If left long enough, you will no longer be able to cut anything.Īs you can imagine, using a chainsaw with no result is frustrating. As the ratio becomes more and more unbalanced, it will become harder to cut. When the depth gauge is too high compared to the tooth, it blocks the cutters from entering the wood. If the depth gauge isn't measured frequently, it will eventually become too high for the teeth. The depth gauge and cutters are set to the perfect ratio when your chain is brand new.Īs you sharpen your chain, the top of the cutter tooth gets lower and lower. The depth gauge on a saw controls how deep the cutters cut into the wood. Another name for the depth gauge is the 'rakers.' The depth gauge is the little bump sticking up in between each tooth. Counting how many times each tooth gets sharpened will enable you to sharpen the whole saw evenly. Repeat this process, counting the number of times you sharpen each tooth. Always take the file out after one push through, reset your angle and push through again. The cutters on your chain will wear a lot quicker if you are filing backward, resulting in a dull chain.įixing this problem is simple. Never bring the file back along the tooth. Only file the chainsaw tooth in one direction. Filing backward is a quick way to destroy your file. The outside of the tooth is made from Chrome. When this happens, you are filing backward.įiling backward is terrible for both your saw and file. The incorrect way is pulling the file back through the tooth after pushing the file through. The correct way of doing this is to bring the file out, reset and push the file through again To sharpen a tooth, you will need to run the file through multiple times. Having a few boxes means you'll always have a new file ready to go. With files being cheap, it's a good idea to buy a few boxes at a time. Tapping your file will eliminate any metal shavings left on your file. To extend the life of your files, tap your file on the bench after you finish sharpening each tooth. In most cases, you should get around 3 - 12 files per pack. To avoid using a dull file, you'll need to keep track of your file use and replace files as you feel them becoming dull. If this isn't happening, you are essentially rubbing your file against the tooth with no result.
![chainsaw depth gauge chainsaw depth gauge](https://www.dealsanimg.com/d/l800/pict/371666596775_/chainsaw-chain-raker-depth-gauge-flat-file-handle.jpg)
You should also see tiny metal shavings coming off the tooth as you push your file through. When sharpening, you should be feeling the file grip. If your file is dull, it won't sharpen your chain. Under ideal conditions, you can get about five sharpens out of a file before you need to replace it. If the file isn't grabbing and is instead sliding across the chain, your file is dull. When using a file, you should feel the file grab. Standard chain pitches and their corresponding file size Using a Dull FileĬhainsaw files won't last forever they get dull as you use them. To find the chain pitch, check the chainsaw's bar. I've included a table with standard chain pitches and their corresponding file size. If you don't sharpen the gullet properly, you will exert more energy trying to cut.Īvoiding this mistake is simple. It's the part that looks like a hook and is essential for efficient cutting. If the file is too big, too much of the file will be over the tooth, and not enough will be in the gullet. In this case, you will have spent a great deal of time sharpening, only to have a dull chain. So, the file won't sharpen the whole tooth. If the file is too small, the file won't reach the top of the cutter. So, you need to match the correct file to the proper chain.Īs a guide, 20% of the chainsaw file needs to sit above the top of the tooth. Likewise, chains intended for smaller saws will have smaller teeth.Īs you can guess, sharpening files come in different sizes too. Chains suited to fit a larger saw will have large teeth. Using the Wrong File SizeĬhainsaws come in different sizes, which means chainsaw chains come in different sizes too. I'll also give you solutions to avoid these problems in the future. These mistakes will affect your saw's performance, making your work much harder.īelow, I will explain each mistake in detail.
![chainsaw depth gauge chainsaw depth gauge](http://adventuresinchainsawing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/depth-gauge-denver.jpg)
![chainsaw depth gauge chainsaw depth gauge](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/aHEAAOSwJYVeLz93/s-l300.jpg)
There are several common mistakes people make when sharpening their chainsaw. The Most Common Chainsaw Sharpening Mistakes I'll also offer solutions to fix these mistakes. In this article, I will cover the most common sharpening mistakes. Have you been using your chainsaw, which isn't quite cutting right? There's a good chance something went wrong when you sharpened the saw.