Chainsaw chain sharpening: angle and depth gauges

What the price depends on

It’s priced per chain. The length of the chain, how blunt it is and whether the teeth are chipped from a stone or a nail all count: chipped teeth have to be ground back further. It also matters whether the handyman sharpens on site with a file or takes the chain away to a grinder. Labour rates are in the table.

A new chain, if the old one can’t be saved, plus the sprocket and bar, are paid separately. So is getting the saw or chain there and back if the handyman takes it away.

What it costs and how to book: handyman in Warsaw.

How a chain is sharpened

By hand, it’s done with a round file in a file guide. The file diameter is matched to the chain pitch and the angle taken from the manufacturer’s instructions; it’s usually marked on the guide. Every tooth gets the same number of forward strokes, first along one side of the chain, then the other.

A grinder gives an even shape across all the teeth. That helps when the chain is very blunt or the teeth are chipped unevenly. What matters most is that all the teeth end up the same length: if one side is longer, the saw will pull the cut sideways.

The second half of sharpening often gets forgotten. In front of every tooth sits a depth gauge, a small raker that sets how deep the tooth bites into the wood. It’s checked with a gauge tool and filed down with a flat file if needed. Too high, and a sharp tooth can’t cut. Too low, and the saw grabs the wood and is more likely to kick back.

You can’t sharpen forever. Once a tooth is down to the wear mark, the links are cracked or the chain has visibly stretched, it gets replaced. The bar is checked at the same time: burrs on the rails and a worn groove quickly ruin a new chain too.

Before sharpening, the saw is switched off and the spark plug cap pulled; a cordless saw has its battery taken out and a corded one is unplugged. Gloves go on, because even a blunt chain cuts hands. And a sharp chain is safer than a blunt one: you don’t have to force it, and the saw jerks less.

How the sharpening works

1. The handyman inspects the chain, teeth, depth gauges and bar and says whether there is anything left to sharpen.
2. The chain is cleaned of resin and sawdust so the cutting edge is visible.
3. Teeth are sharpened with a guided file or on a grinder at the manufacturer’s angle and evened out in length.
4. The depth gauges are checked with the gauge tool and filed down.
5. The chain goes back on, is tensioned, lubrication is checked and, if the saw is fuelled, a test cut is made.

Common mistakes

• A file of the wrong diameter, which ruins the shape of the tooth.
• One side of the chain ground back more than the other, so the cut drifts.
• Depth gauges forgotten, leaving a sharp chain that still won’t cut.
• Rakers filed too low, making the saw snatch at the wood and kick back.
• Running the saw along the ground at the base of a log, which blunts the chain in a minute.

What to prepare

• The make and model of the saw and, if you can find it, the marking on the bar or chain.
• Close-up photos of the teeth, especially if there are chips.
• The saw cleaned of sawdust and resin, at least on the outside.
• A spare chain if you have one, so the handyman can look at both.
• Whether you would rather have it sharpened on site or hand the chain over.

Frequently asked questions

How to order

Describe in the app what saw you have and what’s wrong with the chain, and add photos of the teeth. Handymen near you will send offers with their own price and timing. Pick one by reviews; only that person sees your address.

You pay the handyman directly and they issue the invoice. They stand behind their own sharpening: if the chain pulls to one side afterwards, they’ll redo it. Wear on the bar, sprocket and engine is not on them.

Sharpen chains and know why the depth gauges need filing too? Create a tradesperson profile and sharpening jobs will come from your own area. You work for yourself, so the business form and paperwork are up to you.