Chainsaw chain sharpening

[WeFourSki]

Who does this in the area? Thanks!

[AC2717]

check out Bob's Sharp all on Route 104 in Meredith across from Wicwas Lake, near the Meredith Center Rd intersection
Sometimes directions put you on Pease road just to be warned.

Just picked up my 60 year old Rival Food Processor blade, better than new and great price. They can sharpen almost anything

[DickR]

Mark Richter Small Engine Repair does these (or at least did in the past. He's on Rte 25 in Moultonborough, easily found via Google.

Depending on how often you need a chain job, it might over time be worth buying a sharpener and doing them yourself. You can pay a lot for a really good one, or get into one cheap here for $30: https://www.harborfreight.com/electr...ner-63803.html

The subject has come up many times on another forum, related to wood burning: hearth.com, subforum "The Gear."

[Slickcraft]

Gilford True Value (the feed store not the lumber store) is a Stihl sales and repair shop. They probably would sharpen a chain.

You really should get a sharpener and learn how to use it. Here is one:
https://www.stihlusa.com/products/ch...ools/2in1file/

It you happen to nick a rock with your just paid for sharp chain, zip dull again.

Lots of YouTube videos on how to

[thinkxingu]

I touch up my chains myself, but after a fair bit of usage, a sharpening place gets them back to new. I take them to Northeast Sharpening in Nashua for $7/PC. I've got three chains I rotate that are ~5 years old. After two sharpenings, I pass them on and buy new.

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[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Gilford True Value (the feed store not the lumber store) is a Stihl sales and repair shop. They probably would sharpen a chain.

You really should get a sharpener and learn how to use it. Here is one:
https://www.stihlusa.com/products/ch...ools/2in1file/

It you happen to nick a rock with your just paid for sharp chain, zip dull again.

Lots of YouTube videos on how to

I have that one and found it very easy to sharpen both my Stihls with it! Really only takes a few swipes for each “cutting blade” to have a nice sharp chain! Great tool!

[SAB1]

Very easy to do yourself with the correct files. Takes 20 mins tops. No need to send out.

[DickR]

The other nice thing about having your own sharpening capability is that you can touch up the chain in little time and be off cutting. If you take the chain somewhere, you've got travel time for two trips, once to drop off and another to go pick it up who knows how many days later. Sharpening chains isn't rocket science, and some places have a school kid come in a couple days a week to do the accumulated chains.

Replacing a chain after only two sharpenings leaves a lot of useful chain life behind. Either that or a power sharpener has been used too aggressively, overheating the metal and taking off too much metal. Granted, a new chain doesn't cost all that much, so that more frequent replacement of a chain that sees very limited use isn't that big a hit. I prefer to get all I can out of them, swapping out a chain for a sharp one from my collection, then tuning up the duller ones all together.

[WeFourSki]

Thanks everyone! I took them to Bob's Sharp All.



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[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by DickR

The other nice thing about having your own sharpening capability is that you can touch up the chain in little time and be off cutting. If you take the chain somewhere, you've got travel time for two trips, once to drop off and another to go pick it up who knows how many days later. Sharpening chains isn't rocket science, and some places have a school kid come in a couple days a week to do the accumulated chains.

Replacing a chain after only two sharpenings leaves a lot of useful chain life behind. Either that or a power sharpener has been used too aggressively, overheating the metal and taking off too much metal. Granted, a new chain doesn't cost all that much, so that more frequent replacement of a chain that sees very limited use isn't that big a hit. I prefer to get all I can out of them, swapping out a chain for a sharp one from my collection, then tuning up the duller ones all together.

Two "professional" sharpenings are after a dozen touch-ups or so, so by that point it's time to buy a new chain. And at ~$1/ft. it's not expensive to start the process over. I'm never without an ultra sharp chain.

Of course, I only use my saw a couple times/yr. so this process lasts me a lonnnggg time!

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[JEEPONLY]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Two "professional" sharpenings are after a dozen touch-ups or so, so by that point it's time to buy a new chain. And at ~$1/ft. it's not expensive to start the process over. I'm never without an ultra sharp chain.

Of course, I only use my saw a couple times/yr. so this process lasts me a lonnnggg time!

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Yup- same here!

[Poor Richard]

I run 3 saws semi-regularly year round and also process 5 cord for my own heating requirements each season.

My big saw has 3 chains... 2 of those chains are nearing 4 years old with several sharpenings and countless filings in the field.

A lot of folks don't take the time to pull the rakers down so no matter how sharp the chisels are, the chain will still cut like crap with full rakers in place.

Also, many of the halfway decent chains will have a sharpening limit etched into the top of the chisels. That line defines how small the chisels can be while still being effective at their job.

I agree with DickR that there is money being thrown away on replacement chains if they're being tossed after 2 visits to the grinding wheel.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Poor Richard

I run 3 saws semi-regularly year round and also process 5 cord for my own heating requirements each season.

My big saw has 3 chains... 2 of those chains are nearing 4 years old with several sharpenings and countless filings in the field.

A lot of folks don't take the time to pull the rakers down so no matter how sharp the chisels are, the chain will still cut like crap with full rakers in place.

Also, many of the halfway decent chains will have a sharpening limit etched into the top of the chisels. That line defines how small the chisels can be while still being effective at their job.

I agree with DickR that there is money being thrown away on replacement chains if they're being tossed after 2 visits to the grinding wheel.

Yes! I forgot my little Stihl filing tool has the flat files in it as well and as you sharpen the tooth, the “rakers” get filed at the same time!