How to sharpen a chainsaw?

Sharpening your chainsaw is an essential part of maintaining the machine. It ensures that you can use your saw effectively and safely, and it prevents damage to the chain. Sharpening a chain involves removing burrs from the teeth of each cutter, then filing them into sharp points again. You should sharpen often enough so that you don’t have any burrs left on your cutters, but not so often that you wear them down too quickly—it’s best to check with an expert before doing this yourself! So let’s discuss how to sharpen a chainsaw:

Safety First

It is crucial to take safety precautions before you start sharpening your chainsaw. There are certain things that you need to always wear when using a chainsaw:

• Eye protection. This can be as simple as goggles or sunglasses, but more important than the type of eye protection is how well it fits on your face and how well-fitting it is for your eyes. You should also make sure that the eye protection has been tested and approved by an independent laboratory (in other words, not just at home) to ensure that they will protect your eyes from debris and flying objects while working with a chainsaw.
• Gloves and face mask. Gloves are necessary so that no part of your hand touches the blade while sharpening or cleaning it. A face mask should be worn in case debris gets thrown into the air during sharpening or cleaning time; if this happens, then you can breathe through the filter system contained within most masks made for these purposes

Inspect Your Chain

Regardless of what tool you’re sharpening, it’s important to check the chain for wear and rust. If there is any damage, it needs to be replaced before you can sharpen the chainsaw.

• Check for loose rivets and replace if necessary
• Check that there are no cracks in the chain or bushings (the bearings inside the bar). Also check that they’re not worn out from years of use. You may need to replace them if they are damaged.

Select the Right File Size

The first step to sharpening your chainsaw is to select the right file size. The file size will depend on the pitch and gauge of your chain. The best rule of thumb for determining which file size to use is to take between 1/8″ and 1/4″ off with each pass of the flat side of the file.

When selecting a file size, keep in mind that larger files are usually used for duller blades while smaller files are used for sharpening new ones. Also, if you have multiple chainsaws that require different types of maintenance and sharpening techniques, it may be worth investing in multiple sets of files so that you can easily switch between them as needed.

Rotate the Bar 180 Degrees

• Rotate the bar 180 degrees.
• This will ensure that you don’t miss a spot and leave it sharpened on one side only, which can cause uneven wear on cutters and make it difficult to start.
• Use a bar vise to hold the bar while you file.
• Make sure you don’t file any areas that aren’t supposed to be sharpened, such as where the guard is attached or where there are no teeth.

File the Cutters in Both Directions

To sharpen your chainsaw, you will need to file down both sides of the cutter. To do this, place yourself in a position where it is comfortable for you to hold the file and stand facing the saw blade so that you can see it clearly. Place the file at a 45 degree angle on one side of each cutter and slowly run it across until it is sharpened enough for you to use for cutting. Do not try to sharpen too much off at once because if you do not succeed in sharpening them quickly enough then they will only dull again within a few minutes!

Once this has been done successfully then repeat these steps with each side individually by placing them at different angles so as not to create any unevenness when they are used later down lines (this may cause slippage).

Sharpen with Steady Pressure

To get the best results, you want to sharpen with steady pressure.

• Don’t apply too much pressure. You want to make sure that you don’t press down too hard on your file or else it will lead to uneven grinding and more chances of damaging the chainsaw.
• Don’t apply too little pressure. On the other hand, if you don’t apply enough force when sharpening your chainsaw then it won’t get sharpened correctly and could potentially harm yourself or others around you because of this mistake!
• Don’t move the file back and forth while sharpening it as this may cause damage to both sides of where you are filing at any time during this process so just make sure that once one side has been filed smooth then stop using before moving onto another spot until such time as all sides have been done properly.”

Check the Depth Gauge and Remove All Burrs

You should make sure that the depth gauge is not bent and remove all burrs from the chain with a file. Use a file that is the same size as the cutter, because if it’s too big or small, you can damage your saw or cause it to heat up more than it should. You will want to file in both directions to remove all burrs

Sharpening your chain is essential to a well-maintained chainsaw.

You can sharpen your chain yourself at home or have one of our professional service providers come to you. Sharpening your chain will extend its life and there are several ways to go about doing this. You can use a file, an electric grinder, a chainsaw sharpener or bench grinder if you have access to one. Our chainsaws do not come with a manufacturer-supplied sharpening tool so it is extremely important that you perform regular maintenance on your saw’s cutting edge in order to keep it functioning properly and safely

Conclusion

Sharpening your chain is essential to a well-maintained chainsaw. It’s also a skill that you can learn with practice and patience. In this article, we’ve covered all the steps needed to sharpen your own chain and keep it in good shape so that it lasts longer than just one season!