Sharpening mortiser chain

Hello TFG,

I received a mortiser from a friend and it's in need of being sharpened. Does anyone know who sharpens chains for a makita mortiser. (trying to avoid buying a new chain) I've heard of a fella out in Ohio, "Miller sharpening service". They where recommened to me by Timberwolf tools. Has anyone heard of Miller?
If anyone has any ideas....or tips on sharpening it myself i would appreciate it.

Take care all and thanks.
-ZAC

Zac, isn't a chain mortiser essentially a chainsaw on a stand? If I'm correct in this assumtpion i would think any chainsaw serviceman should be able to sharpen it for you. The man of choice would be Bud's Chainsaw in my neck of the woods... Check your eyllow pages, you must have a local chainsaw repair man around.

good luck.

shaun

ZAC,

Miller does a pretty good job on mortiser chains, his rates are reasonable, and he is pretty timely. He removes a fair amount of material, though. If it isn't too dull you can touch up your chain with a raker file, also known as a safety file (it has smooth edges with no teeth).

Good Luck,
Gabel

Hey thanks for the in-put. yeh it is pretty much the same, except the mortiser chain is $250 compared to $25 for a chainsaw chain. gettin' after it with a file makes me a little nervous. I can't say i'm the best with a file. But i guess it can't be that hard to touch it up.
take care...ZAC

A mortiser chain has some similarities to a saw chain, but it's also very different. Since the Makita cuts with the grain rather than across it like a chain saw, the teeth are filed straight across, not at an angle.

I've got a Ryobi mortiser, similar to the Makita, and found I can file each row of teeth with a chain saw file, straight across. I wouldn't recommend touching the face of the teeth with a straight file, just the curved inner portion, with a file that matches the radius as closely as possible. Be very careful not to change the shape of the teeth, file an even amount from all the teeth, and keep the file as straight as you can.

You should consider this a touch-up, to be done occasionally between machine sharpenings, which will remove the irregularities from hand filing. As with a chain saw, I'd touch-up the chain two or three times, then send it in to get it evened up by machine.

Local sharpening shops probably have never had anything similar in their shops; if you know someone reputable they may be persuaded to develop the specialized set-up needed, but no one else will be sharing the set-up costs. I'm not familiar with Miller's, but would think going to someone with experience would be a good idea.

In order not to remove too much material, I always told the shop it was OK if they stopped before all the teeth cleaned up, if there were some excessively worn, or filed too far by hand. You probably won't notice the difference in the cutting action if it's just a few teeth. Those teeth won't wear if they're not cutting, and will catch up on subsequent sharpenings.

Good luck,
Leon

Thanks for the details re: a mortising chain vs. a chainsaw chain. Leon. Good to know.

Hi to all

I can offer how I sharpen my Mafell mortiser chain. Makita chain will take a different but similar jig. On a flat board that the chain loop will fit around freely, I have screwed two pieces of thin bar that create a snug way the chain can nestle into, then I wedge between the chain and board on the underside to prevent rolling at the links. I cut a slot in a block at the hook angle and insert a raker file into slot at a level height. I file square across the chain in a two handed manner, hands on block and handle, with the block resting on the jigged board. I feel that I have good control on height, angle, metal loss and heat. Mini expense and quick.