It’s getting dark; the sun is setting, and you’ve got some wood to split. Your chainsaw chain are dull, and you’re panicking. You might feel a specific kind of panic as you realize you left your file in the truck.
“I’ll just grab my file.” Then you realize you forgot your file in the truck. There on the work bench sits your Dremel rotary tool. It seem like such an easy way out, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, it is a very bad decision.
You CAN sharpen a chainsaw with a Dremel, but it takes some serious discipline. People destroys their chain within seconds by using the incorrect attachment or by putting down too much pressure. It’s not about taking off lots of metal; it’s all about regaining the exact same shape of the teeth on the cutters.
Stop grinding away like crazy and maybe you’ll get another life out of that chain. Otherwise, you’re gonna be buying a new one.
How To Sharpen Chainsaw Chain With Dremel
Choosing the Right Grinding Attachment
First off: Choose the proper grinding attachment.
Standard cutting wheels will destroys the chain instantly. You want a special carbide grinding bit or even better, a diamond grinding stone. Both can be found at any store selling Dremel products or other generic versions of these types of attachments for cheap.
Make sure they is sized to fit your teeth on the cutter. There are many standard sizes in files that match sizes of stones. If you get too big a stone it’ll just round out the edges.
Too little and you’ve got yourself a chain with some rough business going on. Get what fits the bill.
Securing the Chain for Sharpening
Now comes the key part: mounting the chain.
And no, you can’t hold the Dremel in one hand and the chain in the other. You won’t be able to maintain a good angle that way. That’s a recipe for disaster.
You’ll need a vice with soft jaws or some type of dedicated sharpening jig. For this I like a Dremel sharpening guide kit which basically clamps the chain down and holds the Dremel at the right angle. Otherwise you’re trusting muscle memory, and you won’t have that unless you’ve done this a lot before.
The jig allows all your cuts to be exactly alike which is what makes a chain cut efficient. When each tooth are ground out at the exact same angle the saw will run fast and smooth.
Technique for Sharpening Cutter Teeth
When actually sharpening, it’s important to use a gentle touch and not push down on the chain.
Let the rotation of the stone and the weight of the tool do most of the work. Remember you’re only removing microscopic amounts of steel here. Simply hold the Dremel to the guide plate and make a quick pass along the cutter.
Usually one or two passes per tooth is all that is necessary. Don’t worry about digging a deep groove in the cutter, you’re looking for a bright shiny edge. The deeper you grind into the cutter the shorter its life will be.
Over correcting is easy. So always stop often to inspect your progress. A bad cut is very different than a good one, and an over-sharpened chain wears out twice as fast.
Adjusting the Depth Gauge
This is a depth gauge. More times than not, checking your depth gauge is often more important than sharpening the cutters themselves. What’s the depth gauge?
It’s the piece of metal that sticks out from the cutter. It’s what regulates how far the chain grabs the wood. Too high and the chain skip over the wood.
Too low and the chain rips into the wood and stalls your engine. To lower the depth gauge, grab a flat file. Don’t worry about a power tool.
It’s an easy tweak. A lot of guys forget to do this and can’t figure out why they bought a new chain and it doesn’t perform well. The geometry play as big a role as the cutting edge does.
Safety Precautions with Rotary Tools
The most important note I want to make is that safety cannot be overstated when using high speed rotary tools. These are high speed rotary tools! At high speeds, metal will fly off in every direction.
Always use eye protection. Do not put your hand near the spinning stone. Metal fragments fly off at high velocity and can cause permanent eye damage.
The Dremel also has the potential to kick back if it gets caught on a rough edge or burr. Keep your hands away from the spinning stone. Take your time (don’t rush) and really secure your work area before starting.
This will save you hours of frustration later for only a couple more minutes of care now. A Dremel can serve as an effective sharpening device, just don’t forget its strength. It’s no substitute for a pro-grade grinder, but for do-it-yourselfers who simply want to touch up their saws, it gets the job done well.
Just remember to go slow, go steady and do it right. Use the proper stone, use the proper guide. Check your work and don’t rush it.
Your wallet will thank you by keeping that new chain in good shape longer and your saw will reward you with clean, efficient cuts.