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Proper operation and maintenance significantly affect the quality and productivity of the tool. For comfortable work, you need to sharpen the chain of the Chainsaw Chain saw in time. Blunted chain can be attributed to specialists or sharpen it with their own hands, especially since the whole process is not particularly difficult. It is only necessary to acquire a certain skill, since the teeth on it have an unusual shape.
When to grind and how to find out
Problems that may arise due to untimely maintenance of the chain:
- curves of the saw;
- huge pressure;
- increased fuel consumption;
- faster wear of the leading parts of the chain saw and shortening of its service life.
The speed of dulling the teeth depends on the frequency of the tool and the conditions. It is enough just a couple of times to hook on the ground or stones, and you will already need to grind the chainsaw chain.
The signs by which you can find out that the chain is blunted:
- the instrument tries to escape from the hands, gets stuck;
- Friable chips, practically dust;
- The saw goes deeper only with great effort;
- increases the cutting time.
In addition, blunt teeth can be easily examined. Even the unaided eye will show signs of blunting.
The earlier the chainsaw chain is sharpened, the less metal is soiled, which means it can last longer.
How and how to sharpen the teeth of the chain
Chain teeth for the saw have a non-standard shape. They consist of a base, a blade and a depth gauge. The blade has a vertical blade and a horizontal blade that slopes at an angle. It is thanks to these blades that chainsaw saws wood. They work on the principle of a plane, shaving pieces, and the limiter adjusts their thickness (the difference in height between it and the horizontal blade and there will be chip thickness). The chain saw chains can be sharpened manually or with the help of a machine.
Sets for sharpening
One of the most common methods is using a set of round and flat files, a holder, a template for the limiter and a hook used to remove sawdust. For the correct positioning of the holder, special markings are placed on it, allowing you to determine the correct angle for sharpening. It is installed on the upper part of the tooth and the limiter, while the round file remains under it and lies just near the blade. Thanks to the holder, the file is at the correct height, or more precisely, 1/5 protrudes above the blade. To sharpen the cutting teeth, only round files are used, since the contour of the tooth has a rounded shape.
Sets need to be purchased, given the size of the chain pitch. You can not use the same set for sharpening different chains.
Before you begin to sharpen the chainsaw chains at home, the tire should be secured in a vice or by clamp, the main thing is that the saw does not move during the treatment. Having established the holder according to markings, start smoothly and not too pressing, move the file strictly from itself 2-3 times. Similar actions are repeated with all other teeth. The file must be turned from time to time so that there is no one-sided wear. The force of pressure and the number of movements for all should be the same, this is necessary for even sharpening all the teeth. If they are different, the chain may form cracks, which will lead to its breakage.
To work it was more convenient, first sharpen the teeth on one side, and after them the saw is turned over and the teeth are aligned with the other.
To sharpen begin with the smallest tooth so that the length of all the others is the same with it. After the work on blade processing is completed, go to the limiters. On top of the chain set the template from the kit in such a position that the limiter is in the hole. The protruding part is sewn by a flat file.
The video shows an example of how to sharpen a chainsaw chain with a file:
There is another set, which instead of the holder, has one template, both for sharpening the blade, and for grinding the limiter. Install it so that the chain gets into the holes. Then the round file is superimposed on top of the rollers and brought under the blade. During grinding, you need to make sure that it is always parallel to the sides of the template.
For the limiter there are 2 separate holes, with the inscription Soft, which means for soft wood, and Hard for hard. The protruding part from the slot is sewn with a flat file.
Sharpening is carried out only from himself and smooth movements, the number of the latter must be the same for all teeth.
PowerSharp System
This system allows you to sharpen the chain in a few seconds, even without removing it from the bus. The set includes a PowerSharp chain, an abrasive beam, a saw bar and a grinding device. In order to sharpen the chain, you need to do the following 3 steps:
- Install the bus and PowerSharp circuit;
- To fix the bar in the grinding device, after which it is installed on the tire;
- The end of the chainsaw rests on an object and is fired for a couple of seconds.
The video below shows in more detail how to sharpen the chainsaw chains with your own hands using this system:
Manual and electrical machines
If the teeth are heavily worn out, and the cutting blade has lost its shape, then aligning them by hand will take a lot of time. In this case, usually a manual or electric machine with a grinding wheel is used. The first type of device has the form of a circular saw with a round file. The machines are stationary and mobile, which can be installed directly on the bus.
Adjust the necessary parameters from the smallest tooth. After all the teeth are sharpened and aligned, the round file is replaced with a flat one to grind the limiters.
The advantage of electric machines is that the drive is fed directly under the sharpened blade. In addition, the quality of sharpening in this case is guaranteed and all the teeth will be of the same size.
The video below shows an example of sharpening the chainsaw with your own hands using an electric machine.
At first, blades are always sharpened, and only then are the limiters.
The angle of sharpening can be changed - it depends on the purpose of the appointment. For cutting hardwood use a smaller angle, and for a soft larger. In any case, it should be from 25 ° to 35 °. 10 ° angle is used for chains intended for longitudinal section.
