Fast-Filer Chain Filing Guide

[Philbert]

Interesting observations. You should be the Archer Rep, or at least its official consular, for Europe!

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.

As a side note, many different file / sharpening guides do not 'match up' exactly. One person's 30° does not always equal someone else's 30°. Etc. Even with grinders. These are all 'semi-precision' guides, which also incur some user variability and error.

Although I like to 'play with' a host of different sharpening guides, I normally recommend that people pick one and stick with it, so they are not spending more of their time re-shaping the cutters rather than sharpening them. At a minimum, they should understand the differences between items used, if for example, they grind chains at home and 'touch up' with a file in the field. In that case, I make an effort to match them up: 'grind as I file and file as I grind'.

Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

Interesting observations. You should be the Archer Rep, or at least its official consular, for Europe!

I do not think I could tolerate "50 questions" explaining someone how to use a straight forward filing support.
I have a very, very, very low tolerance fuse which creates a lot of fallout once it blows.

As a side note, many different file / sharpening guides do not 'match up' exactly. One person's 30° does not always equal someone else's 30°. Etc. Even with grinders. These are all 'semi-precision' guides, which also incur some user variability and error.

Although I like to 'play with' a host of different sharpening guides, I normally recommend that people pick one and stick with it, so they are not spending more of their time re-shaping the cutters rather than sharpening them. At a minimum, they should understand the differences between items used, if for example, they grind chains at home and 'touch up' with a file in the field. In that case, I make an effort to match them up: 'grind as I file and file as I grind'.

Philbert

Luckily I exclusively round file all my work chains.

Last year I used a 3/8" Archer FastFiler, courtesy of Sondre @SOS Ridgerider , on a couple work chains.
I realized that the jig really simplifies round filing and generates a good cutting chain.
Sondre got me a whole set of FastFilers including a new 3/8" jig at the turn of the year and by now I am FastFiling ALL my work chains.

As I mentioned in my previous posts, I will try and "fine tune" the lower roller diameter a little and see what it gets me.
I am also still interested in a .404" jig and I might just mod one of my 3/8" jigs to ride a .404" chain - we'll see how that goes.

I tried searching for a contact mail for Archer, but my Google-Fu was weak and all I got was some communications systems company.
I was considering to message the seller archerplus on eBay with some questions.
@Philbert do You perhaps have a contact email address for Archer?

 

[Philbert]

I tried searching for a contact mail for Archer, but my Google-Fu was weak and all I got was some communications systems company. @Philbert do You perhaps have a contact email address for Archer?

http://www.pmdinternational.com.au/

http://www.pmdinternational.com.au/products/the-archer-range/

Australia – Head Office
Address: 380 Foleys Road, Derrimut VIC 3030 Australia
Postal: P.O Box 387, Deer Park, VIC 3023 Australia
Phone: +61 3 8390 3933
Fax: +61 3 8390 3999
Email: info@pmdinternational.com.au


Some of this stuff is in this thread:
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/archer-saw-chain-made-in-australia.245018/

Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

No wonder I couldn't find anything.

Thank You

 

[Wilhelm]

For those who intend to download the "12MB Archer catalogue", it is a 2015. catalogue, has a size of 33.9MB and the download speed is rather slow.

I guess they do not deal in low volume themselves, read the couple first rows.


Their web page won't get You anywhere either, very limited info.

 

[Wilhelm]

During this week I have started efforts to make my own replacement rollers.

It would be as easy as blinking if I had access to a lathe, but I do not and as such I am making them the hard/complicated way which takes more time and effort.

Stay tuned.

 

[Wilhelm]

Materials I have used to make some rollers today, left to right:
- nylon (hot glue rod, 11mm)
- acetal/delrin black 10mm & white 12mm (off eBay)
- EBABOARD S1 (I had to look it up, says: synthetic, post-cured board material on polyurethane base)
- the yellow block is some kind of hard plastic of unknown to me properties


I made some drilling jigs to "process" the rollers, left to right:
- diamond laced core drill off eBay , I freehanded a center hole to add a center drill, I is NOT truly centric , this is for processing the plastic blocks
- a cylindrical piece of steel with a two step hole, drilled freehand, NOT truly centric , this is for processing the plastic rods
- an M5 bolt with a cylindrical M5 nut, I used this to chuck up the rollers that I made with the core drill into an electric drill in an attempt to free hand turn the rollers round , it was a partial success

 

[Wilhelm]

I messed up a few rollers badly, none are truly drilled centric.

The bad ones


The ones that will proceed to prototype testing


As can be seen, I only focused on the lower roller that guides the round file.
Considering the original rollers wear pattern the larger diameter flat file roller is showing much less wear so I am thinking of making separate rollers for the round and flat file each.
But for now the idea is to utilize the custom made rollers twice simply by turning them around once the side facing the chains tooth wears down.


Next up, testing of the custom made bottom rollers.


Access to a lathe would make processing these so much more simpler.

 

[Philbert]

Are you trying to cut these with the drill bit, instead of abrading them with sandpaper / cloth, etc?

I found that certain types of files worked better on plastic, when I was reconditioning felling wedges (another source of plastic? Sometimes ABS).
3rd post in this thread:
https://opeforum.com/threads/wedge-renewal.13185/

Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

Yes, I have "turned" the rollers made out of the EBABOARD S1 and the yellow hard plastic by utilizing a new drill bits cutter/blade.
I tried a new sharp Stihl flat file, it was not taking off enough material to remove the out of round, and the file was plugging with plastic dust too fast.
The core drill I utilized to make these rollers has an over sized inner diameter, as such I had to take off 1-2mm outer diameter to get the rollers to 12mm.
Whether I will be reducing the rollers OD further depends where the file will end up within the tooth, the factory blue rollers are ~10mm OD.

The round acetal and nylon rollers did not get additionally worked over.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Any thought given to trying a 3-D printer approach to the rollers...., or at least the 'blanks' for subsequent drilling of the hole?

 

[Wilhelm]

Well, I personally do not have access to a 3D printer, I don't even know anyone with a 3D printer.

I do know someone with a lathe, as such using a lathe is much closer to reality than using a 3D printer.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Gotcha. Just thinking out loud. Don't mind me. LOL

 

[Philbert]

I do know someone with a lathe, . . . .

How about a drill press? They have been used as a 'poor man's lathe' more than once!

Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

Yes, yes, a drill press would be nice too.

Ya, I don't have one.
Where do I get a cheap one?

 

[Philbert]

Where do I get a cheap one?

You don't want a cheap one. You want to know someone who has a good one.

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

There are a bunch of articles and videos on turning wooden pens, including a few without a lathe. These might inspire you.

But if you get your drill secured to a mount, use a short piece of threaded rod to hold the work piece, and make a wooden block to support the other end of the rod, you have a 'lathe'!

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

How are the replacement rollers coming? Updates?

Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

I utilized custom made bottom rollers on my FastFiler during my recent job bucking my uncles firewood logs.
I utilized Acetal/Delrin rollers and a brand new Oregon file.
I have about 5-6 normal chain filings and one extreme filing (I cut a stone in half, almost completely) on the custom bottom rollers - they show negligible wear.

Since my uncles firewood logs were the only saw action I had, updates on my custom made rollers are limited.

Stick with the roller diameters the OEM rollers have!
I made larger diameter rollers (12mm) in an attempt to squeeze out more life out of them, it is a fail as the file gets positioned too high creating a dull beak less cutter.
I may try again with 11mm custom rollers, but right now I do not have the means to turn down the 12mm rods I have.

Generally, my replacement bottom rollers work fine on my 3/8" Archer FastFiler jig.

Also, Swiss made Oregon branded round file is sharper and smoother than German made Stihl branded round file.

 

[Wilhelm]

Current condition of my replacement bottom rollers.



The wear is positioned that far on the rollers edge because two of the three used chains are nearing the witness mark.
I may remedy this issues by utilizing the 12mm acetal/delrin rod I have as side roller replacements, that would position the file a little more away from the bottom rollers edge.