How to square file

[Deets066]

Between all of the angles I have gathered from here and an McCulloch owner's manual, I am going to give the 30, 30 and 10 a run on the File-n-Joint as soon as I have time. I only have the one file - a Stihl 3 corner. I brought two 3/8" by 1/4" by 1" bronze bushings from Lowes today and tapped them for a shortened set screw. Seen to fit snug; I hope they hold up.

Before I buy some double bevel files, let me ask if the narrow plane of a double bevel is any wider than the narrow plane of the 3 corner file?

I converted the chain I was experimenting to round as it would have taken a lot of filing to straighten out the mess I made of it. Probably shortened its life by at least 4 sharpenings.

I spent all day making a base to hold my jigs. It is heavy enough I can just sit it on a table and go to filing. Here are some pictures, square on one side and round on the other. Of course to use it on a table top you can't have a chain on the back jig. The wood is from a cherry I cut in the back yard when I was building my house 15 years ago. It is just sitting on the aluminum I-beam for the pictures. I believe the stool was made from some cherry my dad cut in Florida when I was a kid.

Square jig: Round jig:

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Other views:

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Ron

Beautiful setup you got there. Are you happy with the square chains it produces?

 

[WOODS]

I haven't done a whole chain yet, just experimenting a tooth at a time and I found a stable base would be really helpful. Also need a light. But I expect the results to be fine. I should have taken some photos of a good tooth before I converted the chain to round. I will report back. Ron

 

[Rob Stafari]

Between all of the angles I have gathered from here and an McCulloch owner's manual, I am going to give the 30, 30 and 10 a run on the File-n-Joint as soon as I have time. I only have the one file - a Stihl 3 corner. I brought two 3/8" by 1/4" by 1" bronze bushings from Lowes today and tapped them for a shortened set screw. Seen to fit snug; I hope they hold up.

Before I buy some double bevel files, let me ask if the narrow plane of a double bevel is any wider than the narrow plane of the 3 corner file?

I converted the chain I was experimenting to round as it would have taken a lot of filing to straighten out the mess I made of it. Probably shortened its life by at least 4 sharpenings.

I spent all day making a base to hold my jigs. It is heavy enough I can just sit it on a table and go to filing. Here are some pictures, square on one side and round on the other. Of course to use it on a table top you can't have a chain on the back jig. The wood is from a cherry I cut in the back yard when I was building my house 15 years ago. It is just sitting on the aluminum I-beam for the pictures. I believe the stool was made from some cherry my dad cut in Florida when I was a kid.

Square jig: Round jig:

View attachment 139586 View attachment 139587

Other views:

View attachment 139588 View attachment 139589

Ron

Sweet looking setup you got there!

 

[Lightning Performance]

I haven't done a whole chain yet, just experimenting a tooth at a time and I found a stable base would be really helpful. Also need a light. But I expect the results to be fine. I should have taken some photos of a good tooth before I converted the chain to round. I will report back. Ron

Seems like a lot of work for sharpening chain. Please tell me it is for racing or fine finish cutting.
Very nice set up btw.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I forget what thread it was but I got pics of that Carlton off the roll out of a box round that cut very nice. This would be my choice for converting to square with a file. It works nice as round. I ran two of them and touched one up. Found the last one still in the box.

 

[RI Chevy]

You'll go through a file converting that Carlton. Stuff has a lot if chrome. Very hard chain.

 

[Lightning Performance]

What thread was it Jeff? I forgot.
@RI Chevy

 

[concretegrazer]

Between all of the angles I have gathered from here and an McCulloch owner's manual, I am going to give the 30, 30 and 10 a run on the File-n-Joint as soon as I have time. I only have the one file - a Stihl 3 corner. I brought two 3/8" by 1/4" by 1" bronze bushings from Lowes today and tapped them for a shortened set screw. Seen to fit snug; I hope they hold up.

Before I buy some double bevel files, let me ask if the narrow plane of a double bevel is any wider than the narrow plane of the 3 corner file?

I converted the chain I was experimenting to round as it would have taken a lot of filing to straighten out the mess I made of it. Probably shortened its life by at least 4 sharpenings.

I spent all day making a base to hold my jigs. It is heavy enough I can just sit it on a table and go to filing. Here are some pictures, square on one side and round on the other. Of course to use it on a table top you can't have a chain on the back jig. The wood is from a cherry I cut in the back yard when I was building my house 15 years ago. It is just sitting on the aluminum I-beam for the pictures. I believe the stool was made from some cherry my dad cut in Florida when I was a kid.

Square jig: Round jig:

View attachment 139586 View attachment 139587

Other views:

View attachment 139588 View attachment 139589

Ron

I was having to adjust the height after several strokes.


The double bevel is a little thinner than the 3 corner.

 

[Lightning Performance]

You'll go through a file converting that Carlton. Stuff has a lot if chrome. Very hard chain.

Yup and it should hold an edge longer. I'll be damned if I'm going to covert *s-word grinds or soft chain to anything. I waste that junk on dirt pile wood in the spring if any is around. An old flat file at maybe 20*. The corner won't be there long enough to worry about where it landed. The dirt will eat the chain in five tanks so WGAF.

 

[RI Chevy]

LOL. Not sure Kenny. That Carlton is some very hard stuff. After doing a couple, I would use a grinder to square it up next time. Once squared, you should be able to maintain it with files.

 

[Lightning Performance]

LOL. Not sure Kenny. That Carlton is some very hard stuff. After doing a couple, I would use a grinder to square it up next time. Once squared, you should be able to maintain it with files.

I dont have a square grinder. Harvester chain eats two cheap files to sharpen it. I'm not worried about files. I have literally hundreds of them of every shape and size. They make new ones ever day mang

 

[RI Chevy]

They are expensive though Kenny. Lol

 

[Lightning Performance]

They are expensive though Kenny. Lol

cheap ass

Yard sale you find cheap files at swap meets too. You think I bought them all new. Fourty years of tool boxes, milk crates and swap meets. On and off here and there. You can do most of the work with a two dollar grinding wheel on a twenty dollar 4" grinder.

 

[RI Chevy]

LOL
I ain't never came across a chisel bit file at any yard sale, ever. Lol

 

[Lightning Performance]

The way you handle and maintain a tool goes a long way in service life of said tool. Old small files of any type with a flat surface seem to work just fine for taking the meat out. No way I'm the only one doing that. I find small triangle and rectangle files to be a great help making square chain or holes. Need more of them cheap oldies Just don't have 8-10 bucks these days for a file that will last one or two uses. I do have 50ct or less for an old much better file than most sold today. The fact remains tools are not made to the standard they once were. Cheap files make dull chain but square none the less. Even dull files get used for the wood work and plastic cutting. They make great blades and blade/cutting edge repairs in the right hands with some heat, a hammer and some welding. Never toss them. Someone is always looking for good steel. My last batch went to a knife maker ten years ago or more. Have fifty or more worn down ones again. My 2ct on files.

PS The best steel to cut crank keys from you don't want to shear off like outboard engine flywheels on old souped up tiller motors.

 

[Duane(Pa)]

Souped up tillers?

 

[RI Chevy]

I got you Kenny. [emoji106]

 

[Deets066]

Save edge will sharpen their files when they get dull

 

[Lightning Performance]

Souped up tillers?

Outboard engines like carbed Rude, Johnson. Merc inline six has the grunt. Two and four cylinders can be jacked up pretty good with old looper motors. DI crossflow rules now days.

 

[old guy]

I don't need no stinkin files, I got a grinder.