why is it that every time someone tries to show other people what they have learned and what works for them makes some of the people they are helping act so negative?? I love it when people with more experience than me show what they have learned. Keep up the helpful videos, thanks!
I don’t know the answer to that, but your comment was well said. I think it’s better to try to learn things from people than to try to tell them how they are wrong.
Glean from all information what you can use. Not everything is for every person. I bet more have been helped from this channel being in existence than not. 👍🏻
I've been running chainsaw for over 65 years and I've never used a raker gauge what I found works for me is about every third or fourth sharpening of the teeth I'll take three swipes off of rakers another thing if you get them to low you run the risk of breaking the crankshaft in the Saw
Some of us have to have the proper tools to do it right. Some experience folks don't. But the explanation of method was good. Occasionally someone will post a how to that causes a problem (like the how to I watched on CV axle removal on 1998 Camry where the guy cut the inner stub shaft because it supposedly makes it easier to remove, but destroys the $75 core) and comments are needed. I prefer constructive criticism (the analysis and judgment of the merits and faults).
You sir are a journeyman of a craft! I was going to to a conventional raker filing and I thought I would look. When I was 20 I met a guy that would angle his cutter sharpening for the wood he cut. That is a person that has fine tuned his craft like you. Thanks much.
Hey Keyboard Warrior here and dag nabbit i learned a little somethin today. I dont need no got dang Raker Gauge...35 years the gauge is built in my eye balls! Thanks for the great video Sir
I've never heard an old timer (not that you're old 😂), say the only way to file stops is with a gauge. The great fallers of the northwest dont use gauges everytime they needed to take some rakers down, they just take em down. Using the file across the top of the teeth was the "raker gauge" I was taught too. Thanks for the video.
Excellent video! I have been doing the same for many years, I do use a flat file though as I find that easier to control, as you say here,. The small wood rest is brilliant! The rakers set as standard are a little to fine if you have an over 70 cc engine. Many thanks for posting this one! Chris B.
As an old school timber faller when your rakers start to look a little shiny means they need lowering I find for general use four strokes across the top flat and one to round the leading corner Works for me in big hardwood
Just a couple things I learned over the years dealing with loggers in the dealership. One veteran told me he found that if you don’t take the rakers down you are tired at the end of the day. He would take is down to the thickness of a dime. Then there was the time a logger came in and said the 100 ft roll of chain we had sold him was no good. Then he showed me how the bottom of the tie straps were worn excessively, and they were. I called the chain distributor and explained what we had going on. He asked if the rakers were lowered excessively, and they were. He said that is why you have excessive wear, and it was. Goes to show a little is good and too much is not good.
Great video! I have been doing rakers in a similar fashion for years. Like you said, you can dial in the chain for what the saw and the operator likes the best.
Worked as a feller/ skidded operator for 10years. Ran my own logging company for 10 years. I learned from all the old guys when I started out. Free hand sharpening is what was taught to me. I remember one guy saying “you come with a gauge, and pointed at his eye” Lol. ( but they are a good reference when starting out) You get a feel for it after a while, and what your preferences on raker height are ( one guy used to take his right off lol, I don’t recommend this though). Although raker height is important, learning to properly file to a sharp cutting edge, and the correct angles is where you should invest your time. ( cool note, on some of the stihl chains the angle is marked on top of the teeth, nice feature, (I haven’t seen this in Oregon chains though). But yea the guides are not necessary after you learn a to sharpen.
I learned to square file on teeth that didn’t have the angles marked. After I switched to Stihl chain a few years ago, all the square ground chain I have used has those guides. Like you say, it’s a nice feature, good to know how to do it without though.
Well I did learn 3 things from you today......the block of wood I hadn't thought of before... angling the file...I've always thought it was a full file when I got that squeak...and rounding off the front edge makes sense....cheers
Yes sir if my saw doesnt cut aggressively enough for my liking i hit them with 6 or 8 strokes with a file. Repeat as necessary until it cuts as desired. Your videos are outstanding sir thank you for the great information.
Great video mate. New to cutting and was always a bit reluctant to cut rakers down too much. Love your honesty and Im definitely not one to have a cry if I make a choice and it doesn't go so well. Nice short mate!
Thank You I don't know everything and I'm 58 and still learning I know a lot of things and have done a lot of things in my life just not cut a lot of wood and I'm feeding my wood heater and I want my saw to cut at it's maximum performance.
Excellent. I do mine by hand. Trial and error. I’ve taken a bit too much off my rakers for my smaller saw and it bites a little too much. No problem just back the saw out of the cut a little bit and pin the throttle. Next chain I’ll be less aggressive. Until then I’ll cut many trees.
Yes sir same way here cut firewood my whole life. Use a flat file though usually between 5 to 10 Strokes. If the rakers get too low the chain bounces if the rakers get too high you get small fine chips and have to push hard to get the chain to bite
Thank goodness you're in the PNW where you "rarely" see rain... I like the file across the top technique, I wondered how to keep the raker depth even if you chose to go lower than the raker gauge allowed.
This winter rain has been rare here. California has been taking most of it. It wasn’t until the last three weeks they started sharing a little bit of it with us.
I have a similar approach using a flat edge to span tooth to tooth and eyeballing the drop to the top of the rakers. I’m a machinist by trade which helps with this quick and dirty method of getting them close. You definitely run yours low! No way I could get away with that out here, even with square ground chain. MAYBE cutting white pine but definitely not oak or hickory 😂
Hi! A lot of truth in your video, as you say, the manufacturers recommend what the depth should be, but in some cases, this will not fit some people's work, like in my case, I have small 25cc chainsaws with 25cm bar, and using them for cutting very small branches of olive oil trees, by make the depth gauge at 1-1,25 mm it makes the job really faster and much easier with the chainsaw not be tired because I cut only very small branches of not hard wood to cut, again, great video!
I have always hand filed my rakers(Funny term since that is a term for a west coast pattern saw tooth) A good sharp file cuts even enough that you will never feel the variation. I don’t actually know how low I run my rakers, never checked, just went by feel. Dead wood (firewood )likes a lot more aggressive chain. Unless you are a very experienced pro keep them on the conservative side, not getting injured is much more important than cutting fast. Changing your chain every 15-30 minutes will get you better production & less fatigue than filing your rakers too low. Most of the “file your rakers off” comes from ignorance. Old school chainsaws reved a lot lower but had massive torque, modern ones run 13-15,000 rpm and rely on chain speed more than an aggressive chain.
Change your chain every 15 minutes? You can't be serious. I'm doing this for a living full time, changing my chain so much would get me fired it just not right.
I do not like sharpening in the field, so I have several chains in rotation and I swap them out as needed, then sharpen them on the bench with an electric sharpener. For the rakers (I use the term “depth gauges’) I set the sharpener at 0° and adjust the stop for the height I want them at, and pull the gauge under the blade. This gives every gauge on the chain the exact same height. I do that before sharpening the chisels, so if I pull a little far and kiss a tooth, it is corrected during sharpening. Also by using the electric sharpener, every tooth is ground to the same profile. Also, by swapping chains regularly, I can clean out buildup under the cover and around the oil port more often. Not saying this is the correct way, but it is the way I do it 😁👍
I have no soft woods to cut here and your chain would be pretty aggressive in oak, cherry, and such; but I get it. I really like the idea of using that piece of wood as cutter protection!
I call them stops too. I cut the stops with my right angle grinder now. Years ago I was doing it with a file by eye. Never had issues and always cut fast and straight.
@@WilsonForestLands It was more out of necessity but turned out to be my preferred method. I’m also using a die grinder on slow speed to sharpen the teeth. I can get it done pretty fast that way. BTW I like the idea of chisel cutting the teeth I’m going to have to try that someday. Thanks for sharing your knowledge👍🏻
Thanks. I'm going to try this. I have a fairly new cheap saw (Troy-built). It cut good until I got it in the dirt trying to cut saplings to the ground. The first several times I sharpened the chain it cut good again. Now after cutting just a shallow depth it acts like the chain is dull. I'm suspicious that the factory chain allows for a very shallow depth though I've likely just used this saw about 5 hours. I've had this happen before with other inexpensive saws. New chains fix the problem. I'm determined to figure out, this time, how to maintain the saw and chain personally so I don't have to buy a new chain or have it professionally sharpened.
I have 2 chains, one with low rakers for going through softwood like butter, and another with "normal" height rakers for when I come accross some hardwood... :)
I'd do this when I have no gauge but it is only for emergencies. SO it is good and it does work. I would otherwise always use a gauge. Once I have used the gauge, I then do 2 quick swipes on every raker to suit me and create a slightly more aggressive cut but only for my bigger saws. On my smaller saws where kick back can be an issue with faster running speeds, I stick to the gauge depth.
Interesting. I use an old stihl guide that is actually the wrong size so it makes them lower. I just use it for a rough guide-I actually file freehand because I like to use a bigger file for a more aggressive cut so I'm not all day at it. Like you I run skip chain, so I have room for the bigger file. Always like to see how others do things.
5:10 so i see you remove raker completely, then normal raker, after that no raker. my saw cut really slow despite having sharp tooth, do i need to remove rakers like you did?
Not love/hate weather, for me it's patience & wait in N.W. OR. Been cutting firewood for 32+ years. Only source of heat and I have some trees and Electricity it way too expensive where I live. I do rakers similar and gauge by flats looking at the tops, and not quite as deep as ours. Used to use skip chain, but bought new MS362. It came with full comp chain and it cuts faster and straighter. I use square chain, but round file. Wish I new how to square file.
As an ambidextrous filer I use the 80/20 rule and don't aim to take every last nick out of the every tooth, I take light strokes, usually 4 or 5 and get back to work. Raker adjustment needed less frequently. I don't have much real hard wood so I like my chain pretty grabby, does more of the work for you. Slightly more dangerous for the inexperienced though.
Years ago when I first started filing my saw chains to destruction while learning the right technique I made the mistake of believing in the raker depth gauge. Once I cured myself of that folly and filed my rakers much the same way you do my saw started cutting again and everything fell into place.
I'm from southwest Virginia. I grew up hearing the depth gauges called drag teeth or drags for short, the term raker always bothered me (idk why...) but I've never heard them called stops, I guess the term raker is functionally incorrect is why it bothers me. But I suppose drags and stops both get a pass as being functionally descriptive terminology, and while i don't agree with freehanding the depth gauges because they are there to maximize performance if maintained correctly, I did learn something new from your content so thanks for your efforts sir.
Thank you for your comment. That is a good example of a way to respectfully disagree with someone. A lot of commenters could learn a lot from it. I learned something too from making this video. Someone else in the comments said the term rakers comes from the old cross cut saws, misery whips. Some of the teeth were called rakers because they rake out the sawdust. After hearing that, the term raker makes more sense to me.
@WilsonForestLands Yes sir, I believe that they told you correctly about rakers, however I don't think that the depth gauges of a chain serve in that purpose, at least not as their primary function. The reason I say that one should use a depth gauge adjustment tool is so if you have unequal length cutters weather it be from chain damage or even less than stellar filing technique, using the tool ensures that each tooth removes the same amount of material as all the other teeth on the chain ensuring that the chain will cut at its highest possible potential, as smooth, straight and fast as it can. If the common adjustment tools (Hard/Soft settings) don't satisfy your needs, look into the west coast saws file plate. It offers more depth settings to customize your chain to your liking.... Thanks for your kind words. I believe that intellectual discussion is the foundation of growth, that way even if you don't agree with someone's position on a topic at least you understand the basis of their arguments, simply saying "Your wrong, your way is stupid" shuts down dialog and no one learns anything. Hopefully, eventually, people will mature enough to realize this and we will start moving forward as a society once more...Utill then pal, keep up the good work someone has to be the example!
“I’m going to turn you into a FLEW!” 😂 Not sure why that was so funny, but I found it so. Seriously though, I’m amazed how low you westcoasters can run the rakers. That said, I’ve learned I can drop mine lower than I thought, but that low I wouldn’t even be able to get it to pull, let alone smoothly. I envy your fir, cedar and hemlock. Thanks
Guess chain manufacturers makes their recommendations and gauges based on lots of testing to find reasonable efficiency for a range of saw power, wood hardness, temperature, wood humidity and kick back risk. So you are not wrong using gauges. But if you know what work you're doing you can file for better performance. Cutting down and cutting off branches differs a bit so you have to find a filing that works decent for both.
Been cutting and selling firewood for 40+ years now and I didn’t even know what a raker guage was until I got on TH-cam a few years back. My chainsaw sharpening must be pretty good though as people from all over pay me to sharpen their chains.
I'm gonna turn you into a flew, shirley your audience is too overwhelmed to have not caught that. I've filed rakers by eye/hand for 47 years and totally agree with your method. love your humor
Enjoy your video’s ! But I would greatly appreciate if you would get going on that converting a shipping container to a kiln video !! Loved that camper one btw !!
Thanks Chris. I was hoping to get that video recorded this morning before the rains came this afternoon, but they came early. I am hoping to get that one recorded this week.
Likewise, I file rakers freehand but I do it with a flat file before I sharpen so I don’t risk knocking the point off the working corner. Usually a couple of strokes on each with the last one angled slightly to round the leading edge. There is no science to it, I do this every second or third sharpen and just remember how a chain is cutting. I think the actual height of the depth gauge is less important than making sure they are all even. If one or two rakers are significantly lower than the rest the chance of kickback is higher as it creates a single point of extra bite.
So, asking for a friend, how do you work out how much cutting tooth you have to grind off when you file your depth gauges too low and it feels like you're riding a push bike along a railway track when cutting! (No I'm not insulating that would be the result of your technique, just trying to fix "my friends" stuff up...)
I think myself has a so-called safety chain because the rakers are L shaped at a 90° angle. I'm trying to grind them down a little bit because I've noticed that the chain became a lot less effective after the sixth or seventh sharpening. I managed to take a millimeter off of the rakers And I'm anxious to try the soap soon.
@@WilsonForestLands I'm pleased to report that filing down those rakers turned the chain into an efficient, even slightly aggressive cutter. I reduced by over 90% the time it takes to cut through a 24" red oak log. Before I filed them, it was cutting like a dull chain, making fine sawdust. Now it's making coarse sawdust and the saw pulls itself through the log --I need not put downward pressure on it anymore.
I don't mind being a nice/whitty keyboard warrior.. 🤣👍 As for filling go's i have been doing it by hand for a few years now and i am getting better at it.. as for the rakers go i go 4 strokes and i have been comfortable with it so far..
The nice/witty ones I wouldn’t call keyboard warriors. They are different, they add value to the videos that they watch. The warriors just try to tear them down. But sometimes the keyboard warriors do provide content for me to poke fun of them. Maybe that makes me a video warrior?
I am pretty inexperienced but I was able to sharpen my saw kind of the same first I roughly, sharpen the teeth then went to use it and it started drifting to the right in the cut then I filed the teeth on the left side and shortened the rakers a bit on the right side now it cuts like a dream I used a flat file for my rakers thank you
Keyboard warrior here 😂 Where you get the wooden things it doesn’t look proper. And by the way I don’t know if you noticed or not but your chain probably don’t need to be sharpened…. your chain bar is upside down .. running the chain in the wrong direction Making it seem like it’s daw ..😂😂 Anywho thanks for sharing
I used to use a piece of wood too…but it’s way back in my garage somewhere so I just use a beer can. I used to use my flat file too, that’s packed away somewhere in my shed so I used a rock. Beer can and a rock will make your saw work great! Tools are for fools. 😆👍
That’s just some of my own trickery. The part where I turned the bar over was supposed to be part of the video. But then when I went back to edit it, that part was rubbish so I just cut it out. I wondered how many people would notice.
sooo…..if you do the “check” and their too low, now what do you do??? Use a gauge!! Modify the gauge so it sets the depth gauges to your preference AND they will be consistent.
@@WilsonForestLands Ah the British, they have a way of making the most mundane terms sound more sophisticated. Excuse me as need to dash down to the chemist to procure my medication 😂 love it!
Gauge. Gauge Gauge Gauge. It's not 'a' way to spell it or 'one' way to spell it, it's the only way to spell it. and don't get me started on the magical reversing chainsaw bar between 3:32 and 3:33. Have a nice day!
Thank you for the correction. I wondered if anybody would notice the bar reverse. I took out the part of the video where I suggested this was a good time to reverse the bar. While editing that part I realized the wording was even worse than my spelling.
Never used a Gauge. If you can count 8 you can do it, But I've never done more then 8 usually only two to four strokes. The only thing when they file a saw always wear their gloves! when I started out I didn't wear my gloves one time and cut myself real bad..👍
Those that push off honest feedback put themselves in the place of not being corrected and staying in error or less full in regards to knowledge. Happy to let you stay where you obviously want to be.
I'm trying to come up with a keyboard warrior comment but coming up blank, perhaps someone else more creative will jump in 😆 I take the easy no thinking way out and use the Stihl thing (I dont recall what they call it) that files the tooth and gauge/raker at the same time.
I had an idea one of you guys would come up with a keyboard warrior comment for me. It wouldn’t be like I didn’t walk myself into it. It will probably be MSD Steve.
Is the moral of the story: When a friend wants to borrow your saw, you should equip him with a chain that has no rakers at all. That way you can be sure he will bring the saw right back
That’s the smart way to do it but I don’t let them piss me off. Sometimes I like to have a little fun with them and use them for material. But what you say is probably best.
@@WilsonForestLands how long has this been going on and why didn't anyone tell me? Apparently there's also this strange contraption that shows you the"right"angle to hold a round file at 😳 and then there's another that round files and takes the rakers down simultaneously! What else have they been hiding?! Fuel premixed at a precise ratio that's "guaranteed" to make my saw run better? Saws running on big rechargeable batteries? Precut, dried lumber that's already surfaced? Sorry, got myself a little worked up there. I'm going to go shovel some snow to calm down. Let me guess, they make something for that now too? 😅
You disarmed the key board warriors directly.Love it.👍👍👍👍👍
why is it that every time someone tries to show other people what they have learned and what works for them makes some of the people they are helping act so negative?? I love it when people with more experience than me show what they have learned. Keep up the helpful videos, thanks!
I don’t know the answer to that, but your comment was well said. I think it’s better to try to learn things from people than to try to tell them how they are wrong.
Glean from all information what you can use. Not everything is for every person. I bet more have been helped from this channel being in existence than not. 👍🏻
I've been running chainsaw for over 65 years and I've never used a raker gauge what I found works for me is about every third or fourth sharpening of the teeth I'll take three swipes off of rakers another thing if you get them to low you run the risk of breaking the crankshaft in the Saw
Some of us have to have the proper tools to do it right. Some experience folks don't. But the explanation of method was good. Occasionally someone will post a how to that causes a problem (like the how to I watched on CV axle removal on 1998 Camry where the guy cut the inner stub shaft because it supposedly makes it easier to remove, but destroys the $75 core) and comments are needed. I prefer constructive criticism (the analysis and judgment of the merits and faults).
Very informative, well explained, just ignore the ones who simply don't understand the difference 😊
You sir are a journeyman of a craft! I was going to to a conventional raker filing and I thought I would look. When I was 20 I met a guy that would angle his cutter sharpening for the wood he cut. That is a person that has fine tuned his craft like you. Thanks much.
Thank you for the comment. Kind of you to say.
Hey Keyboard Warrior here and dag nabbit i learned a little somethin today. I dont need no got dang Raker Gauge...35 years the gauge is built in my eye balls! Thanks for the great video Sir
I've never heard an old timer (not that you're old 😂), say the only way to file stops is with a gauge. The great fallers of the northwest dont use gauges everytime they needed to take some rakers down, they just take em down. Using the file across the top of the teeth was the "raker gauge" I was taught too. Thanks for the video.
I appreciate you qualifying the old timer part. 😁 One thing I have heard old timers say, “there’s always more than one way to skin a cat.”
Wilson, the chainsaw whisperer!
That has a little ring to it. I have certainly been called worse things than that.
Excellent video! I have been doing the same for many years, I do use a flat file though as I find that easier to control, as you say here,. The small wood rest is brilliant! The rakers set as standard are a little to fine if you have an over 70 cc engine. Many thanks for posting this one! Chris B.
As an old school timber faller when your rakers start to look a little shiny means they need lowering
I find for general use four strokes across the top flat and one to round the leading corner
Works for me in big hardwood
Just a couple things I learned over the years dealing with loggers in the dealership. One veteran told me he found that if you don’t take the rakers down you are tired at the end of the day. He would take is down to the thickness of a dime. Then there was the time a logger came in and said the 100 ft roll of chain we had sold him was no good. Then he showed me how the bottom of the tie straps were worn excessively, and they were. I called the chain distributor and explained what we had going on. He asked if the rakers were lowered excessively, and they were. He said that is why you have excessive wear, and it was. Goes to show a little is good and too much is not good.
Great video! I have been doing rakers in a similar fashion for years. Like you said, you can dial in the chain for what the saw and the operator likes the best.
Thanks, it’s good to know there are others who do it the same way.
Worked as a feller/ skidded operator for 10years. Ran my own logging company for 10 years. I learned from all the old guys when I started out. Free hand sharpening is what was taught to me. I remember one guy saying “you come with a gauge, and pointed at his eye” Lol. ( but they are a good reference when starting out)
You get a feel for it after a while, and what your preferences on raker height are ( one guy used to take his right off lol, I don’t recommend this though). Although raker height is important, learning to properly file to a sharp cutting edge, and the correct angles is where you should invest your time. ( cool note, on some of the stihl chains the angle is marked on top of the teeth, nice feature, (I haven’t seen this in Oregon chains though). But yea the guides are not necessary after you learn a to sharpen.
I learned to square file on teeth that didn’t have the angles marked. After I switched to Stihl chain a few years ago, all the square ground chain I have used has those guides. Like you say, it’s a nice feature, good to know how to do it without though.
"Flew" - that was good! :)
I like this mans attitude. No one sense get it done by know how.
Well I did learn 3 things from you today......the block of wood I hadn't thought of before... angling the file...I've always thought it was a full file when I got that squeak...and rounding off the front edge makes sense....cheers
I am glad somebody got something out of it.
Yes sir if my saw doesnt cut aggressively enough for my liking i hit them with 6 or 8 strokes with a file. Repeat as necessary until it cuts as desired. Your videos are outstanding sir thank you for the great information.
Great video mate.
New to cutting and was always a bit reluctant to cut rakers down too much.
Love your honesty and Im definitely not one to have a cry if I make a choice and it doesn't go so well. Nice short mate!
Thank You I don't know everything and I'm 58 and still learning I know a lot of things and have done a lot of things in my life just not cut a lot of wood and I'm feeding my wood heater and I want my saw to cut at it's maximum performance.
Great video! I like your idea better! I am going to give it a shot! It is time for my rakers to be raked anyway!
Excellent. I do mine by hand. Trial and error. I’ve taken a bit too much off my rakers for my smaller saw and it bites a little too much. No problem just back the saw out of the cut a little bit and pin the throttle.
Next chain I’ll be less aggressive. Until then I’ll cut many trees.
Me too,I don’t know what I was thinking when I filed those rakers so much.I’m cutting dry hard gum and it’s slow going.😄
Yes sir same way here cut firewood my whole life. Use a flat file though usually between 5 to 10 Strokes. If the rakers get too low the chain bounces if the rakers get too high you get small fine chips and have to push hard to get the chain to bite
Thank goodness you're in the PNW where you "rarely" see rain... I like the file across the top technique, I wondered how to keep the raker depth even if you chose to go lower than the raker gauge allowed.
This winter rain has been rare here. California has been taking most of it. It wasn’t until the last three weeks they started sharing a little bit of it with us.
I have a similar approach using a flat edge to span tooth to tooth and eyeballing the drop to the top of the rakers. I’m a machinist by trade which helps with this quick and dirty method of getting them close. You definitely run yours low! No way I could get away with that out here, even with square ground chain. MAYBE cutting white pine but definitely not oak or hickory 😂
Your method is much like Lou Sauzedde’s over on the Tips From A Shipwright channel. Lou is a pragmatic man much like you.
Hi! A lot of truth in your video, as you say, the manufacturers recommend what the depth should be, but in some cases, this will not fit some people's work, like in my case, I have small 25cc chainsaws with 25cm bar, and using them for cutting very small branches of olive oil trees, by make the depth gauge at 1-1,25 mm it makes the job really faster and much easier with the chainsaw not be tired because I cut only very small branches of not hard wood to cut, again, great video!
I have always hand filed my rakers(Funny term since that is a term for a west coast pattern saw tooth)
A good sharp file cuts even enough that you will never feel the variation.
I don’t actually know how low I run my rakers, never checked, just went by feel.
Dead wood (firewood )likes a lot more aggressive chain.
Unless you are a very experienced pro keep them on the conservative side, not getting injured is much more important than cutting fast.
Changing your chain every 15-30 minutes will get you better production & less fatigue than filing your rakers too low.
Most of the “file your rakers off” comes from ignorance.
Old school chainsaws reved a lot lower but had massive torque, modern ones run 13-15,000 rpm and rely on chain speed more than an aggressive chain.
Thanks for the comment, a lot of good tips there.
Change your chain every 15 minutes? You can't be serious. I'm doing this for a living full time, changing my chain so much would get me fired it just not right.
I do not like sharpening in the field, so I have several chains in rotation and I swap them out as needed, then sharpen them on the bench with an electric sharpener. For the rakers (I use the term “depth gauges’) I set the sharpener at 0° and adjust the stop for the height I want them at, and pull the gauge under the blade. This gives every gauge on the chain the exact same height. I do that before sharpening the chisels, so if I pull a little far and kiss a tooth, it is corrected during sharpening. Also by using the electric sharpener, every tooth is ground to the same profile.
Also, by swapping chains regularly, I can clean out buildup under the cover and around the oil port more often.
Not saying this is the correct way, but it is the way I do it 😁👍
I have no soft woods to cut here and your chain would be pretty aggressive in oak, cherry, and such; but I get it. I really like the idea of using that piece of wood as cutter protection!
I call them stops too. I cut the stops with my right angle grinder now. Years ago I was doing it with a file by eye. Never had issues and always cut fast and straight.
A grinder would definitely make it easier.
@@WilsonForestLands It was more out of necessity but turned out to be my preferred method. I’m also using a die grinder on slow speed to sharpen the teeth. I can get it done pretty fast that way. BTW I like the idea of chisel cutting the teeth I’m going to have to try that someday. Thanks for sharing your knowledge👍🏻
Thanks. I'm going to try this. I have a fairly new cheap saw (Troy-built). It cut good until I got it in the dirt trying to cut saplings to the ground. The first several times I sharpened the chain it cut good again. Now after cutting just a shallow depth it acts like the chain is dull.
I'm suspicious that the factory chain allows for a very shallow depth though I've likely just used this saw about 5 hours. I've had this happen before with other inexpensive saws. New chains fix the problem. I'm determined to figure out, this time, how to maintain the saw and chain personally so I don't have to buy a new chain or have it professionally sharpened.
I have 2 chains, one with low rakers for going through softwood like butter, and another with "normal" height rakers for when I come accross some hardwood... :)
That sounds like a smart idea to me.
I'd do this when I have no gauge but it is only for emergencies. SO it is good and it does work. I would otherwise always use a gauge. Once I have used the gauge, I then do 2 quick swipes on every raker to suit me and create a slightly more aggressive cut but only for my bigger saws. On my smaller saws where kick back can be an issue with faster running speeds, I stick to the gauge depth.
Interesting. I use an old stihl guide that is actually the wrong size so it makes them lower. I just use it for a rough guide-I actually file freehand because I like to use a bigger file for a more aggressive cut so I'm not all day at it. Like you I run skip chain, so I have room for the bigger file. Always like to see how others do things.
5:10 so i see you remove raker completely, then normal raker, after that no raker. my saw cut really slow despite having sharp tooth, do i need to remove rakers like you did?
I think that may just be the type of chain that he has.
Sure did. Flakes are big as hell now. Thanks for the videos
Some good tips there.I free hand file too and no raker guage
Not love/hate weather, for me it's patience & wait in N.W. OR. Been cutting firewood for 32+ years. Only source of heat and I have some trees and Electricity it way too expensive where I live. I do rakers similar and gauge by flats looking at the tops, and not quite as deep as ours. Used to use skip chain, but bought new MS362. It came with full comp chain and it cuts faster and straighter. I use square chain, but round file. Wish I new how to square file.
I do have a video about square filing. I bought an MS362 a few years ago. I liked it so much I wore it out. Thinking about buying another one now.
Good content 👌 . A old school logger i know does it the same way as you . I prefer to use the husky progressive depth gauge cause im lazy lol
Thanks Wilson, you're teaching me good stuff partner 🤝
Be safe out there fella 🌲☀️🌲
Thank you, I appreciate that comment.
As an ambidextrous filer I use the 80/20 rule and don't aim to take every last nick out of the every tooth, I take light strokes, usually 4 or 5 and get back to work. Raker adjustment needed less frequently. I don't have much real hard wood so I like my chain pretty grabby, does more of the work for you. Slightly more dangerous for the inexperienced though.
right on, I do it alot like that. I remember my dad telling me to hit em every four sharpenings.
Years ago when I first started filing my saw chains to destruction while learning the right technique I made the mistake of believing in the raker depth gauge.
Once I cured myself of that folly and filed my rakers much the same way you do my saw started cutting again and everything fell into place.
Awesome, thanks for the confirmation.
"Stops", used to describe rakers here on the Westcoast, "Free hand filing" chain & rakers since 1979er !...
You have about 10 years on me filing.
Thanks for sharing your chainsaw raker technique. That is helpful, and I am going to try your method. Take care 👍
Thanks for commenting and I hope it works well for you.
I'm from southwest Virginia. I grew up hearing the depth gauges called drag teeth or drags for short, the term raker always bothered me (idk why...) but I've never heard them called stops, I guess the term raker is functionally incorrect is why it bothers me. But I suppose drags and stops both get a pass as being functionally descriptive terminology, and while i don't agree with freehanding the depth gauges because they are there to maximize performance if maintained correctly, I did learn something new from your content so thanks for your efforts sir.
Thank you for your comment. That is a good example of a way to respectfully disagree with someone. A lot of commenters could learn a lot from it. I learned something too from making this video. Someone else in the comments said the term rakers comes from the old cross cut saws, misery whips. Some of the teeth were called rakers because they rake out the sawdust. After hearing that, the term raker makes more sense to me.
@WilsonForestLands Yes sir, I believe that they told you correctly about rakers, however I don't think that the depth gauges of a chain serve in that purpose, at least not as their primary function. The reason I say that one should use a depth gauge adjustment tool is so if you have unequal length cutters weather it be from chain damage or even less than stellar filing technique, using the tool ensures that each tooth removes the same amount of material as all the other teeth on the chain ensuring that the chain will cut at its highest possible potential, as smooth, straight and fast as it can. If the common adjustment tools (Hard/Soft settings) don't satisfy your needs, look into the west coast saws file plate. It offers more depth settings to customize your chain to your liking.... Thanks for your kind words. I believe that intellectual discussion is the foundation of growth, that way even if you don't agree with someone's position on a topic at least you understand the basis of their arguments, simply saying "Your wrong, your way is stupid" shuts down dialog and no one learns anything. Hopefully, eventually, people will mature enough to realize this and we will start moving forward as a society once more...Utill then pal, keep up the good work someone has to be the example!
great vid - subbed
“I’m going to turn you into a FLEW!”
😂
Not sure why that was so funny, but I found it so.
Seriously though, I’m amazed how low you westcoasters can run the rakers. That said, I’ve learned I can drop mine lower than I thought, but that low I wouldn’t even be able to get it to pull, let alone smoothly. I envy your fir, cedar and hemlock. Thanks
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who thinks the flew joke is funny. I never get as many laughs out of that one as I’m always expecting I will. 😁
Guess chain manufacturers makes their recommendations and gauges based on lots of testing to find reasonable efficiency for a range of saw power, wood hardness, temperature, wood humidity and kick back risk. So you are not wrong using gauges. But if you know what work you're doing you can file for better performance. Cutting down and cutting off branches differs a bit so you have to find a filing that works decent for both.
Been cutting and selling firewood for 40+ years now and I didn’t even know what a raker guage was until I got on TH-cam a few years back. My chainsaw sharpening must be pretty good though as people from all over pay me to sharpen their chains.
I'm gonna turn you into a flew, shirley your audience is too overwhelmed to have not caught that. I've filed rakers by eye/hand for 47 years and totally agree with your method. love your humor
i hand file square as well
I was hoping at least someone would get the flew joke. 😁
i like your method..its a must try for sure....thumbs up !!
Thanks for the comment. I hope it works out for you.
Now I would like to see how you enter the wood with the end of your bar for a core drilling
I do have some videos showing me doing bore cuts but I can’t remember which ones they are.
Enjoy your video’s ! But I would greatly appreciate if you would get going on that converting a shipping container to a kiln video !! Loved that camper one btw !!
Thanks Chris. I was hoping to get that video recorded this morning before the rains came this afternoon, but they came early. I am hoping to get that one recorded this week.
Thanks !!
Just a comment for geewhiz wonderment…how many acres do you get to go play on at your place? I live in Oakridge, OR…looks a lot like home around there
You are a bit north of me but not that far away. This piece is 160 acres.
Likewise, I file rakers freehand but I do it with a flat file before I sharpen so I don’t risk knocking the point off the working corner. Usually a couple of strokes on each with the last one angled slightly to round the leading edge. There is no science to it, I do this every second or third sharpen and just remember how a chain is cutting. I think the actual height of the depth gauge is less important than making sure they are all even. If one or two rakers are significantly lower than the rest the chance of kickback is higher as it creates a single point of extra bite.
Yeah it took me a few years to figure out to file the rakers before sharpening the teeth. 😁
Good video , just subscribed 👍🏻👍🏻
So, asking for a friend, how do you work out how much cutting tooth you have to grind off when you file your depth gauges too low and it feels like you're riding a push bike along a railway track when cutting! (No I'm not insulating that would be the result of your technique, just trying to fix "my friends" stuff up...)
I been doing mine on the bench grinder been working fine.. just touch it to the wheel then move along takes two minutes to do 84 teeth…
Thanks. Great advice.
I started running a chainsaw when I was 20. I'm 76 now and have never used a raker gauge. I let the saw tell me what it needs.
I think myself has a so-called safety chain because the rakers are L shaped at a 90° angle. I'm trying to grind them down a little bit because I've noticed that the chain became a lot less effective after the sixth or seventh sharpening. I managed to take a millimeter off of the rakers And I'm anxious to try the soap soon.
I haven’t used ripping chain so I don’t know. Maybe someone else can respond.
@@WilsonForestLands I'm pleased to report that filing down those rakers turned the chain into an efficient, even slightly aggressive cutter. I reduced by over 90% the time it takes to cut through a 24" red oak log. Before I filed them, it was cutting like a dull chain, making fine sawdust. Now it's making coarse sawdust and the saw pulls itself through the log --I need not put downward pressure on it anymore.
I don't mind being a nice/whitty keyboard warrior.. 🤣👍
As for filling go's i have been doing it by hand for a few years now and i am getting better at it.. as for the rakers go i go 4 strokes and i have been comfortable with it so far..
The nice/witty ones I wouldn’t call keyboard warriors. They are different, they add value to the videos that they watch. The warriors just try to tear them down. But sometimes the keyboard warriors do provide content for me to poke fun of them. Maybe that makes me a video warrior?
I am pretty inexperienced but I was able to sharpen my saw kind of the same first I roughly, sharpen the teeth then went to use it and it started drifting to the right in the cut then I filed the teeth on the left side and shortened the rakers a bit on the right side now it cuts like a dream I used a flat file for my rakers thank you
Keyboard warrior here 😂
Where you get the wooden things it doesn’t look proper. And by the way I don’t know if you noticed or not but your chain probably don’t need to be sharpened…. your chain bar is upside down .. running the chain in the wrong direction Making it seem like it’s daw ..😂😂
Anywho thanks for sharing
I was expecting something like that from you. Thanks for the laugh. 😂
I used to use a piece of wood too…but it’s way back in my garage somewhere so I just use a beer can. I used to use my flat file too, that’s packed away somewhere in my shed so I used a rock. Beer can and a rock will make your saw work great! Tools are for fools. 😆👍
Does the bar always magically turn itself over when you do this? Or is just your saw magic? Hi to Dan my neighbor on the Prairie who commented.
That’s just some of my own trickery. The part where I turned the bar over was supposed to be part of the video. But then when I went back to edit it, that part was rubbish so I just cut it out. I wondered how many people would notice.
Thanks. ‼️
I always hand file the rakers. File it to your liking
Thank you.
sooo…..if you do the “check” and their too low, now what do you do???
Use a gauge!! Modify the gauge so it sets the depth gauges to your preference AND they will be consistent.
great video!!
Good video. Gauges never made sense to me.
Oh & if you are going to hand file your rakers you really don’t want low kickback chain.
The rakers for you ,are in the United Kingdom, for most wood machinists called restrictors, they restrict the cut.
Restrictors, I like it. That makes total sense. I think people in the UK have a better handle on the English language than we do.
What part of the UK? Depth gauges is all I ever heard anyone call them there.
@@WilsonForestLands Ah the British, they have a way of making the most mundane terms sound more sophisticated. Excuse me as need to dash down to the chemist to procure my medication 😂 love it!
The thickness of a dime that's the g spot any more then that it gets too grabby.
Gauge.
Gauge Gauge Gauge.
It's not 'a' way to spell it or 'one' way to spell it, it's the only way to spell it.
and don't get me started on the magical reversing chainsaw bar between 3:32 and 3:33.
Have a nice day!
Thank you for the correction. I wondered if anybody would notice the bar reverse. I took out the part of the video where I suggested this was a good time to reverse the bar. While editing that part I realized the wording was even worse than my spelling.
Never used a Gauge. If you can count 8 you can do it, But I've never done more then 8 usually only two to four strokes.
The only thing when they file a saw always wear their gloves! when I started out I didn't wear my gloves one time and cut myself real bad..👍
I sometimes do more than 8 strokes on a new chain but that’s when I’m using a half worn out file. Very good point to wear gloves.
Those that push off honest feedback put themselves in the place of not being corrected and staying in error or less full in regards to knowledge. Happy to let you stay where you obviously want to be.
So your filing the top of the raker,not the side.cheers
Yes just the top. All we do with the rakers is reduce the height.
If you aren't Paul Harrell's twin brother, god made two of you guys lol.
If we were twins we got separated at birth and don’t even know who each other is. I will have to look him up.
I'm trying to come up with a keyboard warrior comment but coming up blank, perhaps someone else more creative will jump in 😆
I take the easy no thinking way out and use the Stihl thing (I dont recall what they call it) that files the tooth and gauge/raker at the same time.
I had an idea one of you guys would come up with a keyboard warrior comment for me. It wouldn’t be like I didn’t walk myself into it. It will probably be MSD Steve.
My kinda guy
Nice
Is the moral of the story: When a friend wants to borrow your saw, you should equip him with a chain that has no rakers at all. That way you can be sure he will bring the saw right back
Thats the way i do it!
👍🏻
just delete block or ban the ones that piss you off!
That’s the smart way to do it but I don’t let them piss me off. Sometimes I like to have a little fun with them and use them for material. But what you say is probably best.
Wait so are you saying there's another way to do this? And what is this "gauge" you speak of? Are they putting fuel gauges on saws now? 🤣
Yep it’s the darndest thing, I hardly believed it myself when I found out. You should look it up, people actually use a gauge when filing theirs.
@@WilsonForestLands how long has this been going on and why didn't anyone tell me? Apparently there's also this strange contraption that shows you the"right"angle to hold a round file at 😳 and then there's another that round files and takes the rakers down simultaneously! What else have they been hiding?! Fuel premixed at a precise ratio that's "guaranteed" to make my saw run better? Saws running on big rechargeable batteries? Precut, dried lumber that's already surfaced? Sorry, got myself a little worked up there. I'm going to go shovel some snow to calm down. Let me guess, they make something for that now too? 😅
@@Desert_Hobo OK now that sounds like a bunch of crazy talk. Sounds like you have been watching too many science fiction movies.
@@WilsonForestLands I'll take the tinfoil hat off now 🤣
Triggered at first ten seconds
You mad bre? 😂
I'm so triggered right now. :0
invest in a wireless mic
I have and was using one. I think it’s usually better to ask people what they are using instead of telling them what they are using or not using.
Bro, yur doin it all wrong
That would explain why my saws have cut so well for the last 30 years.
You react. Nice.@@WilsonForestLands
Maybe you should cut off the comments. Seems you are more triggered by reading comments than the people watching.
Actually I’m poking a little fun at the comments and having fun with them. I’m using them for content.