If you are at all concerned about working through this process, remember you can easily take your chain to a qualified professional to the sharpening done for you. However, if you are going to do it yourself, here are some simple instructions to get your started. Remember to check the instructions for your particular model and make sure you follow them.

The first consideration when sharpening your chainsaw chain is to take all necessary safety precautions. This includes wearing safety glasses during all sharpening. Make sure your sharpener is securely fastened to a stable surface, and all the pieces are firmly connected.

After you have checked all your safety precautions you want to make sure your chain is securely attached to the sharpener. The way this is done will vary depending on sharpener model, but the key is to make sure it is securely attached no matter what model you are using.

Next you will turn on the machine. You will then lower the grinding stone toward the first tooth of your chain. Make sure you sharpen the tooth slowly and steadily. You want to have an even sharpness across the entire tooth. You can also get more refined sharpening on many models by tightening refining screws.

Once the first chain tooth is finished you will return the grinding wheel to it’s “idle” position. You will then loosen the chain and move the next tooth into sharpening position. A guide is provided to make sure you are sharpening your chain on the appropriate angle.

Go through and sharpen all the teeth angled to one direction first. It doesn’t matter whether they are the left or right angled teeth, but do all one direction at the same time.

Once you have finished all of the right or left angeled teeth go back and do all of the opposite angeled teeth. This is a time consuming process, but it is best to be methodical about it. You do not want to miss teeth, or find some are sharper than others. This will make your cutting more difficult and in fact, more dangerous.

You may be able to find attachments that will help to automate the teeth feeding process, making it go a little more quickly. Whether these attachments are available will depend on what model chain saw sharpener you are using.

Your chainsaw chain is made of cutters.  These are the teeth that cut away at the wood.  These cutters are covered with a thin but strong coat of industrial chrome.  Your cutters would stay sharp forever if they were always used on clean wood.  However, it is rarely possible to only use your saw on clean wood.  Wood is often dirty, or has been knocked to the ground.  If it is on the ground it is difficult to use the saw in a way that avoids dirt and other foreign substances.  As quickly as the chain rotates it doesn’t take much to dull your chain.  To maintain the quality of your chain it is a good idea to try to brush off the wood you are getting ready to cut.  Get it as clear of debrit and dirt as possible.  This can save you a lot of time in the long run.

Here are some signs that tell you it’s time to get out the chain saw sharpener:

• The chain is no longer self feeding. This is the most obvious signal you need to sharpen you chain. A properly sharpened saw chain pulls itself down through the cut. If you find yourself pushing on the saw to make it cut, or using the bucking spikes to apply heavy leverage, it’s time to sharpen the chain.
• A change in the expelled wood. A chain saw that is properly sharpened puts out nice, square wood chips. If your chain saw is producing wood dust instead of chips, it’s time to sharpen.
• When the chain looks shiny. Look at the top plate and side plate. If the chrome plating has worn away, it will expose the steel underneath, and the cutting edge will be shiny. To restore the cutting edge, you must file the steel away until a thin overhang of chrome returns.

It’s important to stop cutting as soon as you identify your chain is dull. Making a dull chain continue to cut places undue ware and tear on all the parts of your saw, not just the chain.  It has been shown that dull or improperly maintained saw chains are the real source of most bar-related failures.

Dull chains also wear out the operators, they cause fatigue, frustration and can impair judgment. This is a huge safety hazard and and the cause of many chain saw accidents. It is best when you realize your chain is dull to stop cutting, and get your saw to a chain saw sharpener.

So how do you sharpen a dull chain saw? With a chain saw sharpener of course!

What is a Chain Saw Sharpener?

A chain saw sharpener is an machine that sharpens the individual teeth of your chainsaw.  They come in a variety of styles from hand held files, attachments for a dremel, to a self contained unit that attaches to a workbench.

There are two basic parts to this sharpening machine, something that holds on to the chain, and the part that sharpens it.  These parts will differ depending on which model or type of chain saw sharpener you own. Some have small grinding bits and others have full grinding wheels.

There are variations of grinding wheels and they are proportionate to the size of the chain teeth on the chain of the chain saw. When the chain, which is held in place by a securing lever, is ready to be sharpened the grinding wheel is lowered using a lever. If you are using a dremel tip it will not be secured in such a way but a piece is provided to keep the angle you are sharpening correct.

So basically on a little bit larger scale it is the same process you see any good chef go through with a knife. You grind the teeth of the chain back to a point using a grinding wheel. A chain saw being a little larger than a chef’s knife it is mounted and run by electricity, but the idea is the same.

There are a couple chain saw artists in my area.  I think it is amazing how they turn a big ugly tree stump into an amazing work of art.  I also got to see a chain saw artist at work when we vacationed in Colorado.  The artist specialized in bears.  He made bears large and small out of logs.  Some were small enough to hold or sit on a table and some were more than 6 feet tall.  A perfect greeting for visitors at your front porch.

So what does it take to be a chain saw artist? It takes time. This is not a skill just anyone can pick up.  You are using a chainsaw which is by its very nature a relatively dangerous tool.

The chainsaws used by a chain saw artist are  different than the ones you may use to chop down branches in your yard, left by the latest storm.  They generally use a smaller saw for the detail of the pieces where it is more likely to get pinched in  the cut.  Just because they use a smaller saw does not mean the possible injuries are any smaller.

Kickback is typically the biggest cause of chainsaw accidents,. Kickback occurs when the chain gets pinched during a cut. It also happens when the tip comes in contact with an object, even if it is the log being cut. With chain saw art, the tip plays a huge role in carving and opens the door for huge accident potential.

Proper lubrication is imperative to keep the chain from over heating and binding into the wood while making the intricate cuts required for chain saw art. Using the right size chain is also important and some of many chain saw artists often change the chain often during one project.

No matter what you are using your chainsaw for, one of the best safety tips you can use is to make sure you are using a sharp chain for your saw.  A chain saw sharpener is your best bet for keeping your chain sharp, whether you do it yourself, or pay someone else to do it.

If you want to try your hand at chain saw art, don’t go it alone. Find another artist who you can apprentice with.  This will allow you to learn all the tips and tricks of the artform, as well as keep you as safe as possible.