Archer chain

[deeddale]

Now my .043 1/4 archer bar is cutting all sorts of crooked. I filed the chain 10 times and made test cuts thinking uneven teeth or depth gauges were causing a binding curve to the left, but an above view of the last cut made it look like the bar was cutting an s shape which a straight bar can't fit in, so it would bind.

Try new chain in archer bar,then it’s chain. Try old chain in new bar then it’s bar. Best way to pinpoint .maybe check clutch rim ,worn ?

 

[jakethesnake]

Bar might be warped.

 

[jakethesnake]

Lay it flat on concrete. If it’s straight and completely true you can set up a table saw with a grinding wheel in it. Then use the table to true up the edges

USE SAFTEY GLASSES.

I don’t trust grinding wheels in general. Had too many frag out. Neighbor lost an eye. I don’t know table saw rpms and specs but it’s a hack way to make a bar dressing tool

 

[Wilhelm]

Drive links might be bottoming out!
I have a cheap AM bar that cut crooked on it's first chain, the chains drive link tangs were showing a lot of wear, the bars groove was to shallow from the factory.
Recently my Ozaki Forest bar started doing the same, the rails are too shallow close to the power head.

A bar dressing tool can be had affordably on eBay.
This is only an example, I have one looking exactly like it:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chainsaw-C...148940&hash=item2ac6f21ccd:g:av8AAOSwzgtcHetD

 

[Philbert]

A bar dressing tool can be had affordably on eBay.

Buy a good one.

Philbert

 

[jakethesnake]

Buy a good one.

Philbert

What do you like?

 

[Philbert]

What do you like?

Thought I posted these here in OPE too, but can only find the A.S. thread:

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/bar-dressing.315936/

I like the Oregon / STIHL / Vallorbe edge filing tools (seem to be the same). The files in the cheap clones are not as good. The Pferd edge filing tool is too coarse, but you could substitute another file I suppose. Link also includes a sketch for making your own.

Philbert

 

[RI Chevy]

I have the Pferd bar dresser. It is a bit coarse but works well. Takes any burrs out right away.

 

[Nutball]

Now my .043 1/4 archer bar is cutting all sorts of crooked. I filed the chain 10 times and made test cuts thinking uneven teeth or depth gauges were causing a binding curve to the left, but an above view of the last cut made it look like the bar was cutting an s shape which a straight bar can't fit in, so it would bind.

I got a Stihl bar and chain to try on the 2511t. The bars seem the same size during a quick side by side comparison, but the tensioner had to go out more. Both using 72dl's. I was concerned about the Stihl bar going out far enough because of how they modified the oiler hole, but it worked out. The gauge of the new Stihl bar was around .0435-.0465. The Archer bar with its paint just having worn out of the groove averaged .054! I'd call that bar done.

The Archer chain has the professional style (no extra depth gauge bumpers) and it was difficult to load the saw buried 13" in Ash. It was uncomfortable how hard I had to push. The Stihl chain is a low kickback with double wide depth gauges. It appears currently less aggressive than my archer chain which has 2 strokes filed off the depth gauges, but it easily noodled full length in pine while loading the saw mid way, I haven't tried burying it in Ash yet, but cutting a 9" Ash log wasn't difficult, could be faster, but it was easy enough to load the saw without sitting on it.

Next I'll try making the Stihl chain more aggressive, and running the archer chain on the Stihl bar.

 

[RI Chevy]

72dl on a 2511???

 

[jakethesnake]

I think it cuts pretty quick 105 dL

 

[thedude74]

Based on your guys input ordered a loop of Archer 3/8 .058 84 DL. Full comp full chisel(73lgx equivalent). $13.21 shipped off eBay. Most my bars are 3/8 0.50 due to getting a 100' spool of 72lgx, also on eBay, a few years back at a stupid cheap price....$140 iirc. Somehow ended up with a couple 24" .058 bars and one Forester chain.

I'll give the Archer a run and see how it holds up. Lots of punky blowdown and beatle kill spruce. Not exactly hard but dirty for sure.
About 10% is solid firewood but mostly punky and rotten.

 

[Wilhelm]

That's a great price!
Let us know what You think of it.

 

[thedude74]

That's a great price!
Let us know what You think of it.

Indeed. Especially shipped up here to Alaska.

 

[3browns]

So in anticipation of my PS-5105 showing up soon I busted out the 2 loops of Archer semi chisel I bought a few months back

I was kind of surprised at the shape of the factory grind as shown below



Compared to the same style and type of cutter on an Oregon loop the Archer has what I consider a very unusual grind profile with that shallow sideways "V" grind with almost zero gullet

I wasn't too impressed and decided I would leave 1 loop stock and see what I could do with the other

I busted out a new 7/32" Stihl file and hit the first cutter a few licks and eventually took 10-12 strokes per cutter to try to bring it into what I think a cutter should look like



I need to clean out more gullet but the cutter shape is getting there

I will say I was not real thrilled with the finish the cutters took

Almost every one ended up with a major burr on the side and top edges



However there were a few cutters that were hard enough to cause the file to skip

All in all I am kind of surprised at what I experienced so far

Obviously nothing matters but how it cuts and as soon as my saw shows up I will give the stock and hand filed loops a real cutting test and report back

As always, your mileage may vary...

 

[RI Chevy]

I experienced the same thing.
Nice file job.

 

[3browns]

I experienced the same thing.
Nice file job.

Thanks

Who knows, it may cut like a raped ape but I have to say first impressions count for a lot and well...

 

[RI Chevy]

Yes it does. My out of the box cutter looked exactly like your photo. I also be took down the gullet a bit to reshape the cutter more like Stihl and Oregon.
I just haven't put it in any wood yet to check.

 

[3browns]

I said in an earlier post I didn’t even bother to get a couple loops of Oregon as a backup plan

I just put a couple in the cart cause I’m just not feeling the love...

 

[Philbert]

I was kind of surprised at the shape of the factory grind as shown below

Why didn't you try cutting with the factory grind first?

A lot of chain companies are boasting about 'improved out-of-the-box' grinds, even some that are hard to duplicate with the first sharpening.

Philbert