Electric chainsaw sharpener fail

[JOEPRO]

I have an Oregon 310 mains powered chainsaw sharpener. Brand new. Set it up today and sharpened the chain on my Stihl 045. Followed you tube videos and made sure it was giving a full contact grind on all teeth and checked the rakers after which need a light file.

Result- not great at all. Looked great to the naked eye and perfectly straight grind but by hand I could tell it wasn't sharp but tried it anyway. Cut mostly OK but lots of fine dust and no real chips is a bad sign:



Back to the Oregon manual file kit. And this procedure:

Good rigid setup for filing in the vice.



I could tell the immediate difference with the teeth sharpness. They now felt properly razor sharp.

Proof is in the pudding:



One sharp saw putting out chips



Just a heads up that electronic isn't always best! The manual file got way better results than the new Oregon chain grinder. Fail!!

I will try using the electric grinder again to see if I can improve things. Maybe I didn't take enough of a cut?

 

[Migmac]

Can’t beat a hand sharpen.

 

[Kram]

Which sharpener was it? Something must be set up wrong. Have a photo?

My Lidl one gives an exceptionally sharp chain as you'd expect from a ground edge, will always beat a filed edge. However the poor build quality of the lidl one makes it a pain to set up and use which I willl hoopefully jave fixed with my upgrades today.

The ground chains have to be very careful handling as they are razor sharp and I've had several deep cuts from being careless

 

[JOEPRO]

Which sharpener was it? Something must be set up wrong. Have a photo?

My Lidl one gives an exceptionally sharp chain as you'd expect from a ground edge, will always beat a filed edge. However the poor build quality of the lidl one makes it a pain to set up and use which I willl hoopefully jave fixed with my upgrades today.

The ground chains have to be very careful handling as they are razor sharp and I've had several deep cuts from being careless

It's one of these



Not much to set up wrong on them? Angle set to 30 degrees and carefully adjusted cut and depth of cut to ensure full grind on the teeth.

Don't think I'm doing anything wrong with it. I know what a sharp chain feels like and this doesn't deliver.

 

[JOEPRO]

I will try the grinder again on another chain tomorrow.

Maybe I didn't take a deep enough cut out of it in terms of side to side not up and down. I have several other chains I can try it on again and see. I sure would like it to work better than I got today!

 

[Migmac]

Which sharpener was it? Something must be set up wrong. Have a photo?

My Lidl one gives an exceptionally sharp chain as you'd expect from a ground edge, will always beat a filed edge. However the poor build quality of the lidl one makes it a pain to set up and use which I willl hoopefully jave fixed with my upgrades today.

The ground chains have to be very careful handling as they are razor sharp and I've had several deep cuts from being careless

I disagree , I can sharpen a chain better than one of those machines.

 

[bourbon]

quote 'followed You tube videos.' Was the manual missing then? read that if it's available

 

[JOEPRO]

quote 'followed You tube videos.' Was the manual missing then? read that if it's available

Ha!

Good one. No one ever reads the manual

 

[Mark 5]

I disagree , I can sharpen a chain better than one of those machines.

I agree, I'm not great at hand sharpening, still learning but I'll get there.

 

[Kram]

I disagree , I can sharpen a chain better than one of those machines.

May be your preference but I doubt it unless your using special files. Grain size of an abrasive is much finer than the teeth on a file. The result is a finer, sharper and less jagged edge. Files are more likely to raise a burr which may appear sharp but will fold over on the first cut. Theres a reason knives, blades and cutting tools in general, are ground and not filed.

Get the two under a microscope and you will see the difference particually after a few cuts.
Now the machine itself has some design issues with the pivots and adjustments but that can be upgraded like mine easy enough.

It's one of these

View attachment 468692

Not much to set up wrong on them? Angle set to 30 degrees and carefully adjusted cut and depth of cut to ensure full grind on the teeth.

Don't think I'm doing anything wrong with it. I know what a sharp chain feels like and this doesn't deliver.

Ah, a chinese clone just like my Lidl one. Identical in all but colour. If you paid a lot for it I suggest retuning and getting the Lidl one for £20.

Also measure the main pivot pin and bores, I suspect theres a bit of slop in it. An 8.6mm replacement pin would take out most of the slop.

 

[Migmac]

May be your preference but I doubt it unless your using special files. Grain size of an abrasive is much finer than the teeth on a file. The result is a finer, sharper and less jagged edge. Files are more likely to raise a burr which may appear sharp but will fold over on the first cut. Theres a reason knives, blades and cutting tools in general, are ground and not filed.

Get the two under a microscope and you will see the difference particually after a few cuts.
Now the machine itself has some design issues with the pivots and adjustments but that can be upgraded like mine easy enough.


Ah, a chinese clone just like my Lidl one. Identical in all but colour. If you paid a lot for it I suggest retuning and getting the Lidl one for £20.

Also measure the main pivot pin and bores, I suspect theres a bit of slop in it. An 8.6mm replacement pin would take out most of the slop.

Doubt away Kram.

 

[Mark 5]

May be your preference but I doubt it unless your using special files. Grain size of an abrasive is much finer than the teeth on a file. The result is a finer, sharper and less jagged edge. Files are more likely to raise a burr which may appear sharp but will fold over on the first cut. Theres a reason knives, blades and cutting tools in general, are ground and not filed.

Get the two under a microscope and you will see the difference particually after a few cuts.
Now the machine itself has some design issues with the pivots and adjustments but that can be upgraded like mine easy enough.


Ah, a chinese clone just like my Lidl one. Identical in all but colour. If you paid a lot for it I suggest retuning and getting the Lidl one for £20.

Also measure the main pivot pin and bores, I suspect theres a bit of slop in it. An 8.6mm replacement pin would take out most of the slop.

Disagree with your thinking, the tree fellers out there, that do it for a living, out in the wild, have a mains powered sharpener, they get by with a file and stump vice.

 

[reb78]

Disagree with your thinking, the tree fellers out there, that do it for a living, out in the wild, have a mains powered sharpener, they get by with a file and stump vice.

I think he is a tree feller...

 

[Kram]

Disagree with your thinking, the tree fellers out there, that do it for a living, out in the wild, have a mains powered sharpener, they get by with a file and stump vice.

Theres a difference between technically sharper and good enough. Theres nothing wrong with a good filed chain, but that wasnt the question.

 

[Onthespotwelding]

I felled a couple of decent sized trees with a new genuine stihl chain, never needed sharpening.

 

[JOEPRO]

I felled a couple of decent sized trees with a new genuine stihl chain, never needed sharpening.

The problem is people generally cut more than a couple of trees with one chain. Therefore the chain becomes dull over time and requires sharpening

 

[bourbon]

People underestimate the amount of oil you should use on a chain

 

[Onthespotwelding]

The problem is people generally cut more than a couple of trees with one chain. Therefore the chain becomes dull over time and requires sharpening

Buy more than one chain and keep a sharp one?

 

[JOEPRO]

Buy more than one chain and keep a sharp one?

Yes. At least 2 spares on hand for each saw.

But we are back to the same non point you made in that eventually every chain requires sharpening!

 

[Old Dog]

A grinder is good to reset the tooth lengths on a damaged chain, but always sharpen with a file.