How to square file

[racerjohnbf]

You need a few degrees more on that side plate .
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Underside of the top plate looks a bit aggressive in the first picture if you're cutting hardwood primarily, but if its mainly clean wood it should be fine.

I mostly cut clean hardwood. If it doesn't to seem so hold up, I'll try to add another 5 degrees tilt to my jig. That should make the inside top plate less aggressive but will also lower my outside top plate angle to probably around 17° from the 22° it is now.

 

[huskihl]

I mostly cut clean hardwood. If it doesn't to seem so hold up, I'll try to add another 5 degrees tilt to my jig. That should make the inside top plate less aggressive but will also lower my outside top plate angle to probably around 17° from the 22° it is now.

It almost looks like your chain stop was holding the tooth further forward on the 2nd chain. You’d get the lean if you backed it up 1/4”

 

[chipper1]

I mostly cut clean hardwood. If it doesn't to seem so hold up, I'll try to add another 5 degrees tilt to my jig. That should make the inside top plate less aggressive but will also lower my outside top plate angle to probably around 17° from the 22° it is now.

Top plate angle is real close to what I like for a work grind/file.

 

[racerjohnbf]

It almost looks like your chain stop was holding the tooth further forward on the 2nd chain. You’d get the lean if you backed it up 1/4”

That is exactly what happened. The second chain I did had only been filed once or twice previously and had a much longer tooth than the old chain I was testing on and I failed to make enough of an adjustment for that.

What I learned was to lock down my filing stop to set my file roll angle and adjust my tooth stop to bring the chain into it as needed. That way once I get my side plate dialed in it won't change from chain to chain.

Still wondering how much lean is good, I'm at 90° right now. Would 85° be about right?

Also I think I figured out why my inside top plate angle was different. On the chain I was testing on I didn't have the bar mounted to a saw so I used a pair of welding vise grips to hold the tooth from moving. And on the chain that I sharpened yesterday, I had it mounted to a saw so I was using my finger to hold to tooth from moving. I'm thinking by me pushing the tooth into the file, I was basically changing the tilt angle.

I'm planning to make a chain vise that the granberg will fit over so that should solve that issue. Or at least help with consistency.

I appreciate everyone's feedback, it's helping me see some of the details I overlooked.

 

[Squareground3691]

That is exactly what happened. The second chain I did had only been filed once or twice previously and had a much longer tooth than the old chain I was testing on and I failed to make enough of an adjustment for that.

What I learned was to lock down my filing stop to set my file roll angle and adjust my tooth stop to bring the chain into it as needed. That way once I get my side plate dialed in it won't change from chain to chain.

Still wondering how much lean is good, I'm at 90° right now. Would 85° be about right?

Also I think I figured out why my inside top plate angle was different. On the chain I was testing on I didn't have the bar mounted to a saw so I used a pair of welding vise grips to hold the tooth from moving. And on the chain that I sharpened yesterday, I had it mounted to a saw so I was using my finger to hold to tooth from moving. I'm thinking by me pushing the tooth into the file, I was basically changing the tilt angle.

I'm planning to make a chain vise that the granberg will fit over so that should solve that issue. Or at least help with consistency.

I appreciate everyone's feedback, it's helping me see some of the details I overlooked.

5 degrees forward is ideal .

 

[huskihl]

That is exactly what happened. The second chain I did had only been filed once or twice previously and had a much longer tooth than the old chain I was testing on and I failed to make enough of an adjustment for that.

What I learned was to lock down my filing stop to set my file roll angle and adjust my tooth stop to bring the chain into it as needed. That way once I get my side plate dialed in it won't change from chain to chain.

Still wondering how much lean is good, I'm at 90° right now. Would 85° be about right?

Also I think I figured out why my inside top plate angle was different. On the chain I was testing on I didn't have the bar mounted to a saw so I used a pair of welding vise grips to hold the tooth from moving. And on the chain that I sharpened yesterday, I had it mounted to a saw so I was using my finger to hold to tooth from moving. I'm thinking by me pushing the tooth into the file, I was basically changing the tilt angle.

I'm planning to make a chain vise that the granberg will fit over so that should solve that issue. Or at least help with consistency.

I appreciate everyone's feedback, it's helping me see some of the details I overlooked.

It depends on how sharp or blunt your cutter angles are. If your underside top plate angle is really acute, you don’t need/want much or it will be too aggressive and constantly bog the saw if your rakers are slightly low.

If your underside angle is more blunt (file pointed more down rather than back, work chain) you’ll need to have some forward lean to make it feed on its own. You could also lower the rakers but that leads to jerkiness and inconsistencies. Not as smooth.

You can’t control every tooth angle with a file because it’s fixed. Get your down angle where you want so the cutter will hold up and not dull instantly, get your forward lean where you want it so it feeds on its own with .025” rakers, and the one that means the least is the top plate angle (what you see when looking down). It ends up wherever it does

 

[racerjohnbf]

It depends on how sharp or blunt your cutter angles are. If your underside top plate angle is really acute, you don’t need/want much or it will be too aggressive and constantly bog the saw if your rakers are slightly low.

If your underside angle is more blunt (file pointed more down rather than back, work chain) you’ll need to have some forward lean to make it feed on its own. You could also lower the rakers but that leads to jerkiness and inconsistencies. Not as smooth.

You can’t control every tooth angle with a file because it’s fixed. Get your down angle where you want so the cutter will hold up and not dull instantly, get your forward lean where you want it so it feeds on its own with .025” rakers, and the one that means the least is the top plate angle (what you see when looking down). It ends up wherever it does

Thanks for details explanation!

 

[ZERO]

As we wrap up this year, best advice for me in the square cut land for 2022 came from @Wolverine:

Start understanding your rakers - plain, simple, to the point!

This was absolutely revolutionary, as the internet is full of misinformation about how aggressive a square chain can be set.

 

[Wolverine]

As we wrap up this year, best advice for me in the square cut land for 2022 came from @Wolverine:

Start understanding your rakers - plain, simple, to the point!

This was absolutely revolutionary, as the internet is full of misinformation about how aggressive a square chain can be set.

Did I ever share this one?

Gets all scientifical and stuffs.
And I've moved on to this:
https://westcoastsaw.com/products/depth-plate

 

[davidwyby]

that one is real good.

I usually sharpen on the grinder and freehand rakers to taste/saw/wood/process in the field.

 

[ZERO]

Did I ever share this one?

Gets all scientifical and stuffs.

I will gladly watch and learn!

Then re-watch and learn more, then go out and practice, fail miserably, take a break, and re-do all over again!

One can never have enough info coming at them, I always have an open mind to other's suggestions and methods that worked through trial an error.

I have learned ALOT here in 2022, but I have a long way to go.

ALOT does not mean expert, mediocre at best in my world.

If squares were easy, everyone would be doing them.

 

[Squareground3691]

I will gladly watch and learn!

Then re-watch and learn more, then go out and practice, fail miserably, take a break, and re-do all over again!

One can never have enough info coming at them, I always have an open mind to other's suggestions and methods that worked through trial an error.

I have learned ALOT here in 2022, but I have a long way to go.

ALOT does not mean expert, mediocre at best in my world.

If squares were easy, everyone would be doing them.

You’re gonna do just fine , it’s a lot of repetitive hand and eye coordination, but nothing beats practicing, practicing, practicing!!

 

[MustangMike]

Keep your angles correct and your stroke straight ... and learn to be ambidextrous!

After a while, the file just fits the tooth like a glove, and it is as easy as round file!

 

[Stihl036]

Did I ever share this one?

Gets all scientifical and stuffs.
And I've moved on to this:
https://westcoastsaw.com/products/depth-plate

Nice tutorial.
I checked out the link you posted. Those guides look really good.
Here's a few photos of 5 Stihl guides I got from a fellow in Germany a few years ago.
They look pretty similar to those in your link. The other guide is a Carlton.

 

[Squareground3691]

Nice tutorial.
I checked out the link you posted. Those guides look really good.
Here's a few photos of 5 Stihl guides I got from a fellow in Germany a few years ago.
They look pretty similar to those in your link. The other guide is a Carlton.

View attachment 358976

Been using the Old Carlton file-o-plate for decades, been liking the WCS gauge lately

 

[Wolverine]

I will gladly watch and learn!

Then re-watch and learn more, then go out and practice, fail miserably, take a break, and re-do all over again!

One can never have enough info coming at them, I always have an open mind to other's suggestions and methods that worked through trial an error.

I have learned ALOT here in 2022, but I have a long way to go.

ALOT does not mean expert, mediocre at best in my world.

If squares were easy, everyone would be doing them.

Nice tutorial.
I checked out the link you posted. Those guides look really good.
Here's a few photos of 5 Stihl guides I got from a fellow in Germany a few years ago.
They look pretty similar to those in your link. The other guide is a Carlton.

View attachment 358976

NOT my video. Just wanted to clarify. I do smell what he stepped in though.

 

[Crzybowhntr]

Been using the Old Carlton file-o-plate for decades, been liking the WCS gauge lately

Do you find the WCS easier to hold on to when doing rakers vs the Carlton?

 

[Squareground3691]

Do you find the WCS easier to hold on to when doing rakers vs the Carlton?

There’s a little more room on the WCS to grasp, but not a lot , still like using Carlton cause I’m used to it , but WCS is a good one too .

 

[ZERO]

@MustangMike Mike I did not forget about your pferds, I will try to put some time on them this year and have a review by fall.

Here are the bevels, same exact file as above, same exact filing as above, I was expecting more wear. One file held up really well over the entire season.

The picture will not quantify how well they are cutting at this stage.

No pre-filling anything, what ever got in the way, got filed out.

The other side

 

[davidwyby]