Garden tools: how to sharpen a chain of chainsaws with your own hands

Every owner Chainsaws should be able to independently sharpen the chain of their apparatus. After all, there are situations when there is nowhere to wait for help in this matter: call the master dearly, or go far to him. In this case, you will need our recommendations on sharpening the chainsaw chain.

  • What is needed sharpening chainsaws, how to understand that the chain has become dull
  • How to sharpen a chain of chainsaws with your own hands. Step-by-step instruction
    • What you need to sharpen the saw at home
    • Removing chains from chainsaws
    • How to fix and sharpen the chain at home
  • Tips and tricks: how to sharpen a chainsaw at home
    • File sharpening
    • Sharpening on the machine

What is needed sharpening chainsaws, how to understand that the chain has become dull

The guarantee of long work of your saw is the correct care of it. It is necessary to fill only high-quality gasoline and oil, as well as to monitor the sharpness of the teeth of the chain. When it grows dull, the saw begins to vibrate more and more, and this has a bad effect on the whole structure of the device. In addition, you can see that small sawdust fly out from under the saw, and this is one of the main signs of a dull chain.If the teeth are sharp, then the sawdust will be large.

Important! Gasoline consumption when working with a blunted chain increases approximately in 1.4 times.

Also one of the signs of a dull grip is black sawdust. Reason for this - small ignition of wood particles due to the low sharpness of the teeth. The saw is very overloaded, and you yourself must feel it. When teeth are sharp - virtually no effort to cut the deck. This leaves a little more fuel and decreases the efficiency of the process. In conclusion, we can add that sharpen the chain need regularly, sometimes two or three times a day - then it will be easier for you and your device to work.

Proper and timely sharpening the chainsaw chain will add a few years of life to your machine. According to professionals, a sharp chain is more important than a good engine.

How to sharpen a chain of chainsaws with your own hands. Step-by-step instruction

In order to properly sharpen a chainsaw, you need to follow some rules. The ability to properly remove and fix the chain is one of the important factors for successful sharpening.

What you need to sharpen the saw at home

Sharpen the chain saw can be either manually or on a special machine. Most people perform this procedure manually.

However, professionals are advised not to do this very often, as this can lead to rapid wear. But still there are times when it is necessary to sharpen the saw exactly by hand.

For this special tools are sold for sharpening chains of chainsaws, which include:

  1. Round file;
  2. Flat file;
  3. Template;
  4. Hook.
The round file is sold with the holder in which it is attached. On the holder there are lines with a certain orientation that will help you when sharpening the teeth.

The template is needed to adjust the sharpened depth limiter. A hook is designed to remove dust and sawdust from the chain. Such a kit for sharpening the chainsaw chain will be needed by all gardeners.

Such devices as pruner, flat cutter and Tornado will be useful to every gardener.
During operation, the holder is placed on the tooth you are sharpening. The flat file is used to work with the depth stop.

Did you know? The most sold brand of chainsaws in the world is STIHL.

But it is worth remembering that constantly sharpening the teeth by the manual method is not recommended for a number of reasons:

  • with manual sharpening, the teeth grind unevenly, which leads to an imbalance in the work;
  • old chains wear out over time, and manual sharpening becomes almost impossible;
  • the cutting edge may lose its normal shape;
  • there is a risk of breaking the chain over time.
If you do not want to sharpen the teeth manually, then you can use a machine for sharpening chainsaw chains. These machines are two types: manual and electric. Hand held imply mechanical hand work. Electric - powered by electricity network. But both types of machines give a high degree of precision sharpening. Working with such a device, you first expose the parameters to the first, so-called control, tooth. Next comes the sharpening according to the specified parameters.

Important! Always wear protective gloves and goggles when working with a chainsaw.

There is also a third way to sharpen the chainsaw chain. This method is quite new and probably the easiest. Just buy a special circle for sharpening chainsaw chains along with a special chain. This is a small device.which is put on the end of the tire and fixed in a stationary position.In the middle of it is an emery stone, which will sharpen your chain, while you just press a button.

This stone is placed with the concave side to the tire. On the chain there are links that rub over the stone and do not allow oil to fall on the saw. How to sharpen the chain with your own hands on this method, you can look at the video.

Removing chains from chainsaws

To remove the chain from the chainsaw, first you need to pull on a protective shield. As soon as you hear the latching sound, take a screwdriver and loosen the chain. After that, unscrew the nut with the key and remove the tire along with the tenacious. In this procedure, there is nothing difficult, except that you need to properly tighten the chain when you put it back - if you pull, then there is a chance of breaking. Well, if you do not tighten it properly, then the chain can fly off the tire altogether.

Did you know? The first chainsaws appeared in the late 19th century.

But you also need to be able to pull it right. After you put the chain on the tire and put it all together, make sure that it fits snugly on the bottom of the tire. A normally tensioned chain should move away from the bottom of the tire when pulled off by 3-5 mm by hand.

How to fix and sharpen the chain at home

To understand how to sharpen a chainsaw chain with a file, and learn how to do it at home, you need to follow the following step-by-step instructions. First you need to properly fix the chain. There are several methods of fixation. First method is to fix the tire in a vice - this is the most correct method.

So you can be sure that the chain will remain fixed. However, there are second method. You can just sit back, fix the saw between your legs at the level of your knees and start sharpening. Most importantly, the lower part of the tire was not lower than your knees.

Here is a step by step guide on how to sharpen a chain of chainsaws with a file:

  1. Secure the chainsaw tire so that it is stationary.
  2. Choose the right round file and tool holder so that when sharpening the cutting edge, the file sting protrudes no more than 20%.
  3. Mark the tooth with which you start sharpening, so as not to go on the second circle.
  4. While sharpening, pull the file in one direction only and regularly roll it around its axis so that it will wear evenly.
  5. If necessary, sharpen the depth gauge with a flat file.
Let us examine the process in more detail. Keep in mind that the metal from which the teeth are made is soft, so you shouldn’t strongly press it with a file.

And it is important to remember about the sharpening angle of the chainsaw chain. The angle in the vertical plane of the file in relation to the chain should be 90º, and in horizontal -30º or 10º, depending on the saw parameters (at an angle of 10º, saws that are intended for slitting logs are sharpened). The correct angle and position of the file will help you hold the holder.

Important! If you see that the teeth sharpening depth is already quite large, then it is better to change the chain to a new one in order to avoid its rupture in the process of work.

If you or your neighbor have a machine for sharpening chains, then you are lucky. With this equipment, you can quickly sharpen your saw. Here is an approximate order of sharpening on the machine:

  1. Slightly loosen the chain on the chainsaw by turning the side screw with a screwdriver.
  2. After that, you must position the chainsaw in the machine so that the teeth are directed to the grindstone.
  3. Next you have to choose the sharpening angle (it depends on the type of chainsaw).
  4. Set the polarity.
  5. Choose a sharpening method: sequential or through a tooth.

Now you can proceed to the procedure itself.

To worry about how to sharpen a chain of chainsaws on the machine as accurately as possible is not worth it. All modern automatic sharpeners brought almost to the ideal. Therefore, you just need to follow the instructions listed above.

Tips and tricks: how to sharpen a chainsaw at home

You can sharpen a chainsaw at home two methods: by file or on machine.

File sharpening

Now that you know that you need a special file for sharpening chainsaw chains, you should learn some tips on working with it:

  1. When sharpening, the file should be scrolled evenly around its axis;
  2. It is not necessary to press a file very hard: the material from which the chain is made is moderately soft;
  3. Sharpen the teeth of the left direction first, and then the right, or vice versa;
  4. Create the same pressure for each tooth, so that the grinding is uniform;
  5. If your chain is old and its teeth are not the same,focus on the shortest tooth and sharpen it according to its example;
It should be remembered that constantly sharpen only a file is contraindicated. The chain will start to wear out quickly, the teeth will be sharpened unevenly, which will lead to the incorrect operation of the chainsaw.

Did you know? In high quality chains, the teeth are made of high-alloyed chromium-nickel steel.

Sharpening on the machine

We have already said that there are special electrical and mechanical Chainsaw chain sharpeners. They provide the most uniform sharpening of your saw. Using these devices is not so difficult, but you need to remember a few technical recommendations:

  1. Find the shortest tooth on the chain - it will be reference point for his sharpening;
  2. Do not sharpen the teeth very deeply, otherwise you will lose the chain of strength and durability;
  3. Purge the chain after sharpening and lubricate with oil;

So, now it became clear how to sharpen a chain of chainsaw at home. This can be done easily and quickly in two ways: by file or by machine.

Need to sharpen the chain regularlyOtherwise it may badly affect the saw hardware.And if you see that the teeth are almost completely worn out, it is better to replace the chain with a new one.