[grinling]

The chainsaw we bought from new has been going through the logs like butter until recently when cutting a stump. It seemed I was having to force it thru' the wood, unusually, then I got some sparks before the saw seemed to go blunt on any type of log. Have I hit a rock embedded in the stump and blunted it?
The top face of the cutting teeth are slightly rounded off when viewed with a magnifying glass although still sharp to the touch, also the manual says we should get a spray of oil but am only getting a trickle. Hole poked with wire. Is a trickle normal or has lack of lubrication done it in?
I think I will get a new blade and see if that is the problem before trying to sharpen it.
Am getting wood powder produced when cutting instead o square shavings.
Any chainsaw advice?

[Lloyd]

It definitely sounds like its blunt. I'd take it to a local place such as a tool hire centre or hardware store and get it sharpened. It usually only costs between ten and fifteen pounds. Mine has never sprayed or trickled oil, but the chain passes through lubricant when in use so should always appear adequately oiled.

my guess is either a stone or nail in the stump was the cause.

[Goldfinger]

It maybe cheaper to get your own sharpening kit. i found that when I last took my swa to a shop, they used a specialist grinding machine and basicaly ground down half the teeth leaving me with 'one more cuts worth' of tooth before I would have to renew the chain!     

The sharpening kits you can buy for about £9 have everything you need to DIY.

Even a bar on the file telling you the angle of sharpening, and a tool and flat file to do the 'flat's' in front of the teeth.

Hope this helps....

GF

[joyfull]

when I took my chainsaw license (maintenance and felling sections) we used to sharpen the teeth on our saws after every couple of trees.

[Goldfinger]

FIL says to do it every fillup (is this about the same for you Joyful?).

Just a quick zip over the teeth only not the whole flats and all.
He works at the Harbour and has to use one daily cutting/maintaining the piers.

We even get all the offcuts of Scots pine, Greenheart and pitchpine.  (they're usually xxx years old and have not been treated    )

[joyfull]

about the same - we kept them sharp so that it made the job of felling a lot easier and gave a tidier job 
If you sharpen frequently then it just takes a few minutes each time to just whiz over each tooth (make a little mark so you know when you have done the whole set otherwise you can be there all day  ).

[Gwiz]

Oregon do a very good little kit for sharpening your saw.
Make sure you buy the right one!
Never included in any of the sets is a cheap pair of calipers so that you can accurately get all the teeth the same size. Always sharpen the worst tooth first, then file the rest down to that size.

It does sound, from what you're saying, like your chain is in a bad way.

[Trillium]

I agree. I can always tell the moment my chain is a bit dull, and I stop right away. No point making it worse. We do our own sharpening on our hand tool, a Dremel with a sharpener bit. This is very handy as we can just go to the garage where the extension cord is ready, some quick zips, and we're ready to move on. A local chap can sharpen it for me for $5 but it means driving off to get it done and wasting an hour.

Also, after every gas fillup, I always always top up the chain bar oil. If that ever runs out then you're in serious trouble with the chain.

Forgot to add that with our electric chainsaws, we stop every hour and add more bar oil. Better to keep it topped up than find it start smoking because it dried out.

[grinling]

Thank you for the good advice, will be sending hubby out for sharpening kit chain saw is his dept; I use a bow saw.

[smud6ie]

Just make sure you get the correct file for the chain.
the info should be stamped on the bar.
smud6ie

[Goldfinger]

I've got a hunch that the file size neede will be 4mm or 5/32's.

I found this to be the most common size for 'domestic' / small end of the scale chainsaws.

[grinling]

Available £12 (the price of a new chain) from Machine Mart or eBay.
A quick whizz on each tooth and it was back to normal!
Thanks for all your suggestions