carlton file-o-plate

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apparently i am not smart enough to use a such a simple tool. i received one friday and spent a couple of minutes trying to figure it out. i gave up and figured i would find out here.

so, go ahead and see if you can splain it to this simpleton.

Neal
 
Little piece of very hard sheet steel, cut outs for cutter (and for safety doo-dad thing, if safety chain). Lay it over the tooth, line up file angle and file away. Tool keeps file at correct height.

Can use similarly to dress rakers.

They do work slick, but I think they are best as a learning tool: watch what is happening and learn to use file without tool. After a while it gets tedious flopping it around on the chain.
 
apparently i am not smart enough to use a such a simple tool. i received one friday and spent a couple of minutes trying to figure it out. i gave up and figured i would find out here.

so, go ahead and see if you can splain it to this simpleton.

Neal

I had one given to me, does it only fit Carlton chain? Couldn't figure out how to use it on Oregon chain without a big hammer to adjust for fit.
 
nmurph, don't feel bad, you are not the only one who found the FOP instructions lacking.

Here is a pic from the Carlton website, it's not that clear, but maybe it'll get you started.

I keep saying I'll post some close-up pics of my FOP in action, to clarify how I position the FOP, but I never seem to find time. Keep bugging me.
FOP_instruction.jpg
 
I use mine primarily for keeping the rakers filed. They are great for that, but I prefer to use a Stihl file holder for filing the cutters. The Fil-O-Plate is so small that it gives me finger cramps using it.
 
i have an oregon grinder that i use after a couple of days of hand filing to true-up the angles. i want to use it to set the raker height as well, but i want the heights to be progressive as the the cutter height changes.
 
That is what is good about the Fil-O-Plate. It gauges the raker to each tooth and not just a blanket size. I do not file all my cutter the same. I cannot see filing off all the good teeth because a couple of them hit a rock. As long as the raker is gauged to the tooth, it does not seem to matter that the teeth are all the same size as far as I can tell.
 
Little piece of very hard sheet steel, cut outs for cutter (and for safety doo-dad thing, if safety chain). Lay it over the tooth, line up file angle and file away. Tool keeps file at correct height.

Can use similarly to dress rakers.

They do work slick, but I think they are best as a learning tool: watch what is happening and learn to use file without tool. After a while it gets tedious flopping it around on the chain.

:agree2:


I used one for the first time just over a week ago, and it works very well!

Using it will not become a habit though, except for the rakers of Carlton chain.

Each version is specially made for spesific Carlton chain models - so it is not a "universial" tool (as with the Husky roller guide)!
 
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That is what is good about the Fil-O-Plate. It gauges the raker to each tooth and not just a blanket size. I do not file all my cutter the same. I cannot see filing off all the good teeth because a couple of them hit a rock. As long as the raker is gauged to the tooth, it does not seem to matter that the teeth are all the same size as far as I can tell.

:agree2: (within reason)!

The Husky raker guides and roller/raker guide combos work about the same way, adjusting each raker to its individual cutter.

Thanks to Mark Heimann for the chain and plate (not availiable here)! :cheers:
 
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i guess i wasted a few bucks on these FOP: i run RSC. when i grind my chains i usually check for the shortest tooth and grind all others to this spec. i know it is a little wasteful, but as a weekend cutter it is not cost-prohibitive for me. it is not a big deal if i lose a grinding or two from a chain. so if every cutter is filed the same can i use the oregon gauge to set the rakers? it is the type that you lay across the top of the cutters.
 
I bought one from Baileys and it will also work on Woodland Pro chains 30RC, 38RC, and 33RC so says my not so informative destructions.
 
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That is what is good about the Fil-O-Plate. It gauges the raker to each tooth and not just a blanket size. I do not file all my cutter the same. I cannot see filing off all the good teeth because a couple of them hit a rock. As long as the raker is gauged to the tooth, it does not seem to matter that the teeth are all the same size as far as I can tell.
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============= If you were running a 30 plus inch bar ,and bucking cuts as long as and up to twice the width as the length of the bar . you would soon see you need to keep all the cutters and depth guages exactly the same .......
.. When you don,t it puts undue wear on several parts , but mostly the bar ...... Bars wear out so fast they need to be babied . keeping the chain as perfect as possible is so important . And it makes cutting so much funner !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A perfect bar and chain ........make up for many ills with the power head ..... I know that goes against the construction contractor mentality . But it is what makes packin a saw around for a profession fun .....

. I could take alot of old saws that ran dependably like a Super XL Homelite , put a chisel ground ,properly jointed 3/8 semi skip chisel bit chain in a nice new Oregon bar with synthetic blend bar oil , and out cut many of the 044-372 Stihls and Huskies used by members on here ....... People seem to be big on hopping up the engines ...

.
. Almost a waste of time , as far as scale on the ground atr the end of each day .....
. The chain , tho .... ALL THE DIFFERENCE .............Bar also .. and bar oil !!!!!
 
I've got one of those Super XL 12 Automatic Homelites and it cuts good with a bow on it and a wore out chain and only 58cc.
 
I had one given to me, does it only fit Carlton chain? Couldn't figure out how to use it on Oregon chain without a big hammer to adjust for fit.

i guess i wasted a few bucks on these FOP:

I've used the File-O-Plates with excellent results on Oregon (LGX 3/8" and .404" plus 3/8"LP), Stihl (inc. 3/8" RSC), Windsor (semi chisel 3/8"and .404"), and of course Carlton chain. There isn't a big difference in cutter profiles between brands. There also isn't much difference if using the semi chisel File-O-Plate on full chisel either.
They really are a valuable little addition.
 
Yes, but I've heard these FOP's aren't for use on full skip chains. Any truth to this?
 
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