Sharpening
How to sharpen a chainsaw chain
A dull chain makes dust instead of chips and pulls the saw sideways. This routine keeps every cutter at the same angle without taking the chain off the bar.
Check your square before you trust it
A square that is slightly off repeats its error on every cut. The line-flip test tells you in a minute whether yours is true.
By The Tenvik team1 min read
1. Start from a straight edge
Pick a board with an edge you have confirmed is straight. Any bow in the reference edge shows up as error in the test.
2. Draw, flip, draw again
Hold the square against the edge and scribe a fine line. Flip the square over, line the blade up with the same starting point and scribe a second line.
Use a knife, not a pencil. A marking knife leaves a line thin enough to show a small gap.
3. Read the gap
If the two lines overlap, the square is true. If they spread apart, the square is off by half the gap. Keep an out-of-square tool for rough layout only.