How to Sharpen a 290 STIHL Chainsaw
- 1). Place your chainsaw bar in the vice. Do not grip the chain itself with the vice.
- 2). Look closely at a cutter on the chain of the chainsaw and note the fraction number written on the side of the cutter. This indicates the cutter pitch. Refer to your STIHL 290 owners manual (listed in the References Section) under the Sharpening Tools table to find the right depth gauge tool, file holder, round file, and flat file to use for your cutters. Using the wrong sizes can leave your chainsaw improperly sharpened and therefore more difficult and dangerous to use.
- 3). Place your round file in the file holder between the plates of the file holder. Note the two lines running across the file holder at an angle. Position these lines parallel to the chainsaw bar. Lay the file--in the file holder--horizontal to the ground on top of the cutter on the chainsaw that has the most wear. Begin filing in an inward moving direction. Lift the file off the cutter when you reach the handle of the file and begin at the end of the file again. Note the number of strokes and the pressure you use to file this cutter and apply the same to all the other cutters. Alternate the side of the bar you stand on for each cutter, as the cutters are alternated in position. Stand on the inner side of the cutter to file it.
- 4). Place the depth gauge tool over the depth gauge on each cutter. The depth gauge looks like a small hook at the back of each cutter. File whatever portion of the depth gauge protrudes through the slot of the depth gauge tool using the flat file.
- 5). Remove the depth gauge tool and look at the tiny line at the end of the depth gauge hook. File the depth gauge at a slant according to the angle of this line. Repeat this for all depth gauges.
Source...