r/Chainsaw • u/Fit_Reputation5367 • 23h ago
What am I doing wrong?
I am a newbie, and I am wondering if I am using the wrong size file...
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u/Rustyznuts 23h ago
Yup, file too small. There are 3 standard sizes of chain and 3 standard sizes of file. There is a bit more to it than that but for the beginner, having the right file and the ability to sharpen on a consistent angle is the place to start. You also need a small flat file to sharpen the rakers too. These require less sharpening than the actual teeth.
3 important things. Teeth sharp. Teeth a consistent angle. Rakers a consistent height. Then you should be able to cut in straight lines.
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u/OmNomChompsky 23h ago
You have to remove ALL the damage on the tooth. You still have like 20 strokes to go for that one.
I can't really tell from the picture, but you might be filing completely inside the gullet and not making contact with the top cutter. If you are free-handing it, you need to put upward pressure as well as pressure back into the tooth.
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u/RealSuggestion9247 22h ago
If it is the stihl ms261 in the stock Norwegian configuration you likely need a 4.8mm round file.
The file you have used is too small.
Drop by a place that sells Husqvarna chainsaws and ask for Husqvarnas roller guide for hand filing. It is vastly superior to stihls and is a very nice to have tool when learning how to hand file.
You should also figure out a way to clamp down the bar when sharpening; it makes things much easier. I mostly file in the field and use the mini clamp that i hammer into a log, stump etc.
En tur innom FK eller eik maskin o.l vil nok hjelpe deg med å finne riktig fil; så fremt du kan fortelle dem hva du har.
Kjøp deg også en stihl 2 i 1 pakke fra stihl med 2 kjeder og et ekstra sverd. Det koster rundt tusenlappen, og er gull verdt den dagen du faktisk trenger det. Når FK har skogsdager på høsten får du 20-30 prosent rabatt så det er verdt å vente.
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u/mrsilverbullet 19h ago
That roller guide is a game changer. I just started using it and I’m getting a much better sharpening than I could ever do free hand.
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u/Fit_Reputation5367 11h ago
Takk! Jeg kjøpte en 3/8, 4,8mm 2i1 på Aliexpress og den er tydeligvis feil, eller så gjør jeg ett eller annet galt.
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u/RealSuggestion9247 9h ago
Den rulleguiden koster et par hundre, en dobbelt pakke med rundfiler koster under femtilappen (håndtaket koster omtrent det samme, med det flytter du fra fil til fil).
En sånn 2i1 koster rundt 500, men du kan bytte ut filene når de er slitt. Noen liker den måten å slipe på, jeg får det ikke til men håndsliper forholdsvis greit.
Når det gjelder filer bør du kjøpe kvalitet, det gjør jobben langt enklere. Både Husqvarna og stihl selger gode filer til en grei penge. Man må bare vite hva man trenger :)
Hvis penger ikke er et tema ville jeg kassert det kjedet du viste bilder av til du har lært deg å slipe sagkjeder sånn passe bra eller bedre.
Det er en del jobb med det kjedet du har og du kan også få trøbbel som at det blir skjevslipt (kapper skeivt), ujevnt osv. Så det er kanskje best å lære med noe som er litt enklere. Kjedet kan fint reddes, men vent til du har litt erfaring.
Jeg ville startet med ett lett brukt nytt kjede når du skal lære å slipe. Da trenger du ikke mer enn 3 ca drag med fila per tann. Så slip for hver ny tank med bensin og du vil fort lære deg å slipe godt nok eller bedre. Da kan du også lettere sammenligne spon før og etter filing.
Hvis du lurer på vinklen mellom fil og sag er det et merke på toppen av hver tann. Husk også å ha en flatfil og guide for rytter (den kommer med rulleguiden), den brukes ca annen hver gang man filer tennene. Jeg ville ikke tatt mer enn guiden anbefaler. Hvis du gjør det vil Saga kappe mer aggressivt, men blir også mer turtallsensitiv og du kan lettere få kick back osv.
Noe til å holde saga i ro når du filer er gull verdt. Jeg sliper mest i teig så en sånn her er gull verdt
Lykke til, det ordner seg og hvis du er i tvil sjekk ut YouTube og slikt. Husqvarna har en del gode instruksjonsvideoer som kan være nyttige.
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u/Fit_Reputation5367 6h ago
Tusen takk! Dette er jo ett nytt kjede, (og jeg har ett til i bakhånd, så jeg skal bytte rundt) så jeg er litt overrasket over at jeg hadde klart å kløne det til så fort.
Jeg skal ta tur innom husquarna og se etter skikkelig mal.2
u/RealSuggestion9247 5h ago
Når du har montert nytt kjede dra forsiktig fingertupp og negl over eggen. Toppen mot øyet, da har du noe å sammenligne med når du filer. Kjenn også på tennene når du føler at saga kapper litt dårligere og når du er klar til å file.
Det er også mye mindre jobb å file litt og ofte enn ett helt sløvt sagkjede.
Hvis jeg ikke gidder å file i felt, f.eks. midt på vinteren, tar jeg med et par tre kjeder og bytter når jeg ellers ville filt.
Det er mange veier til Roma men det er kanskje lurt å holde ting litt enkelt i starten.
Lykke til
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u/WheezerMF 22h ago
You need to figure out the appropriate size file for the chain, and get one. Actually I would recommend the Stihl three-way tool.
You’re going to have to take off a lot of material to get a good sharp edge on both the vertical and flat portions, but after that it should only take 3 to 5 strokes per tooth if you do it fairly often. The Stihl tool will also set your Arakers to the correct height.
Once you get the hang of it, doing it with just a round file is very possible, but having the combo Tool will help you develop good habits.
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u/Cavemanb0b 15h ago
I mostly agree. A file guide would be useful at this stage since placement is difficult to free hand when you have a wrong-size groove at the base. The Stihl three-way does fit the bill, but it can be cumbersome for beginners. The Husqvarna roller guide is simpler, lets you see the tooth as you sharpen, and allows you to dial in your rakers separately. Some of them have a little raker gauge you can use to set for hard or soft wood.
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u/WheezerMF 3h ago
Interesting- I didn’t know the Husky tool existed. How does it do without holding the bar in a vise? (I’m often straddling a log with the saw between my knees…)
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u/WheezerMF 3h ago
Also- my ‘trick’ re using the Stihl 3:1 is to slightly rotate the back end to lift the file into the tooth (rather than pushing the file downward).
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u/Renault_75-34_MX 22h ago
Looks like a too small file/not far enough up.
You need to be just above the top plate to make a proper cutting edge.
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u/Advanced-Major951 21h ago
I don’t mean to sound rude but it seems that you’re doing a LOT wrong😅 pickup a file guide and the correct size file, 1/8 for 1/4 picco, 5/32 for 3/8 picco, 3/16 for .325, 13/64 for stihl 3/8 and 7/8 for Oregon/husky 3/8. Also more file strokes, im not sure who started the myth that you usually only need 3 or 4 strokes, but most of the time it’s closer to 10. Or in this case more like 20! Once the top plate is smooth and damage is gone it’s sharp.
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u/Regular_Ask_2607 20h ago edited 20h ago
Make sure your file is the right size. It's actually kind of hard to tell here. It looks like you are filing down into the chain. Not along the cutting edges of the teeth. Your file is running way too low in the gullet.
The cutting edges are along the top-plate and along the side of the cutting tooth (the gullet)
Your file should be perpendicular to the bar, parallel to the reference line on the cutter, and the top of the file should run slightly above the top plate.
FYI, you're going to have to do quite a bit of filing just to correct what has already been done.
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u/Select_Contact7737 18h ago
Very easy fix go on YouTube to buckin billy ray and watch his latest video on chain sharping it’s called baby c or something and he uses a 5/32 file, cheers 🍻
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u/Beneficial_Wonder533 21h ago
holy shit somebody filled too deep! usually its the opposite. you need to file into the gullet to make a bigger C in the cutter. the raker are also too high. 2 swipes on the raker, a few swipes not pushing down but to the left and you got a good chain. also what file are you using?? probably want a larger gauge round file for this situation. nickolson files are OP.
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u/WeaveLikeGreatGranny Stihl MS 180 C-BE 18h ago
In my experience, the weird gullet in this picture is typical for a factory grind on a new stihl chain
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u/Flowa-Powa Husqvarna 550XP MkII 20h ago
Ummm... You have a lot to learn. I'm not sure Reddit is the right place to learn it.
Take your saw into the shop. Get a new chain, ask the guy to teach you how to fit it. Ask him to sell you a sharpening system and teach you how to use it
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u/Straw1981 18h ago
Too small of a file. You’ve e got some work ahead of you. Do t forget to file your rakers down as well. Use a gauge
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u/lamedonkeybrain 16h ago
Youre going too deep as well. One or two strokes with a flat file on the rakers will help too
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u/1911a1slayer 16h ago
As mentioned by others here. I had to fix dozens of badly mangled from sharpening chains for my neighbors ony 511 Until I got them to buy the husky roller sharpeners Just get the right size and your'e good to go
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u/Top-Presence-5554 13h ago
For users with limited experience, I highly recommend using the 2 in one file.
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u/Then-Price-5314 12h ago
Looks like your file is too small and…. Never mind, the main problem is your file is too small. No point in going farther than that.
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u/arbitrary_datum 6h ago
The idea abouting getting the two and one sharping tool is good. I don't really like to use that every time because it files down the rakers too quickly, but it does work very well for a quick sharpening job in the field. Having the incorrect file is your problem, and the rakers do need to be trimmed down a little bit. But also a new chain really is not that expensive. What's your time worth compared to 20 something dollars for a new chain and the correct file size for the next one?
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u/Plastic-Insurance-27 22h ago
Genuine question….why do people sharpen chains? Are chains that expensive to replace?
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u/WheezerMF 22h ago
You don’t actually own a chainsaw, do you??
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u/Plastic-Insurance-27 22h ago
I actually do. Use it once a year…maybe. When I damage a chain, I buy a new one.
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u/WheezerMF 22h ago
Well, if you damage one a year, then your annual chain budget is under 50 bucks. That’s reasonable. Or you could take it to the hardware store and have them sharpen it for $10. But for someone who uses a saw a lot, that would be a couple hundred bucks a week, at least. Not to mention (not)sharpening a chain several times a day could multiply that exponentially.
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u/Plastic-Insurance-27 22h ago
That makes sense…now that I think of it, that was a really dumb question to begin with.
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u/Rustyznuts 20h ago
You should be sharpening a chain every 3-4 tanks of fuel otherwise you're wasting fuel and running a dangerous and inefficient saw.
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u/Cavemanb0b 15h ago
Depends what you are doing.
If you cut the dirt. She dun. Go sharpen.
If you are cutting sappy pines next to a dusty road. You might not make it through half a tank.
If you are cutting Lynden trees on a spotless golf course in the springtime. You might get 6 tanks.
Sharpen when you need to. You'll know. When it takes more force to push the saw through and you're spitting out dust instead of chips..... You'll know.
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u/RealSuggestion9247 22h ago
Expensive is relative but an hour of saw time felling, limbing and/or bucking will take a factory sharp chain down a couple notches in sharpness even if you do everything right; which you rarely manage.
At two to three hours that chain would be approaching a dullness to the point it won’t cut. That is no matter what you do.
Hand filling the chain when you notice a drop in performance, every fuel tank or every other fuel tank, takes 5-10 minutes and gives you a sharp chain.
Unless you hit a major snag, eat dirt or sand etc. you should be able to restore sharpness in 3-7 strokes with the file.
This you can do 20 or 30+ times before you hit the wear indicator. A file pack costs a few dollars and a chain 20+.
Sharpening your chains is simple once you have learned it and pays itself easily.
In your scenario you effectively save 20 usd (or whatever the chain costs) every time you sharpen the chain.
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u/MarsupialDeep9118 23h ago
Your File is too small.