Chain won‘t cut without pressure

[junkman]

Knock the spoons back a bit and it will cut again.

 

[ferris]

Thx for all the answers
I will try the tool that hsell and some other meantioned, I have them but don’t use them since 2013 or so.

I will give you a feedback today

 

[Lone Wolf]

Hey how did you know? I use 2.0 magnification.

I helps thats for sure!

 

[Lone Wolf]

Neighbor across the road has about 80 acres. Lots of Pacific Big Leaf maple. He dropped a few trees in the past months and occasionally tries to saw up the logs into firewood.

I groan when I hear his saw, his chains are so dull that the saw bogs down and dies. Tempted to invite him over for a chain sharpening session.

By all means do so.

 

[huskyboy]

Thx for all the answers
I will try the tool that hsell and some other meantioned, I have them but don’t use them since 2013 or so.

I will give you a feedback today

Use the guides out there, it’ll help you get accustomed to the right angles, so you can eventually freehand. It helped me to use guides when I first started. Now they just get in the way for me and slow me down.

 

[ferris]

Use the guides out there, it’ll help you get accustomed to the right angles, so you can eventually freehand. It helped me to use guides when I first started. Now they just get in the way for me and slow me down.

I also think they are only get in the way for me, but something change in the last years i don’t no what.

I file my chains free or with guides for more then 10 years now

 

[huskyboy]

I also think they are only get in the way for me, but something change in the last years i don’t no what.

I file my chains free or with guides for more then 10 years now

Sometimes you mess up we’re all human lol

 

[rjames]

The stihl 2 in 1/pferd chain sharp guides can't be beat imo. Really hard to mess up using those and they're quick too.

 

[jakethesnake]

We’ve all done it. Hell I keep my harbor freight grinder around just to get a fresh start when a tooth starts to get silly. Yeah keep the file up. A guide will learn you.

 

[Dustin4185]

The stihl 2 in 1/pferd chain sharp guides can't be beat imo. Really hard to mess up using those and they're quick too.

I started using those a while back. I recently started having a raker height problem. The last chain was real grabby. Not sure what the change was.

 

[rjames]

You have to shape them(depth gauges) after awhile. Any rotary tool does the trick. Little bit of work but not bad.

 

[Deets066]

Or a progressive raker gauge

 

[Lone Wolf]

Sometimes you mess up we’re all human lol

Then throw it in the can and put a new one on and hit a nail within 3 minutes! Happens a lot!

 

[AVB]

I have been using a filing guide most my life to sharpen chains. One reason is my poor eyesight. When I start needed -600 power lens so anything up close get out focus. As I get it has come to -3.75 but now I got to have a +1.25 reader on top of the glasses I have now. I can't it through to my eye doctors that the computer glasses they are making are not right for me to use. A lot times I put away my glasses and just get fairly close to double check my filing of cutter making sure they not dubbed.

Yes Lone Wolf it is always a pain to ruin a new chain within minutes of putting it on. The last one ruined was as Cut through a hidden railroad spike. The chain was fine until I exited the spike than suddenly quit cuttting and no wonder nearly all the cutters were beyond saving.

 

[Fish]

Well......

As long as your pecker still works,
then the chain and eyesight issues don't get as troubling.......

But that may just be me.....

 

[Lone Wolf]

Well......

As long as your pecker still works,
then the chain and eyesight issues don't get as troubling.......

But that may just be me.....

Agreed!

 

[~WBF]

Looks like it's been dusted out and you have all the signs to prove it. 'They say':
" A rolling stone will gather no moss"
I say.." a 'true' bar and a well filed/ sharpened chain, will gather no pitch".
Yes the chain is generating too much heat". Looks like you have used 2 different file sizes? ..Or perhaps some of the pics are factory ground only? That factory bump left behind from the grinder should be the first metal the CORRECT ( or bigger) size file would need to take out as 'you are changing from a disk to a cylinder. (round file) With a max depth gullet that would be flat (consistent) . You can always correct it with a bigger file. If you don't have a bigger file then sharpen the cutter with a flat file once or twice to reduce the hook and reset your file a bit higher. Pressure in to the cutter to reset a a new path. Its ok to use a little file
at times but the goal is to consistently control desired depth while then pressuring into the cutter (true free hand)
I have been known to keep 'in stock' 4 different size round file on 3/8 Oregon chain. There is always the time and the place. Sometime I start with a 3/16 file on a brand new chain so I don't have to spend 15 minutes and burn out a new file on carving the gullets even in order to get my desired hook. Big hardwoods? then I'm using a 1/4" file maybe?

Yes there is a time and a place but then its all about placement.

If this is not workin' for ya then go with one of the two 'G's' mentioned above?

Guides or glasses

Your bar looks great..same bar you were running on?

 

[Fish]

He needs to take it to a shop with a grinder and hit the cutters to correctly sharpen the chain first.
Then he needs to re-sharpen the chain later, with the file pressed higher to achieve the correct angles.
He could do it without the grinding, but he would need to know what angles that he was trying to achieve!!!

 

[Fish]

One needs to "look" at the cutter, and know what the cutter should look like, and go from there.

 

[Fish]

One could take a smaller file, and still get a good cutting chain, if he hit the tooth correctly. If the top plate/angle isn't touched, the saw will not cut.