Yep such is my luck there was a stainless steel spoon wedged between two limbs of a maple I was cutting up.
I wanted to know if its worth getting the chain sharpened? I tried using a file, which normally works well, but it was no use, still blunt as hell. Chain has does around 20 cords of firewood. 24" stihl.
Dean
Take it to be sharpened. The tech should be able to tell you if it can be sharpened/repaired or if you need a new chain.
Turtle, there's no way a chain can cut 20 cords and still be sharp. I've sharpened it probably 20 times already. Its just that, now its frigged, I can't seem to get it sharp any more. New chains are $30, sharpening around here is $9.
this is Turtle
If you have done 20 cords of wood with out sharping it. you need to have it sharpen or buy you a new chain. A chain file to sharpen it cost about $5.00 and it has the angle meter and instructions. It is nothing to sharpen it your self with the angle meter type rat tail file. Now just a plain rat tail file will be about $2.00 if your good at filing chain saw chains.
It being a 24'' chain and Bar , 20 cords of wood is a good amount without filing the chain or changing it.
TURTLE
You can tell the condition of the cutters by looking at them. You either dulled them, or caused their tops to be snapped off. (Could have damaged side-links, too.) Inspect carefully.
Now you know how much the worst cutter would have to be filed/ground back to cut again.
If it's a lot, you might want to have a shop do it, with grinder. Just so they don't overheat and distemper the steel. Then check the depth-gauges- they'll probably have to be filed down some.
Even if most of the cutters are ground away, that chain is good to have around, for when you have to cut some dirty wood. Much better than using new chain.
Do not use rat-tail file- must be constant diameter, like 5/32" or
7/32"; generally labeled as "chainsaw filexs." (Sorry, Turtle.)HTH, J
A new chain is cheap.
$30?! Do you buy your chains at some sort of boutique? You can get excellent 24" pre-made loops for $12.95 at Bailey's. Bars are pretty cheap there too in case yours is getting mushroomed.
I got tired of sharpening my own chains manually and didn't want to invest in even minimal power equipment for the job so I have my local shop do it but I believe their sharpening is about $5 (or at least low enough that I don't wince when the clerk holds his hand out). I generally own at least three loops at any given time and try to keep the two off the saw freshly sharpened since a lot of the wood I get is dirtier than I'd like. Not to mention finding an actual stone buried in the trunk of one tree...
I'm glad you cleared that up. It sounded like you cut 20 cords without sharpening. If you have sharpened it 20 times it should be nearly used up and sawing through a steel spoon would simply ended. Forget trying to sharpen it and get a new chain. BTW, a chain shouldn't cost $30, more like $12-16.
Cheaper than I would have thought
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