How To Sharpen A Chainsaw

Want to make your chainsaw working like new once again? The most ideal way to attain this would be to sharpen it. A new chainsaw or a chainsaw equipped with a new cutting chain works very effectively, cutting better each time you use it. However, with time, the sharpness wearies out and the chainsaw becomes damaged and even dangerous to use. It is, then, that you need to think about sharpening your chainsaw. If you are at this stage and wondering how to sharpen your chainsaw, help is at hand. In the following lines, we have provided tips and instructions for sharpening the chainsaw.

Tips & Instructions For Sharpening A Chainsaw

The first attempt to sharpen a chainsaw would be to determine the size or the gauge of your saw chain. You need to get a right sized chainsaw file for the blade.
Using mineral spirits or degreasing detergents, remove oil, dirt and debris from your chain. However, take care not to overdo it, as it could damage the plastic housing or other parts.
The next step would be to examine the chain for any kind of damage or wearing out. The teeth can be chipped, broken or bent, which would make it difficult to use. The ideal length of the top plate is 1/4 inch in length. If it’s less than this, replace it with a new one.
Place the saw on a hard surface or fasten the bar in a vise. Make sure that the saw is stable and the blade is supported in a stationary manner, in order to file your saw safely and accurately. The ideal way to hold it would be to clamp the bar in a vise, with the jaws holding the bar, and allowing the chain to rotate freely.
Now, find the leading cutter, the shortest cutter on the chain. If the length of all the cutters is same, you can start anywhere. What is essential is that you file each cutter so that the flat on top of the cutter is nearly the same length, so that each of them cuts away the same amount of wood as they pass through the kerf of your cut.
Place file in the notch on front of the cutter. This is the angled ‘tooth’ on front of the flat surface of chain link. It should be positioned in such a way that the curve of the file fits the curve of the face of cutting tip and the top of the file is nearly flush with top of the tooth.
Grip the file at an angle of about 25 degrees, the same angle that the cutter is ground or filed to begin with. Remember, it should match the angle the chain it was primarily machined to.
Now, using a moderate twisting motion to discharge metal chips that are removed, slide the file across the face of the cutter. Push the file from the short side of the angle, towards the long point. This would ensure a smoother cutting surface.
With the same angle, work each tooth, from one side of the chain around the loop. Just as you would advance around the chain, spin it so the teeth you are filing are on the flat top side of your bar.
Now, reverse the side and move ahead around the unfiled teeth, angled in the other direction. Take note of the length of each flat top of cutter. If you take keen notice, you would surely get good results.
Note the clearance of the rakers and the curved hook-shaped links between cutters. Cut each cutting edge about one tenth of an inch lower than the cutter. This gauges the amount of chip that the cutter removes on each pass through the wood.
By means of a flat mill bastard file, file any gauges that interfere with the cutter which is too high.
Lastly, all you need to do is oil your chain and check the tension. The chainsaw is ready for use again!

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