OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Tech Talk Electric Chainsaw Sharpeners

I started off using a chainsaw file, but found it way too slow, and it didn't help for "jointing", the process of lowering the depth-of-cut bars in between the teeth. The teeth slope downward, so as you sharpen them back you have to joint the chain regularly or you end up with less and less depth of cut.

I soon switched to using a portable (12 Volt hand-held) sharpener, which was quick and easy to use, and kept my saws in good condition. I did a quick touch-up sharpen each time I used the saw. That wasn't because I'm a perfectionist, it was learned the hard way as the only practical solution. When I didn't keep the chain totally sharp, it needed more pressure to keep cutting, and the extra pressure plus the rounded leading edge on each tooth caused the chrome plating to strip back on the leading edge of each cutting tooth. That meant when I did sharpen it, I had to remove a large amount of each tooth, and joint it as well. (If you don't have chrome right to the edge of each tooth, it cuts about as feebly as a hand saw after just a few seconds' use). If I spent about 5 minutes touching it up after each use (typically one or two tanks of fuel) I almost never had to joint the chain, it was always sharp, and it really stacked up the sawdust around my boots whenever I used it.

The only problem I've ever found with the little 12 Volt sharpener is getting the special grinding wheels for it (tiny wheels of exactly the right diameter to suit each size of blade, that screw into the grinder's output shaft). They used to be available everywhere for under a dollar each, but these days they seem to be rare and priced accordingly.