Sharpening a Chainsaw

In order to see the teeth ascending on the top side of the bar, place yourself on the short side of the stand so that you can see the teeth. You will sharpen a tooth that slopes upward and to the left first, then sharpen all he similar teeth while advancing the chain through one entire revolution. Once this is accomplished, you will sharpen all the teeth that slope in the opposite direction. Obviously this way is simpler as you will not have to readjust the file angle each time.

Generally speaking, to sharpen a chain saw blade should require about four strokes with a blade file. Simply align the file in the correct direction. The file must travel in a straight direction that is exactly parallel to the scribe line on the blade itself. You must also pull the file somewhat toward the cutting edge of the blade in order to ensure that cutting edge, rather than the back edge, is being sharpened.

If everything goes as planned, you will begin to notice a type of wire edge that is the last part to form before it breaks off and the blade has been fully sharpened. When the tooth is finished being sharpened the entire cutting edge should be straight and parallel to the scribe line as well as sharp enough to peel a chip off the top of your fingernail.

One of the more difficult aspects of using this method to sharpen your chainsaw is that it is much simpler to switch hands when it comes time to sharpen the other direction of teeth, instead of building a whole other sharpening stand. Though being temporarily ambidextrous may be somewhat difficult, it is the simplest way to accomplish sharpening of your chainsaw. Though it may feel strange at first, this maneuver will quickly become commonplace and feel as normal as the other direction of sharpening.

Be sure not to rock the file up and down as you move it back and forth, as this will only produce rounded blade edges and those certainly won’t be very good at cutting. Also, it is a good idea to try and do the same number of strokes on each saw blade. This way you can ensure even cutting power when the saw is put top use again.

After several filings, the rakers may become too high so that the teeth have trouble cutting in regardless of how sharp they are. Rakers are the pieces that help clear the cut debris from between the blades as the chain saw is working. Though some people file the rakers when this occurs, many people warn against this as it makes the chainsaw more dangerous and likely to kick back. Most people skilled at chainsaw sharpening never touch the rakers because of this added danger.