Trouble with stihl RS and PS chains

[J. Loe]

Either hand square filing or round,I’ll come up on a cutter that won’t file. I’ll curse, lean on it, grab my fugging stone, rub on it like it was yer mom, lean on the edge with a flat file till the chrome starts to give way then finally sharpen it..

Takes forever and it’s been happening way too often.
Really pissing me off.

Anyone else run into this?
Any solutions other than a bench grinder?

 

[jakethesnake]

Is it only on the first sharpening? Yes I’ve ran into it Never on stihl chain though. A grinder ordremel is about the only solution I’ve found. I. Don’t do square. Files are too high

 

[J. Loe]

Not the 1st sharpening.
These are on pretty well used chain, both on my top handle 201tc and my full size chains as well.
I’ve recently given up on the Oregon version of the granberg jig because I kept getting too much top beak.

been spending much time in the shop practicing my square filing and round filing for that matter..

I hear that stihl chain has a reputation for hardness, but damn.

 

[mdavlee]

Don't try to learn to file square with atihl chain. It kills files and teeth are real hard like that occasionally

 

[T.Roller]

Not the 1st sharpening.
These are on pretty well used chain, both on my top handle 201tc and my full size chains as well.
I’ve recently given up on the Oregon version of the granberg jig because I kept getting too much top beak.

been spending much time in the shop practicing my square filing and round filing for that matter..

I hear that stihl chain has a reputation for hardness, but damn.

I can't say I've ever ran into this and all I run is stihl chain. I use stihl files and they do great. Only time I've had any trouble is if the chain was blued in a electric sharpener.

 

[Blackgreyhounds]

Like @mdavlee says, Stihl teeth are much harder than Oregon or Carlton. Trad off between staying sharp a little longer vs. more work to file. Make sure you are using a good quality and sharp file and this should help. Square filing is another step up on the abuse on files over round filing. Also, it helps to have a file card to clean the filings from the gullets of the file while you are working. Good luck.

 

[Wolverine]

I ran into this last night touching up a loop. Going along fine with the double bevel then I got to a tooth that the file just skated right across, the next cutter was the same. It was previously ground square.

 

[J. Loe]

I had read that stihl chain is harder to convert to square file but I thought it was better to start out harder. Just a big FU to myself.

It’s been some good practice.

These are my 1st attempts.

Bonus photo shows how I transport my chains.

Pretty neat and handy.

 

[Deets066]

Try Oregon chain

 

[J. Loe]

Indeed. I just got 4 loops of 72cl and some jpx.

 

[Willard]

I had read that stihl chain is harder to convert to square file but I thought it was better to start out harder. Just a big FU to myself.

It’s been some good practice.

These are my 1st attempts.

Bonus photo shows how I transport my chains.

Pretty neat and handy.

Stepping up this post. To OP when learning to square file you need some ledge in your gullet to support and guide the file. Looks like you cleaned out the gullet with the round file too much and lost your ledge. Just leave a mm or two.(.040"-.080")
About hard cutters, in all my years filing Stihl chain from 71PM to 46HM harvestor I have never come upon a hard cutter .
You may have picked up some metal in your wood and a couple of cutters have it stuck under their cutting edges.
Nice storage containers.

 

[J. Loe]

Thanks man, that helps a lot.

I’ve been keeping up with my Oregon full skip square CL chain and have been doing alright but gave up on the conversion from rs to square.

Might be time for a restart.

 

[Master Bud II]

I had read that stihl chain is harder to convert to square file but I thought it was better to start out harder. Just a big FU to myself.

It’s been some good practice.

These are my 1st attempts.

Bonus photo shows how I transport my chains.

Pretty neat and handy.

What cind of can is That, I don't recognize it,,, I think that's a Great idea, & I would like to copy that...
Bud

 

[1990Husky262]

I have a set of diamond round files that i bought for sharpening carbide chains and a flat file i specifically bought for hard depth gauges and found that when sharpening a regular chain and you hit a hard tooth or depth gauge rather than destroying a regular file trying to break through the hard outer layer just use one of the diamond files and take a couple passes of the offending tooth or depth gauge and then you have broken through the hard layer and can file as normal

 

[J. Loe]

What cind of can is That, I don't recognize it,,, I think that's a Great idea, & I would like to copy that...
Bud

They’re called

tiffin box

And they use them in India for lunch.
I’ve got a two 3 tier ones
And the wider the better.

 

[J. Loe]

I have a set of diamond round files that i bought for sharpening carbide chains and a flat file i specifically bought for hard depth gauges and found that when sharpening a regular chain and you hit a hard tooth or depth gauge rather than destroying a regular file trying to break through the hard outer layer just use one of the diamond files and take a couple passes of the offending tooth or depth gauge and then you have broken through the hard layer and can file as normal

Good g’damn idea sir!

 

[Cat 525]

Ran across a chain in woods yesterday where the left hand cutters were too hard to file! Maybe a bad batch?

 

[Master Bud II]

They’re called

tiffin box

And they use them in India for lunch.
I’ve got a two 3 tier ones
And the wider the better.

Thank you Very Much for the information, I'm afraid that I will have to Copy that...
Bud

 

[Master Bud II]

P.S. one chain per can, or as many as needed ???
Bud

 

[J. Loe]

I cram as many as I think I’ll need.

Smaller chains, say 24” and under you can squeeze in a couple per section.
28 to 36” only one, but they make a few sizes soo ymmv.