Fast-Filer Chain Filing Guide

[WKEND LUMBERJAK]

Took 'Em to A GTG Today

Set it up like a science fair project:
View attachment 27787

Left them out for folks to try:

View attachment 27788

View attachment 27789


I will let folks post their own opinions on ease of use and effectiveness.

Philbert

It is a good Idea . Was a little awkward at first to use. I use the Husky roller guide most of the time or a grinder. I think it would be a good starter guide. Thanks for bringing it to the GTG Philbert.

 

[Philbert]

(Bump)

Anybody tried / used these that can share their comments / thoughts / experiences?

For what it is worth, here are a few photos comparing the Fast-Filer guides with the associated Husqvarna / Swedish roller guides.



Philbert

 

[Philbert]

Here's a new-to-me version of a similar idea that is about 50 years old!

Philbert

 

[RI Chevy]

Cool

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Another nice presentation, Philbert. Well done as usual. Thanks for taking the time.

 

[Wilhelm]

Makita XS5000 action, Oregon Vanguard chain about half worn with modified rackers and round filed with an Archer FastFiler sharpening jig

 

[Philbert]

. . . Oregon Vanguard chain about half worn with modified rackers . . .

Did you grind the top plates off those depth gauges?

Philbert

 

[3browns]

Makita XS5000 action, Oregon Vanguard chain about half worn with modified rackers and round filed with an Archer FastFiler sharpening jig

NICE!!!

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

I actually don't mind the Vanguard chain at all as safety chains go. It's a pretty smooth chain to run.

And if you're gonna go to all the trouble of grinding the plates off, why not just file the depth gauges to a proper height in the first place?

 

[RI Chevy]

Very nice Wilhelm.

 

[Wilhelm]

Did you grind the top plates off those depth gauges?

Philbert

I un-Vanguarded it, yes.
It is basically a regular LGX or so chain now.

I actually don't mind the Vanguard chain at all as safety chains go. It's a pretty smooth chain to run.

And if you're gonna go to all the trouble of grinding the plates off, why not just file the depth gauges to a proper height in the first place?

I agree, the Vanguard chains are OK the way they are, yet they are faster cutting without the Vanguard feature.
And it is no trouble getting the Vanguard rackers ground off on a small bench grinder, takes fairly little effort and time.

 

[Wilhelm]

Hey @Philbert
There doesn't seem to be any .404" FastFiler, how come?!
Do You have any info on that?

 

[Philbert]

Hey @Philbert
There doesn't seem to be any .404" FastFiler, how come?!

There was no need until you came along!

Probably just picked the most common chains on the market to focus on.

Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

There was no need until you came along!

Probably just picked the most common chains on the market

Philbert
View attachment 237488

Yeah, well I want one!

I may have to modify one of my two 3/8" (blue) FastFilers to do .404"!

 

[Philbert]

I may have to modify one of my two 3/8" (blue) FastFilers to do .404"!

Post photos here when you do!

Reach out to Archer in Australia - maybe they have a prototype of one lying around that they would like you to try?

Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

I made room for my Archer FastFiler jigs in my chainsaw toolbox.

 

[Wilhelm]

I am uncertain if this has been mentioned, but since it is fairly important information here it goes.

The Archer FastFiler jigs will NOT work on semi nor full skip chain as the jig rests on the opposite side cutters in front and back of the cutter one is filing.
I have noticed this on my full complement 36"/115DL loop as it has a uneven DL count and misses one tooth to have an even tooth count.

Extra space in my 115DL loop, two right hand cutters in a row


Jig set to file the unmarked front right hand tooth, the FastFiler barely rides the rear tooth's raker


Jig set to file the red marked rear right hand tooth, the FastFiler is barely riding the front tooth's heel


This could have been avoided/remedied if the shelves of the plastic filer construction had been made about 1/2" longer.
Price wise I don't think it would have mattered much.
It sure would have had enabled the FastFiler jig to sharpen semi & full skip chains.

Maybe I see this wrong, if so I apologize for any unintended misinformation!

 

[Wilhelm]

Funny discovery, the filing angles of the 3/8" (blue) Archer FastFiler do not match the factory round ground angles of an Archer 3/8" chain!
One would think Archer would match one to the other, but nope.

Fitment and angle comparison of the Archer FastFiler jig into an untouched factory ground Archer loop.


Factory ground Archer loop, cutter angle is 25° (note, cutter angle is matching the witness mark)


Archer loop filed to Archer FastFiler jig angle, cutter angle is 35° (note, the cutter angle is no longer matching the witness mark)


By now I own Archer FastFiler jigs for .325" , 3/8" LowProfile & 3/8".
I am sharpening all my work chains with these jigs and I am generally pleased with the results I am getting.

It is somewhat annoying that pretty much any chain I start to file with the FastFiler has to be "converted" to the jigs angles.
This is time consuming, costs tooth length and dulls files, and it takes a heavy toll on the FastFiler bottom rollers in form of wear.


The 35° top plate angle makes for an aggressive cutting chain with very good self feeding capabilities, unfortunately this is at the expense of "stay sharp" durability.
I wonder how a 25° Archer FastFiler jig would make a chain behave.

Regarding the Archer FastFiler raker setting abilities, it is mediocre at best.
On a new chain the FastFiler sets the rakers too low/aggressive, while on a loop worn to nubs the rakers are set too high/tame - the best raker setting results seem to be in a chains mid life between 4/5th and 2/5th remaining tooth life.
DISCLAIMER: Raker settings and cutting performance is a matter of personal preference, as such my observations may not apply to other individuals!

Another observation I made is that for my taste the file sits a little too low in the tooth's gullet, yes on a brand new Archer FastFiler.
This creates a fair beak on the cutter, again resulting in faster dulling.
I will try and play with this once I fabricate my own replacement bottom rollers.

This post is not meant to be considered as a negative review of the Archer FastFiler jigs!
On the contrary, I love them.
With little manufacturing efforts they could do a little better though.

 

[Wilhelm]

With bottom rollers worn this much I still got good cutting performance, although the created cutters beak tended to dull much faster and take much more damage hitting small stones and dirt embedded in the logs bark.


Once my good friend Sondre @SOS Ridgerider sent me a new 3/8" FastFiler I utilized these worn rollers only for a first ever FastFiler filing on a specific loop - this helped me a lot to spare the new rollers from excessive damage that occurs while converting ground loops to the FastFiler angles.

Unfortunately clumsy me lost one of the worn rollers so I can no longer utilize them for "conversion" filings.

 

[Wilhelm]

A neighbors Stihl chain on a Stihl 038AV, nearing its end of life, filed with an Archer FastFiler jig.


As I returned the saw I warned my neighbor to be careful, that the chain is aggressive.
Days later he called me and said he nearly fell of his feet when he placed the chain into a downed plum tree, that the saw nearly ripped out of his hands biting into the wood.
My reply was "You didn't even know how well Your saw can cut, didn't You!?".

This is what his chain looked like before I sharpened it, he couldn't get through a 20" willow.