How to Sharpen a Chainsaw

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook demonstrates the right way to keep a chainsaw sharp.

by Roger Cook and Kevin O'Connor, Host

Skill

Moderate

Cost

$20

Estimated Time

Less than an hour

Steps:

Whenever working around a chainsaw, always wear gloves.
Use the line on the chain to set the correct angle of the file and work back and forth until the tooth is sharp again.
A bracket can also be used to keep the file at the correct orientation. The tooth will be labelled with the correct angle.
The raker must be lower than the tooth. It can be filed down with the flat file.

Resources:
All chainsaw sharpening accessories, including metal files, and file guides can be found at the local home center.