How To Sharpen A Chainsaw And Sharpening Tricks Doesn’t Have To Be Hard. Read These Guide

A chainsaw is a fantastic tool which is widely used to cut trees or wood, and unlike every cutting tool, it needs maintenance to work correctly. You must notice that after using a long time, you need to keep more pressure to cut the tree. When you will realize that you have to put more pressure and time to cut a tree, which means your chainsaw needs some maintenance. But do you know How to Sharpen a Chainsaw?

Not every tool requires the same sharpening method. So, unlike other power tools, the sharpening method is different and quite tricky. That’s why some people don’t put much effort into maintaining their chainsaw. But I must remind you that, a dull chainsaw is much slower than a sharp chainsaw and it can cause life-changing accidents. Besides, working with a dull chainsaw put massive pressure on the engine and decrease the lifetime of it.

Is it hard to sharpen a chainsaw?

No, it may seem scary for some people. But trust me, maintaining a chainsaw is easy. I can easily do it by yourself after reading this article with the help of some cheap tools. You may become confused if you have not much idea about a chainsaw, but if you give some time and effort, then you will find it easy. You will be surprised to know that it only takes 10 minutes to sharpen a chainsaw.

Selecting your chainsaw

If you are already a chainsaw user and looking for upgrading your chainsaw, then I will ask you a simple question. Are you a regular chainsaw user? If yes, then you may look for the gas-powered chainsaws. These are strong and heavy. They can easily cut down a tree in seconds. But you are not a regular user, and looking for a chainsaw for occasional uses, then the electric chainsaws maybe the best options for you. These are lightweight and easy to handle.

The maintenance method may differ from the gas and electric chainsaws, but the sharpening method is quite the same. Besides, the large-sized chainsaw will require a more extended period of maintenance time as the size is quite bigger. You can carry a Chainsaw Sharpening Kit and other necessary equipment’s whenever you are planning to do some maintenance job in it.

Sharp your chainsaw blade before it’s too late

Complete sharpening: After cutting for a long time, give your chainsaw a full sharpening because most of the time, the chain become too dull after cutting a tree.

Quick Sharpening: If you are a chainsaw user, then you might have noticed that the chains become dull quickly. So, each time you do some maintenance like fill up with gas, clear dust or something else, give the blades a quick sharpening. It will not only improve the life span of the tool but also you can work with it much smoother.

Chainsaw Sharpening Tricks

Chainsaw Sharpening Tricks

Here are some of the tricks and techniques which might help you to sharpen your power tool and work with it without any hassle. If you don’t know How to Sharpen a Chainsaw Blade, then you should read this part of the article carefully.

Primary consideration

Firstly, try to do sharpening jobs in a workbench. But if it’s not possible, then do the job in an open field. But if you want, you can work with multiple chains which will help you to work for a long time, and it will also reduce pressure from the chains. It will also save you a lot of time because you can sharpen all the chains together on each 10 to 15 days.

You should never work with a loose chain. Make sure that the chains are sturdy enough because it may cause serious injuries. Also, wear some safety gears like gloves.

Things that you will need to sharpen your chainsaw

I have mentioned earlier that you will need some necessary tools to sharpen a chainsaw. Though many chainsaws require specific tools, but these standard tools can sharpen most of the chainsaw. But different chains require different diameters of a flat file.

You will need a pair of gloves for the safety of your hand. No matter how much dull your blade is, but working with them is always dangerous.

If your chain pitch is between a ¼ inch to 3/8 inch, then you will require a 5/32-inch diameter file. 0.325-inch-pitch chains require a 3/16-inch file; an average 3/8-inch-pitch and 0.404-inch-pitch chains need a 7/32-inch file. But you will find many expectations where some brands of standard 3/8-inch-pitch chain require a 3/16-inch or 4.5-mm file. If you are a beginner and have little bit knowledge about a chainsaw, then you can contact the dealer or take suggestion from someone who is experienced in this area. You also need to careful about selecting the specific tools because if you use undersized tools, then you may not sharpen the whole teeth.

Set the file

Firstly, if you have a clamp, then you should set the file securely so that you don’t face any slightest movement during the sharping process. It is recommended to lock the bar to the surface where you will be working. It will surely remove any unwanted movement, and you can do the sharpening task much more comfortable.

But what if you don’t have a clamp? Now it won’t be possible for you to secure the chainsaw with the surface. So now the easiest process is to remove the chain from the chainsaw and firmly fix it on your vise. Now you may opt for securing your chainsaw upside down or in an upright position depending on your working surface. Do whatever seem easy for you but ensure that your chainsaw is firm when sharpening it.

Tighten the chain

Tighten the chain

Now secondly you need to tighten the chain on the chainsaw. In most of the case, it is located with a perpendicular angle with the chainsaw blade. You can use a screwdriver to tighten the tension of the chain. But keep in mind that, you need to tighten the chain in a way that, you can still move the chain. Don’t go for over tightening.

If you tighten the chain before sharpening the chainsaw, you won’t feel any unnecessary movement while sharpening the chainsaw. But the screw may be located in a different position in your chainsaw, and you don’t need to panic if you don’t find it there. You can simply look on the user manual, or you can ask the dealer about the screw.

Mark the tooth you are planning to sharp

The sharpening job becomes much easier if you mark the tooth with a marker. It will help you to remember where you have begun your sharpening. So you don’t have to worry about sharpening the same tooth twice.

But bother about the marker because it will fade in time when you will start cutting with this tool. But you need to know that different models of chainsaw may have different marking methods. But if you don’t want to mark your chainsaw blade, you can remember a particular point of the chainsaw and start you there.

Start Sharpening

Once you have set the file and marked the blade, its time you to start sharpening. Place the file and push it through the cutter. But you don’t need to put any extra pressure. Just do it smoothly and but always go forward. If you do it in a backward position, then you will damage both the file and the cutter.

Don’t go for cutting the marked tooth. Start cutting from the second one and push the file for 3 to 10 times because it actually depends on the dullness of the chain. If you are giving it a quick sharpening, then driving with 3 to 4 times is enough. Try to provide the same number of Strokes on all the tooth so that, the chain sharpens evenly. 

Once you have done with the chainsaw blade, flip it to 180 degrees and repeat the process. This process won’t take more than 10 minutes after practicing for 2 or three times. If you are still not clear about the sharpening process, then you can watch How to Sharpen a Chainsaw Video for a more precise concept.

I hope after reading this, you will understand about How to Sharpen a Chainsaw Chain. But if you still don’t feel comfortable, then you may take help from a professional to learn the sharpening technique.

Check depth gauge heights

Lastly, check the height of the depth-gauge fins with a depth-gauge guide. The gauge rests of the cutters, and a slotted ledge on both ends straddles the depth-gauge spine. If your fin is higher than the ledge on the guide, file it lightly with the flat file. Don’t use additional pressure while filing the depth gauges, or you may file away some of the ledges on the guide, and it would not read precisely.

Some additional knowledge

Here is some additional information’s which may help you to maintain the chainsaw.

  • If your chainsaw pulls to the side when cutting, it means that particular side of the chainsaw is not sharpening enough. To avoid this kind of problem, try to sharpen the chainsaw blade evenly. Give the same amount of Strokes on all the tooth. For example, if you give ten Strokes on the 1st tooth, then give all the tooth ten Strokes. Another thing you need to consider is that, Put the same amount of pressure in each stock.
  • If you are using a chain for years, then you might need to buy a new one. It is suggested to buy two or three chains at a time so that, you can interchange the chains and you don’t need to put so much pressure on a single chain.
  • A cutter can be used more than ten times of sharpening. If you only sharpen your cutter for 2 to 3 times, but the tooth becomes uneven and difficult to use, then you can consult with someone who gives Chainsaw Sharpening Service. They might regrind them to a uniform shape.
  • If you have any doubt with your chain, then you can take it to a professional. They use a power chainsaw sharpener that resembles a mini-compound miter saw to precisely regrind all the cutter to a uniform depth and cutting angle.
  • After sharpening the chain, give it a test while maintaining a safe distance. Check the brakes are working correctly or not.

Chainsaw complete Maintenance

Besides sharpening the chains, there is also some other maintenance job, which is essential for the chainsaw. Otherwise, you will not get your desired performance. Here I will briefly discuss some techniques of proper Maintenance of a chainsaw. I may discuss the detail maintenance on some other day.

1. How to clean a chainsaw

  • Identify the clutch cover and remove it.
  • Clean the breaks wash the air filter.
  • Try to clean the chainsaw bar in every couple of mouths with a thin piece of wood or metal or bamboo.
  • Check if there is any debris stuck between the cooling fins and air intake.
  • Monitor the flywheel and ensure that nothing is blocking the air from cooling the engine.

2. If you are working with an old chainsaw bar, then you may find it necessary to change it. You can buy a chainsaw bar of your model, replace it with the old one, and adjust the tension it.

3. Always recheck and recheck whether the brakes are working correctly or not. If not, see what’s the problem with it. If you don’t identify the problem by yourself, consult a professional.

4. It is best to check the oil bar level before each use and refile the gas or oil tanker after using the oil or gas chainsaw blade.

5. Finally, after each use, clean all the debris from the chainsaw.

Final Verdict

Sharpening the chainsaw is really an important task. Working with a dull chain will not only consume more time but also it will waste a lot of your valuable time. Besides sharpening a chainsaw blade will only take 10 to 15 minutes then I hope you must understand that there is no need to take any chances.

Sharpening a chainsaw may not seem much tricky, but you need to keep in mind some basic things like apply even pressure, give the same number of Strokes in each stock, always use forward pushing, etc. You also keep in mind about Chainsaw Sharpening Angles Besides selecting your chainsaw and regularly maintain is also really important. If you don’t regularly clean it, then no matter how expensive your chainsaw blade is, it’s not going to give you your desired service. Lastly, select your chainsaw wisely. I hope after reading this article, you will understand How to Sharpen a Chainsaw and maintaining the your saw.

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