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| Saw Tools |
A number of devices have been invented to help sharpen a chain correctly. The smaller and easier to carry the better! Shown here is a saw being held by an Oregon saw vise, which is driven into a stump or log. Leaning against the bar on the left is a Labonville adjustable depth gauge joiner. These types of tools set the height of the depth gauge to a distance measured parallel to the guide bar. On the bottom, on the right side of the vise, is an Electrolux (Husqvarna/Partner/Jonsered/Poulan) depth gauge tool, which, like the others shown here except the Labonville, sets the depth gauges so that the angle of attack for the cutters is the same as with a new chain -- which is a newer method. On the top of the bar, from left to right, is a Sandvik file guide with swing-out depth gauge tool, an Electrolux filling guide, and a Carlton File-O-plate, which is both a filing guide and depth gauge tool. (Carlton was probably the first to show the idea of filing the depth gauges to get the proper attack angle.) Also shown are a flat file (for the depth gauges) and a round file for the cutters. (Cutters can also be filed with a six-sided file.) The pistol-shaped device (right) is a grease gun to lubricate a sprocket-nosed bar.
This grease gun has other uses as well. Its head is pointed and tapered so as to seal in a small hole to pump in grease. It so happens that the point is small enough to fit into the opening on a standard Zerk grease fitting. Consequently if you encounter a Zerk fitting which for some reason lacks clearance for a conventional Zerk grease gun, you can sneak in with this and grease it anyway. Classics for this problem are grease fittings on drive lines, particularly if the universal joint has been installed backwards.Filling these little critters can be a messy job, but we have solved that as well. We drill and tap the lid beside the pump and screw in a standard Zerk fitting. This way we can fill the chainsaw grease gun with a conventional grease gun. One needs to think about the types of grease a bit, but we manage that by using a universal grease, and if it isn't good for everything that is too bad.