TWO FINE CHAIN SAW SHARPENERS

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We have only two minor reservations about this otherwise excellent tool. For one thing, the device is quite uncompromising . . . it sharpens to only one angle (which means some saw owners won't be able to use it), and a different bur is required to sharpen chains of differing pitch. (This is also the case with file sharpeners, but the Gamn' tool's carbide bits are somewhat more expensive than files. However, the cost may be outweighed in the long run by the greater life expectancy of the grinder's extremely hard burs.) Second, the Gamn' does such a fine job of removing metal tha t an inexperienced or indiscriminate user could easily whittle away a great deal of tooth in short order. Unless the sharpener is properly adjusted (to remove the minimum material necessary), the result could be an oversharpened chain with a significantly shortened life span.

OREGON FILE GUIDE: $24.50

We tried out several different fileguide chain sharpeners, but none could approach the Oregon in either quality or performance. It's obvious that this manufacturer of saw chain thoroughly understood the qualities needed in the tool before developing the specifications for the device that bears the company's name.

The Oregon File Guide is equipped with numerous adjustments (enough to thoroughly intimidate a newcomer at first), and can accurately produce any conceivably useful combination of sharpening angles. The cutter angle, measured from the direction of chain travel, can be set anywhere between 0 and 45°, and the upward tilt is adjustable between 0 and 20° .

This Cadillac of file guides also features a pair of screw—in clamps (for proper centering) which hold the chain securely against the side load imposed by the file. The length of the cutters can also be set with an adjustable rubbing block (which prevents the file from moving beyond a fixed amount of travel), though this mechanism isn't as solid as is that on the Gamn'. What's more, the Oregon has one adjustment that wasn't included on any of the other file guides: The stop for the cutter can be moved, which allows the operator to position the file directly over the gullet. Thus the file will travel more nearly parallel to the bar as it swings through its arc.

We found the Oregon tool to be significantly easier to use than were any of the other file guides tested. Its tracking rod fits snugly in its bushings . . . so the shaft doesn't bind when a stray metal chip gets in the area. (The other units needed frequent lubrication to prevent such an occurrence.) A chain can be sharpened fairly quickly with the Oregon . . . once you learn the adjustments and establish a rhythm. Still, the procedure was considerably more timeconsuming with the Oregon than with the Gamn'.

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