Author Topic: It followed me home from Cabin Fever  (Read 16681 times)

Bogstandard

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Re: It followed me home from Cabin Fever
« Reply #30 on: April 17, 2013, 11:08:48 PM »
I too have a very nice die filer, kindly donated by Stew to my workshop when it was rebuilt with all new machinery a few years ago.

In this view, it shows it fitted with the spring loaded top follower, which allows it to be used with hacksaw blades and very thin files.



The table does tilt a little either way, just in case you want to put an accurate angle onto something you are cutting.



A close up of the tensioning head, and the hold down bar which stops the job lifting up from the table



I also bought a load of new files from the link shown above, but they are mainly for just sticking up through the table, not held on their top end.



For that sort of work, you need another arm with an anti lift bar and pressure support fitted, but no tensioner. Shown here laying on the bench in front of machine. You really do need that back support roller as when you are using long and thin files, with the pressure of you pushing, it prevents the file from being snapped off.



The anti lift bar is a critical part, you risk serious injury if you try to use one of these machines without one, they have a lot of power, and can easily guillotine a misplaced bit of finger off.

This is a piece of 1/8" thick brass, and using a parallel chainsaw file, took only a few seconds to do this damage (just trying the machine out really).



This is it being used as a small power hacksaw, I needed to cut 60 1/4" steel bars for making my toolholder holders, and this little machine did it in minutes.



I replaced the normal v-belt with a Redthane one, which allows me to change speeds by just stretching the belt and dropping it onto the other sheave, rather than slackening and tightening the motor mount.



So in reality, if you do a lot of profiling, shaping material, cutting or even cleaning up and shaping of castings etc, one of these little machines becomes indispensable in the shop, and if you have the chance to get hold of one, buy it, you won't be disappointed.

I hope this has shown you a bit more of an insight into one of these least known machines.


John

Offline tel

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Re: It followed me home from Cabin Fever
« Reply #31 on: April 17, 2013, 11:21:40 PM »
Extremely nice machine John - I'm sure I couls shoehorn that into my workshop somewhere!  ;)
The older I get, the better I was.
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Offline sshire

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Re: It followed me home from Cabin Fever
« Reply #32 on: April 17, 2013, 11:28:29 PM »
Very nice John!
I don't have the back support for shorter files. The overarm follower on mine will stretch down a bit.
I agree on the hold down. Essential. I'll take a photo of the Oliver hold down and post it. Simple, and may be useful as a guide for making it for those who don't have one.
BTW, both Oliver and Victor aka victornet.com have files. Chainsaw files are parallel and I picked up two sizes at the big box store today. They should work fine upside down.
Best,
Stan

Bogstandard

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Re: It followed me home from Cabin Fever
« Reply #33 on: April 18, 2013, 12:14:15 AM »
Chainsaw files are great.

The ones I can get come in three sizes, and they are dirt cheap compared to normal good quality files.

You can cut them into short lengths to be used for table protruding ones, maybe just an inch or so. But I prefer to leave them long and use the top tensioned support.



Fettling a rough flywheel casting using a large half round with no top support, no hold down bar because the file had a very smooth cut plus there was nowhere to put the hold down onto. I had to keep a good downwards pressure to stop the casting flying up into the air.



Rough cleaned up, in just a few minutes.
You can see by the marks on the file how much stroke you have to work with.


John

Online Dave Otto

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Re: It followed me home from Cabin Fever
« Reply #34 on: April 18, 2013, 02:00:16 AM »
I purchased a die filer last summer from a local machinery dealer ( I have always wanted one); I haven't had time to do much with it though.

I did purchase an assortment of files from Victor Machinery; and at the GEARS show last year I was able to purchase some smaller files from Gary Martin (Martin Model & Pattern). I'm getting close to having more money invested in files than I paid for the machine.

I need to clean it up and at least change the oil but I would like to strip it down completely and give it  a thorough going over and a fresh coat of paint.

Dave

Offline gary hart

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Re: It followed me home from Cabin Fever
« Reply #35 on: April 18, 2013, 03:45:28 AM »

Using a bi-metal hacksaw blade grind most of the blade away behind the teeth in the area it will be cutting works real good for sawing curved lines in fairly heavy material.     View looking under table.



A VFD (variable frequency drive) is nice as gives all the speeds between too fast and too slow without out any belt changing.

 

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