Harvesting firewood or even simple work in the garden, if it is done with an electric or gasoline saw, requires a well-ground chain. We think that it makes no sense to buy a new one every time, since its cost can hardly be called moderate.
So how to sharpen a chainsaw chain? Let's deal with the main points.
When is it necessary to sharpen?
How to find out that the cutting edge has lost its sharpness? Well, there are enough characteristic signs. To begin with, the tool begins to enter the tree with difficulty, and the sawing process is much slower. In addition, in this case, the working tire of the tool begins to warm up very much.
By the way, where to sharpen a chain for a chainsaw? You can do this both in your garage and turn to professionals with a machine tool.
Pay attention to sawdust!
Experienced sawers know that the size of sawdust is very indicative: if they become like fine dust, which occurs when working on a grinding machine, then it’s time to grind the chain 100%.
Since you can sharpen a chain of a chainsaw in two ways, we immediately note that we will consider a manual procedure. It is unlikely that some summer resident will buy an automatic machine, the cost of which is comparable to the price of two amateur-class saws.
Manual sharpening
Of course, the most popular is the manual type, since it does not require the purchase of a complex and expensive tool. Just approach this kind of sharpening with maximum accuracy.
Immediately, we note that the height of the cutter limiter, as well as the angle of the cutting tooth, must strictly comply with those standards that the manufacturer indicated in the accompanying documents. “Chemistry” and “improvement” do not need anything here. In no case can you change the links of the factory chains (even those that seem identical), since all this is fraught with their breaks.
Choose a file
Before sharpening the chain of the chainsaw, you need to buy a special kit. It is better when you constantly use tools of only one manufacturer. In this case, it is better to buy a sharpening kit of the same brand.
Carefully study the parameters of the tooth, its inclination and step! Suppose the pitch most common is 4-5.5 mm. Attach a file to the tooth: it should not protrude over its upper edge by more than 1/5 of the length. During sharpening, you need to keep the file at an angle of 10-30 ° to the horizontal plane.
How does sharpening work?
Since it is not possible to sharpen the chain of the chainsaw correctly quickly, each movement must be done slowly and carefully. The file must be constantly rotated along its axis: this not only ensures better grinding of the teeth, but the tool itself wears out more evenly.
Prevent file wear
Do not "jump" from tooth to tooth, each of them needs to be sharpened sequentially. It is preferable to sharpen the cutting edge first on one side, and then, after complete passage of the chain, switch to the other. This approach is not only more convenient, but also completely prevents metal overheating.
Determine in advance the same number of movements with which you will sharpen the chain. This will prevent uneven tool wear. If there is uneven wear of the teeth, then you need to focus on the length of the shortest, grinding the rest to its size.
So we talked about how to sharpen a chain of a chainsaw.