Help! Correct chainsaw sharpening tools?

What I do ( not recommended for weekend warriors ) is take the rakers ( depth gauges ) down with a Dremel Moto Tool. WAY down. Then my saw is Super Agressive. But you take a chance doing this. It could

Certainly, I know how to finess this arrangement for maximum cut and rpms by now. My saw cuts like a skip chain, with only 36 cc displacement. And the chips fly. Into my face sometimes so I wear a face shield.

I mention now, I am *advanced* level woodcutter. Doing this kind of thing is not for beginner or even intermediate level. I do it because I cut BIG TREES that are double my bar length in diameter.

Lg

I know.

I got this idea from a fellow woodcutter in an arborist forum. Oh I

-used- to cut with all the training wheels on the bicycle, but after a while, that got old. Speaking of accidents waiting to happen, have you read about commercial woodchippers and people being pulled into them?

There isn't any PART of woodcutting that isn't dangerous. Have you read about people sawing off their fingers and hands with table saws ( radial arm and otherwise )? I know a fellow who lost 1/2 of his hand with a TABLE saw.

Maybe you should tell Norm Abrams to put the dang saw blade guard back on his. Watching him cut without one makes _me_ nervous.

Lg

remember from some where that 020 works for .325 chain, and 025 works for

Larger number makes for a much more agressive cut. Smaller depth number makes smaller chips and cuts slower. I personally use 025 for most everything.

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agreed

Yep

I only mention it for *academic reasons.* I also do NOT recommend this to anyone else, unless you are a REAL expert, not just an imaginary expert.

It is an amazing experience. Especially when there is a lot of wood to cut. Then again, nothing is worth risking Life & Limb over when it comes to cutting wood. But for those who ride the extreeme edge of the technology, it brings woodcutting with a chainsaw into an entirely new dimension.

There are people who do things with motorcycles that are also not recommended for the general riding public. I just mention it because of all the people sitting around with micrometers measuring their depth gauges. For THEM it is most likely a good idea. For you and I, free-falling is da bomb.

Lg

Sounds like you're wetting your panties to me.....

John

Sounds to me like it's not for any level.

Lawrence you sound like a walking accident waiting to happen.

Well being as this is a 32" bar and a Stihl 460 with *lots* of power, I think I will stay with the recommended .026 inch for now (found this toward back of my manual when I finished reading it today.)

The instructions also say the depth gauge can be lowered an additional .008 inch for cutting softwood in mild weather season - no frost.

So I guess the type of wood and outside temperature are factors?

If I were to lower the depth gauges (rakes) on this saw to nothing, and then attempt to buck a large diameter log, I can imagine myself hurtling through the forest with a quickness! :-) (I've had enough excitement for this week with broken tie rod ends, shoe strings, etc....)

I don't do that right out of the box, but the first time that I have to take down the depth gauges, I also take them way down. I think that depth gauges are set for maximum safety and not for cutting efficiency and make running the saw a more grueling task.

I love the feel of the "bite" after I take the DGs down. If the saw is running good and you have a sharp chain, it is a beautiful thing. It is a matter of holding the saw back, rather than trying to push it through.

NOTE: I also was a professional tree cutter, having had my own logging company. I do NOT recommend this to anyone else, either. Do not try this at home!

You don't meet many people that have done this and felt the power, so I just had to comment.

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Yep. It's a *legal liability* things with the saw manufacturers. They know damn well the saw is only running at 30% efficiency with the rakers up, but to cover their asses, they put these training wheels on the chain so people with *furrowed brows* don't chop their arms and legs off.

For people who know what they are doing, off come the training wheels and now you've got a REAL chainsaw, the way God intended it to be.

Lg

Most consumer chains have high rakers to minimize kickback. Customers with a furrow in their forehead are not happy customers. I sure wouldn't file down the rakers, then climb a ladder to prune trees with the saw. I have never had a problem with kickback, probably because I don't do much plunge cutting. If a log isn't laying right, I just use the loader on the tractor to move it.

A chipper chain cuts good if you have clean wood, but if you are cutting in a deck, a semi-chisel tooth will last longer. I let a neighbor yard across my property a while back, and he left me a big deck of firewood as a thank you. It was a nuisance keeping the chain sharp. In retrospect, I probably should have gone to a carbide tooth.

I remember when I first learned about this. I had been cutting logs for about 6 months. I had 5 chain saws and felt that I kept them running in top shape at all times. Yet my partner could outcut me by a factor of 3 to 1. Same size saw, bar, everything. I at first chalked it up to his experience and my inexperience. Then I borrowed one of his saws for a cut and could not believe the difference in cutting speed.

I immediately asked how his saw could cut so much faster than mine. He walked with me back to the set and pulled out my tool box. He found my depth gauge tool and asked me if I knew how to use it. I replied that I did. He said, "Let me show you how professionals use it" and threw it as far as he could into the woods. Then he took my flat file and filed down all the depth gauges. I have never gone back.

The rule that my friend uses is this: If you cut more than