cracking the chainsaw blade dimension code

[rechargeable]

I'm an occasional home user of chainsaws and I'm trying to figure out the correct way to sharpen my chainsaw blades. I also have a neighbor's saw here and I'd like to service it correctly for them, especially if the warnings are true about risk of kickback and injury due to improperly cared for chains.

I know I need a 5/32 round file for the blades I have, and that I need a file guide and depth gauge. The problem I'm having is knowing exactly what the proper depth gauge setting and angles are for my saw blades.

My neighbor's saw is a Poulan and the blade and bar are made by Oregon, part # 952-051211. Googling this reveals links like this one:

http://conns.partsearch.com/Part/Electrolux/Poulan/952051211/New.aspx?ModelMfgName=Electrolux&ModelBrandName=PoulanPRO&ModelNumber=222

which indicate the chain gauge and pitch, which is fine, but not what I need to know to sharpen it.

My saw is a Stihl MS210. This sharpening link is excellent:

http://www.stihllibrary.com/pdf/SharpAdvice110606.pdf

but it too does not say how to tell what the specs are for your particular chain.

I'd like to buy a file guide and gauge that's going to accommodate both the saws I want to service, but I can't do that unless I know the dimensions I need. Can anyone help me figure this out? It's so frustrating when every single how-to you find omits this seemingly crucial information.

[mowerknower]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYiJlf-0pYw
Just buy one of these.

[4.3mudder]

Chiansaw sharpener form Harbor frieght. I have one, I have done many a chains with it.

[mwjrepair]

http://www.oregonchain.com/tech/cross_ref_guides/2008_chainsharpening.pdf

More info on this page:
http://www.oregonchain.com/tech/tech_guides.htm

Wayne

[rechargeable]

Thank you very much for those links. They explain a lot. It seems like the Poulan's Oregon blade has a depth gauge setting of .025" and my Stihl has one of .026" ... Time for a stupid question: Do you suppose that thousandth of an inch would ever amount to squat if I just used one depth gauge for both saws?

[topsites]

Chiansaw sharpener form Harbor frieght. I have one, I have done many a chains with it.

Yup, best dang tool I ever bought, set to 30 degrees.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93213

Hey they went up in price LOL

[bc3xx0]

Yup, best dang tool I ever bought, set to 30 degrees.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93213

Hey they went up in price LOL

I think I paid 25 bucks for mine there. The only issue I have with it, is that the stops don't really work. You have to visually line it up each time. the depth stop works good though. Still a great tool for 25 bucks that saves time.

I don't think that a thou is gonna harm you!! You could be off a few hundreths and it won't matter. We are talking about grinding wheels and files. If you need that kind of precision you will have to sharpen with a bridgeport!!!

[rechargeable]

Cool, thanks everyone!

[Right Touch]

so is it worth the $50 for the electric shapener or do the $6 hand files work just as well? I've always taken my blades to get sharpened but now that I have a shop I'd like to become as self sufficient as possible.

[Breezmister]

so is it worth the $50 for the electric shapener or do the $6 hand files work just as well? I've always taken my blades to get sharpened but now that I have a shop I'd like to become as self sufficient as possible.

What do you pay to have them sharpen ? How long would it take to recover the expense of a grinder plus your time ? It takes me a few minutes to do one chain with a grinder.
If you have the time and only one or two chains that you do once a month, no. But if time is impotent to you, you accidentally cut dirt cutting roots or cut into hard wood trees alot, yes.

[bc3xx0]

so is it worth the $50 for the electric shapener or do the $6 hand files work just as well? I've always taken my blades to get sharpened but now that I have a shop I'd like to become as self sufficient as possible.


I think it is. I don't do very much cutting at all. I just don't have the patience to file a blade plus it cuts out having to make a trip to have them sharpened. I tend to forget about the chainsaw blades when I go by a place that will sharpen them, so if I pull out a chainsaw to use and the blade is dull, I can just sharpen it real quick instead of making a trip some where to have it done or bust out the file.

[Right Touch]

yea i thought about it a little today after I just went and bought a new chain for my redmax extreme. Its $20 for the chain and $8 or so to sharpen so I guess it is worth it for the sharpener. And it seems as though the table mounted is better than the handheld for only a couple more bucks. I just didnt know there were so many angles and depths and such when it came to sharpening a chainsaw! How do I figure out all these numbers? I have all Stihl 021 with 16" bars and my redmax extreme. We dont do too much cutting but enough that its worth the purchase.

[bc3xx0]

Its just a chainsaw blade. If you over think it, you're just wasting time!

I just eyeball mine. Set the angle close as I can by eye and set the depth dry and adjust in small increments if needed after the first cut. I take off as little as possible so the blade will still have some life.

Been doing this for years and never had a problem.

Like I said in an earlier post, the sharpener that was linked from HF is just plastic and has quite a bit of play. I never could get the index stops to work right so every tooth had to be lined up by eye.

[Breezmister]

I just didnt know there were so many angles and depths and such when it came to sharpening a chainsaw! How do I figure out all these numbers?

Once you get a few of the chains under your belt, it will become second nature to you. Just take alittle off, move to the next tooth, take alittle off and so on, then if you need to, make a second or third pass. Just try not to heat them up to much, loosing the temper. Just stay away from anything made in China. :nono: