Sharpening And Maintenance Of Saw Chain - Stihl 056 Instructions And Owner's Manual

Sharpening and Maintenance
of Saw Chain
Description of chains
Top: Component parts of Oilomatic Rapid chain
Bottom: Measuring chain pitch
r -
STIHL saw chains are 3-link chains and all versions are
assembled in the same basic pattern. The illustration on
the right shows the component parts of a saw chain. Every
chain manufactured by STIHL features the exclusive Oilo-
matic system. Apart from the three basic types (Rapid,
Picco and Topic), there are three different versions whose
names denote the cutter shape, i. e. chipper tooth = Stan-
dard, semi-chisel
=
Micro and full chisel
=
Super. Oilo-
matic Rapid chains are also available in standard and
safety versions.
The main size measurement on a saw chain is the pitch. It
is determined by measuring the distance from the center
of one rivet to the center of the next rivet but one and
dividing the measurement by two. The result is the pitch
which, in accordance with international custom, is speci-
fied in inch (3/ 8 "
=
9.32 mm).
Like any other cutting tool, the saw chain is subject to
normal wear. A properly sharpened chain will eat into the
wood and' require very little effort on the part of the operator.
For this reason alone you should never attempt to cut with
a dull or damaged chain.
1
=
Preset tie strap
2
=
Right hand salety link
3
=
Right hand cutter
4
=
Tie strap
5
=
Rivet
6
=
Drive link
7
=
Left hand cutter
8
=
Left hand safety link
There are a few crucial angles which must be maintained in
order to obtain good results when sharpening a chain.
They are explained below.
Filing angle
The filing angle for Rapid-Standard and Rapid-Micro
chains is 35°; these chains are initially sharpened to this
angle before leaving the factory. However, if the chain is
used primarily for cutting hardwood or frozen timber it is
best to sharpen it to an angle of 30°. On the other hand, the
filing angle for Rapid-Super and Topic-Super is always 30°. 31