainsaw chain with a file

Recommendations for the use of the working chain set

The practice of working with one chain is fundamentally wrong. Experienced sawers are advised to keep several copies in the kit and periodically operate them in working mode.

In this version, uniform wear of the tire and the drive sprocket occurs, the service life of these expensive elements will be equal to the total resource of 3 or even 4 saw chains.

Watch the video

How to avoid mistakes

Incorrect actions can lead to disastrous consequences up to bringing the chain into complete disrepair, therefore it is recommended to take into account a number of important points:

It is necessary to deal with blunt teeth with gloves and goggles.
The sharpening kit is not universal and is selected taking into account the step size of a particular saw.
A file for sharpening chainsaw chains is selected from the number of rounded.
The number of movements and the applied force are the same.
Sharpening is done only with movements directed away from you.
For severely dull blades, it is better to use a mechanical machine or electric (the mechanism is started from the electrical network).
First, the teeth are put in order, and after sharpening all sharp protrusions, they begin to grind the limiter.
The sharpening angle changes depending on the direction of future work.
The fastest is the sharpening method using the “PowerSharp” system.

A blunt chain is not a reason to change the chainsaw to a new one, because it will take just a few steps to return the tool to its previous performance, sharpness and shine.

Armed with these instructions, tips and tricks, you will sharpen quickly, easily and safely.

Instrument preparation

Chainsaw chain sharpening file. We select the right

With active work on trimming dead wood or expanding the area of the personal plot, there must be a chainsaw in the home workshop. Chainsaw teeth even from a trusted brand (for example, Stihl) wear out periodically, and therefore need high-quality sharpening. In the absence of special devices, a properly selected file for sharpening a chainsaw chain will help to cope with this problem.

External signs of a dull chainsaw tooth

Among the most popular chainsaws are tools of the Austrian company Stihl, in particular, Stihl-180 (to be exact, Stihl MS-180-14 ”). You can cut off branches with such a chainsaw, and cope with branches of medium diameter. a power of 1500 W quite allows it. Despite the high-quality steel, which the specified brand (we do not consider Chinese fakes!) Uses for the manufacture of teeth, self-sharpening will require skill and time.

You should pay attention to the following external signs of a dull cutting chain:

A tapered section appears on the working corner of the tooth.
When moving from the working angle to the upper face, the radius rounding is visually distinguished.
At the moment of the initial feed, even with a relatively low intensity, the introduction of the working edge of the tooth into the thickness of the wood is performed with great resistance.
At the stage of steady-state cutting, the chainsaw chain begins to vibrate, and the noise level of the chainsaw increases markedly.
When sawing in the longitudinal direction, the cut surface has rough tears and wood chips. The chips themselves become much smaller in size.

A trial test is carried out on dryness, and in no case on wood with high humidity. The sharpening frequency depends on the main cutting direction. If it is performed mainly in the axial direction, then sharpening will have to be done much more often.

What is included in the sharpening kit?

In the absence of a special machine, you will have to do with a file for sharpening the chainsaw chain (more precisely, not one, but two). A special template is also needed, with which you can check the current value of the sharpening angle. Thus, the basic set of sharpening equipment includes:

Round file with a section diameter of 4.5. 5 mm.
A holder with special positioning lines, with which the tool can be positioned with the required accuracy on the upper edge. The holder is supplied with a section that rests on the surface of the cutting depth stop.
Flat file, which sharpens the limiter itself.
Hook that removes the sawdust generated during the sharpening process.

It should be noted that manual sharpening is effective only when the signs of dullness of the chainsaw are installed very quickly, and the wear is relatively small. Otherwise, more complex and expensive specialized machines will be required. Manual machines of the FUG size range are also suitable for working with the teeth of Stihl-180 chainsaws. Their advantage is that it is possible to sharpen the teeth with high quality, the wear of which turned out to be sharply uneven.

How to find the right file sizes for sharpening your chain?

The main difficulty is to determine the size of the round file, because the work performed with a flat tool is much easier. For Stihl saw teeth, the top edge of the file should protrude 20% of its height onto the working corner surface. However, you should also remember about the pitch of the saw chain, which is usually taken at 0.325 inches.

The next step in the selection is to clarify the length of the round file. It depends on its size. GOST 1465 establishes five numbers for this tool, but only or 5 is suitable as a file for sharpening a chainsaw. Files have a working length of 200 mm, and. 250 mm and 300 mm. With an increase in length, the amplitude of hand movements of the worker increases, therefore, the quality of the direction of the file along the tooth increases accordingly. Therefore, a longer file for sharpening is better.

In addition to the length, it is important to correctly determine the type of notches available. They can be serrated or serrated. For sharpening, it is better notched, because otherwise the cutting angle fluctuates in a wider range of values (70 ± 10 0), which is unacceptable for processing a chainsaw tooth.

As a file material for sharpening a chainsaw chain, it is worth taking U13 or U13A tool steel in accordance with GOST 1435. Other options for sharpening work with chainsaw teeth are not suitable.

Technical Tips- How To Sharpen Chainsaw Chain

The domestic tool industry produces a special size range of Zubr metal files, which are designed specifically for manual sharpening of chainsaw teeth. The price of the required tool numbers ranges from 300 to 350 rubles.

Sequence of operations when sharpening

High-quality sharpening of teeth requires strict adherence to the following rules:

A file for sharpening a chainsaw should be placed strictly perpendicular to the direction of movement of the saw teeth in the vertical direction, and at an angle of 15. 20 0. in the horizontal direction. The latter is controlled by a holder.
A round file in the mouth of a tooth must necessarily be located slightly above its edge (for a file it is about 1. 1.5 mm).
A holder is installed on the tooth, the mowing line of which will show the exact direction of movement of the file in the horizontal plane.
After several movements of the file, the sharpening surface is covered with magnetized shavings, which should be immediately removed with a hook.
Sharpening begins in the direction away from you, without applying unnecessary efforts: the notches should gently enter the metal of the tooth. It is recommended to make several movements, then turn the file by 20. 30 0. so that the wear of the notches occurs more evenly.
It is recommended to sharpen “through the tooth”: first, sharpen the teeth in one direction, and then in the other.
The pressure on the file during sharpening should be constant, as well as the number of reciprocating movements along the sharpened tooth.

When sharpening the depth gauge, proceed as follows. A template is applied to the delimiter. When the slot of the limiter enters the groove of the template, set the height of the worn area, which is removed using a flat file. The template is installed on one of two sides. Hard or Soft, which corresponds to hard or soft wood.

Chainsaw chain sharpening template

When purchasing a chainsaw, it is advisable to acquire a special template (see Fig. 3), with which you can easily set the optimal values of the tooth angles. With its help, the values of the rear angles of the upper and end blades are controlled, as well as the leading edge angle (it is indicated in the manufacturer’s instructions, and can vary within 65. 80 °).

It is especially important to use a template to estimate the value of the clearance angle of the upper blade. This angle of sharpening of the chainsaw chain is very difficult to determine otherwise, but meanwhile it must be maintained within rather limited limits. from 50 to 60 °.

Measurement of the sharpening angle is performed by determining the angle between the upper cutting edge and a line perpendicular to the chain guide.

The angle of sharpening of the chainsaw chain can be changed, depending on what kind of work will be done. As the hardness of the wood increases, its value should be lower. In general, it is considered the optimal value of the angle 10. 12 °. with a longitudinal cut, and 25. 30 °. with a cross cut.

Figure 3. Appearance of the template for sharpening the teeth of a chainsaw

Sharpening can be done manually using a round file with a working diameter of 4. 5.5 mm, or on a machine. In the first case, it is extremely important to correctly position the tool in relation to the sharpened tooth. The upper edge of the working part of the file is approximately one fifth higher than the upper edge of the tooth. The tool is positioned perpendicular to the chain axis, and at an angle of 25. 30 ° to the upper edge of the tooth

One round file is not enough. You will need a flat file to sharpen the stopper, and a hook that removes the resulting sawdust to clean the work area. There are also special holders on sale, on which the mowing line is graduated with the direction of movement of the file relative to the axis of the chain. As seen from Fig. 4, the holder can be mounted on top of the tooth and rest on its upper edge. Since the height of the holder is adapted to a certain chain pitch, it should be selected in relation to chainsaws of specific models and brands.

The minimum required set in order to obtain the correct sharpening angle of the chain by hand is shown in fig. five.

Figure 5. Set of sharpening tools and accessories

First, the teeth are sharpened in one direction, and then in the other. Start with light pressing of the tool away from you, gradually increasing the load. During sharpening, the round file is periodically rotated along its axis.

Chainsaw sharpening angles and tooth configuration

The cutting edge of a tooth is characterized by the following parameters:

Width;
Thick;
Sharpening angle.

In addition, each tool model has its own tooth pitch, the value of which for household and semi-professional models is associated with the power of the chainsaw, and the torque that the drive develops. For example, for rip sawing, the pitch is taken less (for example, 0.325 inches). In this case, the productivity of work will decrease, but the required effort will be significantly lower. The upper values of the steps for household chainsaws are extremely rare, mainly when felling trees with a large trunk diameter. In this case, the motor power should not exceed 2500 W.

The thickness of the cutting edge for most manufacturers of chainsaws is set the same, and equal to 1.3 mm (there are also edges with a thickness of 1.1 mm, but, firstly, they are extremely difficult to sharpen at home, and, secondly, such links are extremely not very functional: they can only be used for cutting thin branches).

The height of the chain profile can be either 0.625 mm or 0.762 mm, and in most cases it is a low profile that is used for household gasoline-powered tools. When sharpening the limiters, this parameter is very important, because with a decrease in the height of the above-permissible values, the vibration of the tool during operation increases, although the quality of the cut remains satisfactory. Therefore, you should not get carried away with lowering the height of the limiter when sharpening a tooth.

The sharpening angle of the chainsaw chain depends on the main purpose of the tool. for crosscut or rip sawing. Since the resistance of the wood is always noticeably higher when ripping, the edge of the tooth must also be very sharp. It is recommended to do it in the range of 6. 12 ° (for comparison. with the prevalence of cross-cut. up to 25. 30 °). Naturally, in the first case, sharpening should be done more often, and especially carefully, since an unacceptably small angle of inclination of the tooth contributes to its rapid chipping during the operation of the chainsaw. This is especially important for links that are made of structural alloy steels containing silicon and manganese, for example, 40KhGS or 35KhGSA.

External signs of a blunt cutting edge of a chainsaw tooth

Recall that the chainsaw tooth has a complex configuration (see Fig. 1), which also depends on the direction of chain movement. It has two working edges: the lateral one, which is located perpendicular to the axis of movement of the links, and the upper one, located at a certain angle to the direction of movement of the chain. In addition, a limiter is provided on each tooth, the parameters of which determine the height of the removed chips. Since the main cutting force falls precisely on the working angle, then all subsequent work with the tool will depend on which angle to sharpen the tooth.

Figure 1. Functional parts of a chainsaw tooth and their appearance

Before starting long-term work with a chainsaw, she needs to inspect and perform test sawing, as a result of which:

Visually establish the presence (or absence) of a tapered section adjacent to the corner of the tooth, as well as radius curvature on it. the main signs of bluntness (see Fig. 2).

Check the feed force at which the tool runs stably, with a fast cut. For sharp teeth, the initial moment of penetration of the tooth into the wood occurs quickly, and without significant material resistance.
Find out the presence of chain vibrations during a steady cut. if they are noticeable, then the teeth must be sharpened.
Inspect the appearance of the just cut end (especially if the tool is used for ripping). In the presence of rough chips and dents, the chainsaw chain must be sharpened.

Chainsaw chain sharpening angle. How to choose the right one?

Even the popular Stihl does not last forever: once the teeth of a chainsaw wear out, which is easy to determine by the nature of the chips formed. With a blunt cutting edge, the chips are small, because the working edge does not cut, but crumples the wood. Naturally, the effort expended by the operator increases dramatically. It’s time to sharpen the saw. How to do this correctly. choose the optimal technology, establish what angle of sharpening the tooth should be and how to check it?

Mechanized sharpening on the machine

Sharpening on the machine is much more convenient and does not require high qualifications of the performer. Such machines are electrically driven and equipped with special grinding wheels.

For a household workshop, it is worth purchasing compact units that do not take up much space during storage, and are suitable for quick and high-quality sharpening of chainsaw chains from different manufacturers. Such units must operate from a stationary power supply with a voltage of 220 V, have low power consumption (up to 100 W) and be easy to install on a circuit.

When choosing a machine, you need to pay attention to its following technological characteristics:

Possibility of processing teeth with different thickness of the upper edge and different chain pitch;
The ability to adjust the sharpening angle, within the limits specified earlier;
Availability of replaceable grinding discs;
Constant value of the cutting width.

The design of the machine is simple, and includes a drive motor, a shaft with a seat for a sharpening disk, a handle with controls, a device for attaching the machine to a chain. The adjustment of the pressing force on the sharpened element is provided by a spring clamp. Modern models of sharpening machines are equipped with a differentiated clamp, which provides for the self-centering of the product on the machine. For the convenience of working on the clamp body there is a measuring scale.

Optionally, the machines can also be equipped with a miniature electric lamp that illuminates the working area, as well as a hydraulic booster that makes sharpening easier.

Safety of work is ensured by a folding safety guard.

Sources:

http://ice-people.ru/raznoe-2/napilnik-dlya-zatochki-cepi-benzopily-napilnik-dlya-zatochki-cepi-benzopily-podbiraem-nuzhnyj.html
http://proinstrumentinfo.ru/napilnik-dlya-zatochki-tsepi-benzopily-diametr-stihl-180/
http://proinstrumentinfo.ru/ugol-zatochki-tsepi-benzopily-dlya-prodolnogo-pileniya-na-stanke/

Chainsaws chainsaw, choose, file, sharpening