Chain won't sharpen....

[t4driller]

I have a loop of 3/8 .050 72dl chain that just won't sharpen. It has a1 on the drive links. I'm using a file and joint with round file. Whenever I start filing, the file cuts in good until it gets close to the top plate. Then it just will not cut in anymore. Just glides across with no resistance at all. At first I thought I just needed a new file, but with a new file it does the same thing. Chain does not look like it was over heated from a grinder. Top plate just seems hard as
f×@%. This is the first I've encountered this problem. So what gives??

 

[Trevj1]

Source of this chain?
Not a carbide or demolition chain is it?

I would consider taking it back and having the shop check it out. If it came from a shop.

If I really needed it, I might grab the Dremel and the sharpening stones, and have at it with that.

And if there is a better way to spend ones life, I would deep six the chain and get a different one.

I am as cheap as the cheapest, but even I will not put a bunch of time into something that is just causing me frustration and ruining other tools (in this case, like as not, your files).

Cheers
Trev

 

[jakethesnake]

Use a grinder or take it to have sharpened. Likely only hard right at the tip. I've had rake guides like that. After you knock the hard edge off it'll go

 

[jakethesnake]

Carlton?

 

[t4driller]

I think it'd Carlton. Whenever I bought out homelite dealer there was a ton of extra chains I got. This was just a chain I found in the mix. It was getting put on a saw I sold.

I have an El cheap grinder, maybe I'll try and hit it quicj with it then try and file it again. I'll throw a different chain on saw to sell for now.

 

[RI Chevy]

Any photos of the links?

 

[t4driller]

Any photos of the links?

there's a line parallel with the top plate you can see in the second pic. Once the file gets to there it just stops cutting in.

 

[mdavlee]

Can you force a round file through it?

 

[t4driller]

Can you force a round file through it?

I tried, wasn't happenin. I'll try again once I get some time.

 

[mdavlee]

I tried, wasn't happenin. I'll try again once I get some time.

Go the opposite direction

 

[t4driller]

I tried pulling it back a couple times and it didn't seem to help at all.

 

[jacob j.]

Jake is right- you'll probably need to grind it or have it ground. Sometimes during the chroming process it hardens the metal and once you get through the harder layer then everything is good.

 

[RI Chevy]

Doesn't look like carbide. I was going to ask same question, as to if it had been heated up before. But it doesn't look like it got hot either. I wonder if it stays sharp once it gets sharpened? Lol

 

[t4driller]

Jake is right- you'll probably need to grind it or have it ground. Sometimes during the chroming process it hardens the metal and once you get through the harder layer then everything is good.

Makes sense. It's down to about 3/4 life. I've had some new stihl chain that was kinda hard to file the first time. After first sharpening it was easy.

 

[radio]

That chain is Carlton A1LM - 3/8 x .050 chisel. No carbide there.

I agree with the others that you probably just hit a spot that was hardened more than the rest of the cutter. Hopefully it's a small spot, the grinder should take it out easily.

 

[radio]

Umm, now that I read your posts again, are you saying just one cutter has a problem or are all the cutters on the loop hard to file?

 

[t4driller]

All of them are the same. I tried atleast 6 cutters on the one side. I did not try sharpening the other side.

 

[jakethesnake]

All of them are the same. I tried atleast 6 cutters on the one side. I did not try sharpening the other side.

Dude that is strange. I've had bad rakes. Never a 3/4 worn tooth. Let alone whole loops of it. Try your grinder. May have to grind the whole rest of that loop. Prolly holds an edge like no other

 

[radio]

Something funny is going on there. Maybe the cutters had too much chrome put on during manufacturing? Definitely will be interesting to see how it hand files after hitting it with the grinder.

 

[jakethesnake]

I agree radio