Article brought to you by Stihl and Husqvarna Chain Saws
How will you know when the chain needs sharpening? Two things will tell you. Firstly the chain will start to need extra effort to push it through the wood. A sharp chain will cut to the depth of the teeth easily with very little pressure from the operator. As the teeth become dull the teeth cut less efficiently and you will feel more resistance as you cut through wood. Another way to tell is to look at the chips produced by the saw. Sharp chains will produce large chips that are square. As the chain becomes dull the chips get smaller until they look like fine sawdust.
Before you start make sure you are wearing tough leather gloves. Place the saw on a level, stable surface and put a wooden block underneath the guide bar to steady it. Check the play on the chain and if it is too tight or loose adjust it to the correct tension before you start to sharpen it. Use a file guard to hold chain and to ensure the file is at the correct angle. A file guard with a locking mechanism that stops the chain before the next tooth is useful.
There are many different sizes of chains which require varied cutting depths so you need to find out from ther manufacturer or the manual the correct file for your particular chain.
Take the chain and make sure it is aligned to cut when moved to the outside of a tooth. You can only cut in one direction as files are made to be used only in one direction. With the file firmly held in both (gloved!) hands firmly stroke towards the tooth outside. Remove slightly from the tooth then repeat.
Sharpen the top plate with the file. Top plates are usually set at between 25° and 35° then the side plate which is usually about 85°. Continue to use the file until any damage and nicks are smoothed out. The corner of the teeth cutting blade should be shiny with a thin edge of chrome.
Repeat by moving the chain to the next tooth. Continue until all the teeth on one side have been sharpened then change the angle of the guide to sharpen the teeth on the other side.
Even more information on how to sharpen a chainsaw here.
Image by nationalrural
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