Chainsaw Sharpener – We require many tools every day for various types of work. One such tool is the chainsaw. Chainsaws are used in various parts of our life, but they are mainly used for raw woodwork. Cutting down trees and tree branches are the bulk of the work done with chainsaws.
Chainsaws are sometimes used in furniture making or in wood cutting industries for wood trimming and sizing. Chainsaws can also be used as a life saving force, where they are used for creating firebreaks or jungle clearings to stop the fire from spreading.
The chainsaw has a particular mechanism. It has a rotating chain, which has some teeth or cutters attached to it. This chain rotates along a guide bar using a motor mechanism near the handle. The reason why this mechanical saw is so much more efficient than the manual saw is because the chain rotates very fast using the motor and cuts through wood faster than any handheld saw. This mechanism has its both benefits and drawbacks.
A fast rotating chain coming in contact with hard woods regularly means it requires maintenance often. Chainsaw maintenance can be done in a few easy steps, provided you have the right tools. In this article, we provide a few ways you can take care of your chainsaw.
Chainsaw Sharpener Tools
How to sharpen chainsaw chain? The most important maintenance for a chainsaw is obviously keeping it sharp. While working outside, you can choose to use an automatic chainsaw sharpener, which saves the labor of manually sharpening every tooth. Automatic sharpeners are pretty efficient and are usually not that expensive. You can follow the link to get some suggestions.
Now, if you choose to do this by hand you will definitely need a variety of tools. Most important of them are filers. Filers are used to smooth out smudges on the teeth. Sharpen the edges. There are two types of fillers you will need to sharpen the chainsaw: round files and flat files. Round files will be used to reach the tough angles. Flat files are mostly used on the outside.
Vises are an important part of chainsaw maintenance. A vise is used to keep the chainsaw in place so that it doesn’t move while making changes to it. In-house vises are specialized, but while working outdoors, you will need outdoor vises or stump vises, which are meant to be used outdoors.
You will need a good lubricant for chainsaw maintenance. Lubing the chain regularly ensures smooth movement on the guide bar. We will discuss lubrication in depth later.
Creating The Proper Chain Tension
The chain requires proper tensioning. Tension is the physical force that is accumulated in a rotating body, such as the rotating chain on a chainsaw. Excess tension on a chain could cause it to tear off or, worse, the links could break. If you have low tension on the chains, it could cause the chain to unhinge, damaging you or the machine, which is why proper tension is required on the chains of a chainsaw.
A properly tensioned chain can be pulled from top while the chain is still in contact with the guide bar. Before tensioning the chain, let it cool down a bit. Cooling down the chain will have the effect of the chain shrinking and will help with the tensioning.
Lubricating The Chain
Chain lubrication is a very important part of taking care of your machine. It ensures smooth chain movement over the guiding bar. It also prevents the chain from a lot of contact with the guiding bar, hence less corrosion. It’s important to lubricate the chain everytime you refuel.
You can check if you have lubed your machine enough by running the chainsaw on a stump, and if there is an oil mark on the stump, then you have lubed it properly.
Maintenance Of The Guide Bar
The guide bar is another important component of the chainsaw. The chain is embedded in the guard rail. Also, it is important for guiding the chain into the stumps.
Guard bar maintenance requires turning the guide bar every time you change the chain. It will help the chain wear out evenly on the guard bar. Keeping the guide bar clean is a big challenge. The inlets need to be cleaned regularly. Oils and wood bits can get stuck, which will hinder the proper functioning of the chainsaw. The burrs on the guide bar will have to be filed regularly.
Signs that you need to change your guide bar include:
- The chain not fitting the groove
- The bar groove is damaged enough that it cannot hold the drive link anymore
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Keeping The Chain Sharp
This is the most important part of chainsaw maintenance. The chain must be sharp when you use it and needs to be sharpened periodically to maintain the usefulness of the chainsaw.
As we have discussed, you can easily do that with an automatic chainsaw sharpener, but if you want to sweat it out and save the money on the chainsaw sharpener, you can. For that, you will need a proper methodology to work with. Here are some tips to keep your chain sharp:
- First, you will have to put the chainsaw on a vise so that it doesn’t move. While outdoors, use a stump vise, which may not be as stable.
- Put on the chain brake.
- Bring out your round filer and start sharpening the teeth.
- Filing angles are important. File at a right angle to the chainsaw rollers.
- File teeth using a smooth and even pushing stroke.
- The depth gauge needs to be filed every third time of filing the cutting teeth.
- You can use your round or flat filer, depending on the type of the depth gauge.
Maintaining your chainsaw can give it a longer life. And your precious tool can last that much longer. It will also ensure efficiency of your machine, making it work better than before. Regular maintenance will ensure smooth tree cutting operations, so it is imperative to take care of your chainsaw.