Using A Chainsaw Sharpener

After years of constant use a chainsaw blade is going to get dull. This is going to have an adverse effect on how effective the chainsaw is going to be at cutting through what you need it to cut. Thankfully, there are chainsaw sharpeners that be used to make once great chainsaws cut like they are brand new.

You should be clear about something before you try and sharpen your chainsaw yourself - it can be a dangerous undertaking if you don't know what you are doing. These power tools are not toys and should be treated with the utmost care when you services them - just like when you operate and clean them. A false move can cause serious injury and should be avoided with simple safety precautions.

For those that feel like they are not in a position to do the sharpening themselves, you can always take your saw to someone who has lots of experience doing this maintenance task. They will do all that you need to get done, for a fee of course. But taking it to someone else may save you some time and some heart ache, but it is also going to prevent your from getting the satisfaction of being able to sharpen your own chainsaw all by yourself.

1. Become very familiar with your sharpener's mode of operation and with your chainsaw chain - You simply have to know how all the things work together and how your chain is going to fit back on your saw once it has been sharpened. If you have any doubt about anything, go over the manual a few more time until you are certain that you understand the entire process from start to finish.

2. Get your safety gear ready - As mentioned before, sharpening your chainsaw blade can be dangerous. Ensure that you are wearing appropriate safety goggles and that your chainsaw is in a stable, locked down position. If your saw can wobble and wiggle while you are sharpening it you might want to stop and secure your saw first before continuing. You are also going to need some good gloves to protect your hands from the chain.

These are the first two steps to all methods for chainsaw sharpening. The process is going to diverge here a little depending on whether or not you are using a hand sharpener, which resembles a file, or a machine sharpener, which looks something a like a drill press.

Below is a great video instruction on how to use a hand file chainsaw sharpener. Take a second and watch it below:

(The video appears to be from the UK and does use some words that might be strange to American readers - like petrol - but the information is rather solid.)

If you have a lot of chainsaws to sharpen or you are constantly doing it then you might want to get a motorized sharpener. After you take care of all your safety precautions as outlined above you are ready to begin the sharpening process.

Now turn on the machine, lowering the grinding stone (that spinning thing on your sharpener). You will want to make slowly, steady movements toward the chainsaw tooth and make sure that you use even pressure over the surface of the entire tooth.

After completing the sharpening of on tooth you will want to return the wheel to the upright, idle position. Now loosen the chain from the sharpeners grip and slide the next tooth into place. Most models are going to have a guide that will get your next tooth into proper alignment for proper sharpening.

Once all the teeth are sharpened that are angled in one direction you can begin to sharpen the teeth that are angled int he next direction. You will follow the same procedure, and in the end you will have a nice, sharp chainsaw chain.

Having a sharp chain is important for those who use their saw regularly or who want to cut efficiently and effectively. Sharpening your chain yourself is certainly doable, but you need to be aware of all the safety precautions before undertaking this type of activity. You do not want to injure yourself or someone else while using your chainsaw sharpener.