Thread: Cut vs split firewood

Originally Posted by 308

The little sharpening tools that go over the bar like a cradle with a roller on either side I have found to be really good for getting a decent edge - they have a swing-out plate on the bottom that works for filing down the raker teeth
The only good trick that I can add is to paint one of the teeth with a black felt tip pen so you know when you've gone around completely

I've seen those but never tried one. Always looked like a bit of a better mouse trap - and what I'm doing now works so I never ended up tracking one down to try... A lot of chains have two teeth the same side at the join - that's always a good marker place but if you don't have that the marker pen works. I've got a couple of older chains that suffered strikes which busted a tooth - off with it's head and a one-tooth-off skip chain (still ok for crappy jobs). That works as a marking point too!

One thing I did that's absolute gold is I knocked up a tensioner that bolts to the bar and means I can tension the chain for sharpening without having the powerhead hanging in the way. It's really quite surprising how much easier and quicker it is to file a chain without the powerhead stuffing you up. And it's simple to turn the bar in the vice so you are filing the same way just the other angle - sooo much easier...