22
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Chain maintenance
For smooth and fast cutting, the chain needs to be maintained properly. The following conditions
indicate that the chain requires sharpening:
• Wood chips are small and powdery.
• Chain must be forced through the wood during cutting.
• Chain cuts to one side.
During maintenance of the chain, consider the following:
•
Improper filing angle of the side plate can increase the
risk of severe kickback.
• Depth gauge (or raker clearance) setting determines
the height the cutter enters the wood and the size of
the wood chip that is removed. Too much clearance
increases the potential for kickback. Too little clearance
decreases the size of the wood chip thus decreasing the
chain’s cutting ability.
• If cutter teeth have hit hard objects such as nails or
stones, or have been abraded by mud or sand on the
wood, have service dealer sharpen chain.
How to sharpen the cutters
Be careful to file all cutters to the specified angles and to
the same length, as fast cutting can be obtained only when
all cutters are uniform.
• Tighten the chain tension enough that the chain does
not wobble. Do all of your filing at the midpoint of the bar.
Wear gloves for protection.
•
Use a round file and holder.
•
Keep the file level with the top plate of the tooth. Do not
let the file dip or rock.
Raker (Depth Gauge) Clearance
1/32” (0.79mm)
PARTS OF A CUTTER
Cutting Corner
Side
Plate
Depth
Gauge
Toe
Gullet
Heel
Rivet Hole
Top Plate
