My chainsaw is cutting so that cuts curve to the right. Very annoying and common I know. Can you tell me which side I am over sharpening, the side it cuts toward or the other side. I have always had this problem sharpening saws. The saw has only done a few hours hard labour and yes eventually I will have it professionally sharpened.
harrislucinda,
Oct 26, 3:16pm
will ask hubby when he gets home as has a a wee machine he does his own
martin11,
Oct 26, 3:21pm
The teeth on the chain are uneven and probably the ones on the rh side are incorrect . Needs a proper machine sharpen to correct it if you have been doing it by hand . Would really need to see the chain to be sure what you are doing wrong .
maclad,
Oct 26, 3:26pm
I know what I am doing wrong I am too heavy handed on the right side I think. Gotta try and do it more evenly.
ianab,
Oct 26, 5:38pm
Three common reasons for that.
One, you have hit something (nail / rock etc) with only one side of the chain, so all the cutters on that side are dull. Other side is still cutting, so you go in a curve.
Two, You sharpen better with one hand than the other. So one side of the chain gets worn down faster than the other. Same result.
Three, the bar is worn unevenly. To test this, take if off the saw and try and balance it on the cutting edge, on a flat surface. If the rails are worn it will keep falling over. Try the top side of the bar, if that's OK, then flip the bar over and wear out the other side. You can get a worn bar "dressed" or ground back flat as long as it's not too badly worn.
It will be one of those things that is wrong.
maclad,
Oct 26, 5:50pm
This is a brand new saw only done 6 to 8 hours and I know I create the problem by the way I sharpen it. Not a bar issue. Just need to know if I sharpen more on the side it cuts to or do I sharpen more on the side it cuts away from. I have given it some pretty serious work outs in those few hours and it is only a little chainsaw. Gotta get better at sharpening more evenly.
maclad,
Oct 26, 6:07pm
Yep starting to think that is the way to go, for about the cost of a new chain is a good option.
docsportello,
Oct 26, 6:26pm
Is one of your arms longer than the other?
ralphdog1,
Oct 26, 6:29pm
+1 For what I was paying for a professional sharpen one of these paid for itself in about 6 goes. And it's so easy and quick that I now tend to give them a quick clean up as soon as they go slightly off, rather than wait until the chain is about as useful as an axe before trotting off down to the shop. Sharpening by hand is all well and good if you are very experienced, but most of us who are not doing this all day every day aren't that good. Money well spent.
macman26,
Oct 26, 6:33pm
Besides the angles being the same the length of the teeth need to be the same. Get some calipers and measure all the teeth and ideally make all the same length as the shortest one. I had a couple of badly damaged teeth so I chose one of the other slightly longer teeth as a reference point. Also need to check the depth as the teeth get shorter.
snoopy221,
Oct 26, 6:38pm
Now Now. But ya are quite close to the truth. Older fulla i know DAMN GOOD with a file. mmmkay. Had to sharpen a coupla chains for him as they were running.
Welll. well. Turns out the old fulla has had both hips done and one of em well. the socket had died and voila new hip joint and he is back to sharpening PRIMO with a file. LOL
So yeah if ya had ya hips done. Might JUST be time for an xray if ya sharpening a bit one sided.
ianab,
Oct 26, 6:48pm
Most people do sharpen better with one hand than the other, same as they write better. So it's common to end up filing better on one side than the other. If you check the cutters and pick this up you can correct it by giving a swipe or 2 extra with the file on your weak side.
For the OP, the side it's curving TO is cutting better. But that may be because the cutters on the other side have all been filed away more. So get out the calipers and check. Get them approx the same, and try again.
One or two teeth damaged and filed back a little shorter isn't a huge problem, but if all one side is different, you start going in a circle.
And a decent chain grinder can be a good idea. Trick to using them is to take very light passes, even if you have to go around the chain a couple of times. If you grind too hard you overheat the cutting edge and ruin the chain.
smallwoods,
Oct 26, 7:31pm
Quite common to sharpen heavy on one side. To correct, do more on the other side.
BUT if you don't hold the file at the correct angle, the tips will differ and no amount of extra strokes will fix that.
Hand filing, use a gauge in a bench vice. Even as a logger, I would do mine each night at home in the vice and freehand during the day. If available, buy the chains with the angle in the top plate, this gives you a guide for stroking and easy to detect length of tooth.
The tip on a chisel tooth chain is 95% of your cutting.
smallwoods,
Oct 26, 7:33pm
Will burn off the hardening and the chain is stuffed. The tooth itself is soft metal. Also don't allow the hardening to fold over the face of the tooth. The file will not like it.
harrislucinda,
Oct 26, 8:49pm
thats what hubby has never had a problem
timbo69,
Oct 31, 9:16pm
Apart from the fact you seriously reduce the life of the chain, they take way more than they need to.
Just a quick lick every 1-3 tanks (depending on what you cutting) and keep away from the dirt
geoff_m,
Oct 31, 9:37pm
Agree. Money well spent. Not as rigid as the pro versions, but I have dozens of chains on mine and works well. Some good vids on YouTube on using the to get consistency. Get a flat file and guage for the depth guage or rakers. Abou 35 dollars.
mojo49,
Oct 31, 9:41pm
Learn how to sharpen it yourself. It is not hard. It cuts to one side because of faulty sharpening, not heavy handedness.
wasgonna,
Feb 23, 5:42am
I had that trouble when I was young.
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