Sunday, July 13, 2008

Foley 200 Saw Filer Sighting!

Sorry, no pics, but I did see one. Kind of like finding Saskwatch. I knew it existed, but no one has ever seen one in person!

For those of you looking for the manual for this machine, no worries, we've got you covered. It is somewhat of a hybrid between the old Foley 387 / F-61 and the new 387 / SF-1000 models.

The feed mechanism is exactly the same as on the newer machines, so read that manual for how to adjust the 'jointing guide' and feed rate. It also has the same spring loaded file holder as the new machines.

The angle adjustment for fleam (when you're sharpening a crosscut saw) is the same as the old 387 and F-61. The old machines have you line up the angle with the left hand side of the bar (see the manual). The new machines have a pointer in the middle of the bar. The Foley 200 has you line it up on the left. I'll post pics if you're confused. Post a comment if you want to see what I'm talking about.

My impression of the model 200 is that it is a bit of a Minotaur. Half man, half bull. It has the head of the SF-1000 on the body of the F-61. It will do the job, but it has the worst of both machines.

The best part about the new 387 and SF-1000 is that they're balanced with the motor in the back so that they won't fall off your bench if you take your hand off of them for 10 seconds.

The best part of the old F-61 and 387 is that you can rig them up to run 5" files if you want to sharpen very fine teeth. That's a bit tricker with the new spring-loaded file holders.

I still wanted to buy this machine but I had to leave the auction because the auctioneer was soooo slow. It even had 5 carrier bars! What a find.

So, if you were the lucky winner this sawfiler at the auction in Maybee, Michigan, let us know what you think.