# chain saw sharpening?



## brokenarrow (Oct 6, 2003)

What should a chain look like when it comes back from a saw shop after getting sharpened?
Blue and with large shanker burrs?
or shinny and smooth /sharp?

I used a different place yesterday to keep it local, wow! Blue and shankers on all the chains. I did not notice it till I got home.
Should I take it back and show them (not wanting them to touch my chains again) I spent $28 bucks for the three of em! Riddiculous!
Or should I just chalk it up and go to my usual saw shop guys?
I am really tiffed! Seems I am getting more and more shabby work done more often lately and it is starting to uset me. $28 bucks will not break me BUT its the point.

One more thing, I used one chain shortly to see if it would clean up. The burrs went away but it cuts horrible.

What would you do?
Thanks


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## benster (Jul 31, 2006)

I'm not sure what you mean by blue? Sounds like they got the chain to hot when sharpening? This could weeken the chain? They are not hard to sharpen if you do it yourself. There is usually a mark on the top of each tooth to show the angle. File from the cutting point back toward the saw following the angle. I would take them back and have them done right. Also see if they took the rakers down (these are the bumps in between the teeth that clear out the wood shavings, if they are the same height as the teeth it will not cut)


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

Next time take the $28 and buy a small sharpener jig and do it yourself. Then the chain is always sharp-cuts much better and SAFER.


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## the rapids (Nov 17, 2005)

definitley file them yourself next time, those machines the stores use can wreck the teeth if they arent careful. its really easy to sharpen a chain and if youre worried about keeping the correct angle, there are guides you can buy for the round files. also, its a good idea to check the edges of the bar for any chipping or burring. you can file any burrs down with a few swipes from a flat file.


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## Rumajz (Dec 29, 2005)

I would not go back to that place. I pay $ 5.00 per chain and it cuts like new. Clean and shiny every time (the guy who does mine will even clean the chain and oil it ); not that it needs to be oiled but I'll take it


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## brokenarrow (Oct 6, 2003)

Yes, "blue" does mean it got hot. Depending on its make up (the chain) it can do many things to it. Usually, tempering steel that cuts is not a good thing.
I thought about a sharpener. I see em in harbor frieght for about 29 bucks (I think). Rumajz, I pay about the same when I do take it in. This time I went to a convient place, dumb idea!. I have files for the two different size chanins. I will only sharpen by hand to touch em up when they start to get dull. I can do that fairly proficient but when they get real dull, like when I have a brain stint) I like to take them in. 
I took the chains to my usual place today. He laughed! Really!!! He told me he had to take a pic of this to show folks what they should NOT look like!
I was told he made three mistakes
1. the wheel was loaded and dull.
2. he was taking too heavy a cut.
3. he did not finish 4th grade because his 5th grader can sharpen chains.
Thank's for your reply's, I wanted to make sure I was not crazy! 
I am the type of person who usually does not hessitate to talk to a operator or owner about shabby work. This will kill me not to go in an discuss this BUT now that I have no evidence, I might as well just eat it and chalk it up as experiance. I should of known this would happen, I could not beleive they close at 5pm on week days!
Thanks again


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## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

Just in case youre interested in getting a sharpening jig...

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=202274


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

> I thought about a sharpener. I see em in harbor frieght for about 29 bucks (I think).


Funny you should mention that. My brother bought a Harbor Freight sharpener a while back, and yesterday mentioned how that thing was such a bargain. Indexes the chain perfectly every time, gets the right cutting angle, and much, much faster than the dremel or hand file jigs.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Here is the one he got:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93213


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## The Nailer (Feb 7, 2000)

I've had a round file and guide made by Stihl for a couple of years and have been hesitant to use it because I thought I'd screw something up. A couple of weeks ago I was cutting a new road on my property and decided it would be a good time to try it out. I was pretty surprised how much easier it was than I thought it would be. I'll be sharpening my own chains from here out.


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

What you really want sharp is the back, underside and leading edge (point) of the cutting tooth. A sharpener (probably like the one from Harbor) will do fine. Sooner or later you may want to adj the teeth in between(the name escapes me) that control the depth of cut. That is done with a flat file and gauges are available for that-probably on the same page orHarbors catalog.


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## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

CL-Lewiston said:


> Sooner or later you may want to adj the teeth in between(the name escapes me) that control the depth of cut.


Those are the "rakers". I file mine down about every 3rd sharpening. If you take too much off, the teeth will really grab the wood aggressively. Leave the rakers too tall and cutting is too slow. With experience, you can tell by feel, how much to take off the rakers on the next sharpening. There are quite a few variables at play...type of wood, horsepower of saw, clutch condition, etc.


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## Ausable Junkie (Oct 2, 2002)

I was looking at those jigs and similar stuff too and decided to get a 
high speed rotary tool. Rotozip is a popular one but i went with a 
cheaper version that black&decker makes. It runs up to 30,000 rpm.

I buy the cylindrical shaped sharpening stones at the local hardware
and use them in the tool. Using a file and guide, it'd take me 15 mins
to get the chain done. Now, i do it in about 3-4 mins and it cuts fine.

The file probably puts a slightly sharper edge on the teeth, but for my
time, the rotary tool is the way to go.


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## huntfisheat (Jul 30, 2007)

I used to pay eight bucks to have my chain sharpened. My cabin builder watched me cutting some fire wood one time and said that my chain was dull. I told him that I just paid eight bucks to have the chain sharpened, he about flipped. He said to get a file and to do it on my own, I told him that I have a file but didn't know how to use it. I got the file out and the first thing that he did was to throw away the fancy guide thing that came with the saw. He gave each cutting edge a few strokes and the saw was sending out chips as big as my thumb nail. The rest is history, If I can do it (City Slicker) anyone can. You need to make sure that you have the proper file size for your chain. The file only cuts when you push it away from you so push stroke toward the point only while holding the file under the lip of the cutting edge. Keep the file as square to the edge as you can with each forward stroke. Turn the saw around and do the other side push the file toward the point. When you pull the file across the chain you dull the file. Be sure to file the hooked link that clears the chips as well (only very slightly once in a while). For this use a flat file or a small grinder, dont take off too much at a time. I sharpen my saw right in the field when I need a beer, I mean break. Just kidding, you should never use alcohol while using a chain saw.

Steve.
(Formally "Stick Bow")


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## bigair (Apr 16, 2004)

When the teeth are blue they are work hardened from grinding too fast. Too much heat build up. The burrs will bust right off on the first cut and the chain may stay sharp a little while longer, however will be a pain to touch up with a file because of the hardening.


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## BFTrout (Sep 27, 2002)

look here http://www.baileysonline.com/ for a sharpener. they have everything. 

they carry the sharpening jig for around 30$. just make sure you know the angle/s your chain teeth are sharpened at. might also want to pick up a depth gage. if your chain is sharp, but still making sawdust, your depth rakers are too high and need to be taken down with a flat file. most chains these days are set at .025". it is stamped right on the chain. the depth gage fits over the teeth and allow the raker to come through. just file off the bit that is popping through. 

sounds like the fella that sharpened your chains was using an electric grinder. didn't go a good job, . . making the teeth blue and leaving a burr. 
do it yourself and avoid the hassle.


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## hungry hunter (Jan 11, 2005)

if you have a dremmel tool buy the sharpening jig for it, it is very easy to use and only takes a couple of minutes to sharpen a chain, and you don't even have to take the chain off the saw


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## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

ESOX said:


> Here is the one he got:
> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93213


I requested one of these for my birthday based on this opinion and got it a few weeks a go. I haven't put it to a real test yet but from just trying it out on a few small logs I have in the backyard it seemed to do the job.


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

Yes buy the file and read the destructions! Five min or less on a chain and your ready to go. It's not rocket science, three or four passes on each tooth is all it takes. If your still not interested in doing it yourself, I'll do it for the same price and smile all the way to bank!!


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