How to Begin Sharpening A Chainsaw
If you want to spend less time and money on the maintenance of your chainsaw, you will want to invest in something like a Stihl chainsaw sharpener in order to keep your blade sharp and looking like new.
Sharpening A Chainsaw
You will want to begin by determining the size and gauge of the chain you want to sharpen. This will determine what kind of sharpener that you will buy, or what chainsaw file that you will use if you sharpen the chain by hand. You will need to have the correct size of file or a Stihl chainsaw sharpener that fits your saw.
Next, you will want to thoroughly clean your chain before you begin sharpening a chainsaw. This way, you will get the chainsaw working at its best. You can clean the chainsaw with degreasing detergent or mineral spirits. Make sure that you do not flood the engine with cleaning products.
The next step in sharpening a chainsaw is to inspect the chain for damage or over worn areas. You will want to check the individual teeth in order to look for chipped or broken parts. These will make the chain dangerous to use. You will also want to measure the top plate and make sure that it is at least ¼ inch in length. If you find that the chain your are using is worn shorter than that, you will want to avoid sharpening a chainsaw in this condition and just go ahead and discard it.
If you are sharpening a chainsaw with a sharpener, you will want to have the sharpener secured to the wall or to a workbench. If you are sharpening a chainsaw with a file, you will want to clamp it down to some sort of a solid surface before you start. Then you will sharpen the chainsaw and be careful to take the proper safety precautions. You will always want to wear safety glasses when sharpening a chainsaw. You will want to avoid wearing loose clothing and make sure that you are not putting anyone else in danger of metal chips that might be flying away from the sharpener.
If you invest in a sharpener you will be able to save yourself a lot of money in replacing chainsaw chains often. You also must remember that you can sharpen a chain too much and to avoid this, discard any chain that looks too thin and worn so that you won't take the chance of the chain snapping while in use.
