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  #1  
Old 11-18-2005, 10:34 AM
ragnik ragnik is offline
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Building the best file guide

Ok guys....just looking for some thoughts here. What is the best file guide designs? How much do you folks use a file guide?

I just made one out of two plates of steel on fat one not...1st plate was 1/4 thick the other block was 3/4 of an inch thick. Into the thick block i placed two o-1 drill rods to keep things striaght when i slide on the 1/4 thick plate. Then i drilled and tapped two more holes the thick block and then two holes into the 1/4 plate for two allen head screws to fit though the 1/4 plate to clamp the knife into. Then of course heat treated it and used a surface grinder to make it all square and flat. A simalar design can be seen i think kovals had it in there catalog...but they used to 1/4 plates.

I do remember seeing one that steve sandos made a while back I think the blade come up through a palte in teh middle...looked slick!

What would make a better file guide? ANy thoughts here guys I had fun making the first one so I thought i would try to make another....but I am looking for impovements. I have access to a full sized millin machine as well as surface grinders so I can do just about anything. Also for those that fo use file guides do you clamp them in a vise or not?

Lets talk it up some and see what we can come up with.

Ross
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  #2  
Old 11-18-2005, 12:41 PM
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Ed Caffrey Ed Caffrey is offline
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I make my file guides out of 3/4" square mild steel X 4" long, with hardface rod on the top edges. I use two steel dowels as guide pins, and two socket head bolts.

Hardface both pieces, drill and ream for the guide pins, and then drill/thread for the socket head bolts.

Bolt it all together and surface grind down the hardfaced edge............you have a file guide, ready to use that will last for years.


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  #3  
Old 11-18-2005, 04:40 PM
ragnik ragnik is offline
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Ed

How are you attaching the metal rods for the guides?

Ross

PS Thanks for the reply sounds imilar to what i did except i used o-1 tool steel...
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  #4  
Old 11-19-2005, 07:28 AM
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Make one side of the guide rod hole very tight. I do this by just drilling the one side the same size as the rod/dowel, and NOT reaming it. Basically that side has the guide rods/dowels press fitted into the holes and the other side is reamed out so the rods/dowels slide easily.
The first couple of filing jigs I ever made where out of tool steel, but I found that when I hardened them to the point where they would be hard enough for the files not to touch them, they would crack or break in a short while. Once I went to the mild steel with the hard faces, the cracking/breaking problem ended.


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  #5  
Old 11-19-2005, 10:18 AM
ragnik ragnik is offline
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Ed,

Thanks for the comments one more thought. Maybe I am just being thick headed but how are you getting a hard face on the mild steel are you plating it with tool steel or something. I looked at Uncle Als file guide he has a picture on his website...it looks like he uses mild steel on the bottom with two bolts/ allen head screws into them then puts a plate on top that is tool steel with a hole in the middle.

I am proably over thinking this like normal ...I do appreciate your comments

Thanks

Ross
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  #6  
Old 11-19-2005, 07:03 PM
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Got a pic? I use file guides alot.I use them for filing the shoulders for guards as well as doing my plunge cuts,as well as many other things.


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  #7  
Old 11-21-2005, 11:08 PM
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I just finished this one up on sunday...no great mysteries here its just like several i have seen posted around on the web... its 2 plates 1/4 inch thick with rod for guides...press fitted into one end and 2 allen head screws for tighting. I am a little concerned about it now after eds comments on the tool steel....ed if you are still reading this thread I am still confused on how you hard face mild steel.

Guess what I was driving at with this thread is ...are there better ways or imporvments we could make to this design/....


Ross
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  #8  
Old 11-22-2005, 09:13 PM
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I would think if you tempered it for a few hours it would relieve the stress.Are you selling these?


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  #9  
Old 11-23-2005, 06:45 AM
T L Smith T L Smith is offline
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Hi,

A long time ago I remember seeing file guides in a gunsmiths shop. The plates were brass to avoid marking the work. Both plates had been drilled lengthwise near the edge and then the edge was milled away to remove about 1/4 of the holes then hardened drill rods were soldered into the holes. He also had some made that way with mild steel or steel backed brass and some using two small rods. He handmade sidelocks, percusion, and flint locks.

Tom
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  #10  
Old 11-23-2005, 09:01 AM
ragnik ragnik is offline
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Tom, Maybe I will try that on the next one. Perhaps that is what Ed meant he does on his with the mild steel? That would make sense.

Thanks for the comments guys.

Ross
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  #11  
Old 11-28-2005, 04:02 PM
Jerry Shorter Jerry Shorter is offline
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Simular to Tom's only using lathe tool blanks attached as runners on mild steel bars. Kill the edge on the tool blanks or they will kill the teeth on your file
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  #12  
Old 12-02-2005, 09:39 AM
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http://www.riversidemachine.net/item349582.ctlg

I got one of Uncle Al's drilled and tapped two holes in the jaw and mounted it ina piece of 2x4 steel tubing. The tubing just makes it easier to use in the vise.


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  #13  
Old 12-02-2005, 10:16 PM
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OK, a file guide guides a file. I've tried a litle hand filing and could not get it uniform to save my life. A guide to follow with a file sounds good. I'm ignorant about them, though. Do you follow notches in it like a mitre box? May I ask how to use it?


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  #14  
Old 12-02-2005, 11:42 PM
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I missed getting back on this thread, so I'll answer the questions directed to me...although a bit late.

The way I make the surface of the mild steel file jigs hard is to weld on them with "hard face" welding rod. I run 3-4 beads down the face of each piece of 3/4" mild steel square, overlapping each bead. I then grind the weld beads flat, put the jig together and surface grind the whole face until it's flat and true. I feel that the 3/4" size is necessary to ensure you get a large enough flat surface for the file to cut "true" upon. The hard face rod last a LONG time. I've had one of the jigs in my shop go for over 5 years now, and have only re-trued it on the surface grinder once.

I borrowed my design off the old style jigs that Riverside used to sell.


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  #15  
Old 12-03-2005, 12:29 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cavetech
OK, a file guide guides a file. I've tried a litle hand filing and could not get it uniform to save my life. A guide to follow with a file sounds good. I'm ignorant about them, though. Do you follow notches in it like a mitre box? May I ask how to use it?
Steve,
In the "Workshop" section of the site there is a lock-back folder tutorial by Neil Charity that has several pictures illustrating the use of a file guide. Here is a link. Hope that helps (it did for me).

-Ben M.
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