Can Chainsaw Chains Be Sharpened?

Indicators

• The cutters on a chainsaw will remain sharp when used on clean wood. However, real wood has dirt, rocks and grit, which gradually dulls the chainsaw chain. Owners can tell the chainsaw needs sharpening when it no longer self-feeds. If the saw releases dust when operating, it is not cutting but is instead grinding the wood, meaning it needs to be sharpened. When the chain is shinier than usual, the chrome has worn away. The shininess is simply the exposed steel beneath. The chain needs to be filed until a thin overhang of chrome is restored to the chain.

Guides

• The chisels are sharpened using a filing guide, which clamps to the chain bar – a part of the chainsaw -- and controls how the round file travels over the cutters. This allows the file to perform consistent filing strokes in the direction that most reliably sharpens the chainsaw. The round file must fit the filing guide and match the size of the chain. Chainsaws also have depth-gauge guides, which are rounded parts of the chain that extend upward and determine how deep the cutters go into the wood when cutting. The cutters and depth gauges gradually wear down and therefore must be filed down after three or four sharpening phases.

Preparations

• Sharpening a new chain is always easier than sharpening an older one, and replacing an old chain with a new one is better than trying to sharpen an old one. The chain must be tight before sharpening commences. A slot-head screw tightens the saw-chain tension. Then, the filing guide must be clamped in the middle bar on the top edge. The filing guides have fingers that support chain links during the filing. These tips must be at the base of the cutters. Then, the guide is clamped to the bar on the chainsaw, preparing the chainsaw to be sharpened.

Sharpening

• The saw-chain cutters are sharpened with the file pointing upwards to the cutter’s point, which is five degrees away from a horizontal file position. The cutters are sharpened by sending file strokes to the cutter points, which is smoother and easier than going the opposite direction. The cutters should have the most consistent sharpness possible.