Home Made Filing Machine or Die Filer

[brianhw]

I made this Filing Machine from a scrap Stihl saw and various scrap bits and pieces recently and have just posted it on my YouTube channel to supplement all my other videos. All reasonable questions answered. You can see the (approximately 7 minute) video by by clicking the arrowhead below:-

[DIYer]

Thanks brianhw! We've added your Filing Machine to our Metalworking category,
as well as to your builder page: brianhw's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Filing Machine by brianhw

tags: pulley, crankshaft, file

[Jon]

Congratulations brianhw - your Filing Machine is the Tool of the Week!

You'll be receiving one of our official HomemadeTools.net T-shirts:

We've also added the wrench-on-pedestal award to the awards showcase in your postbit, visible beneath your username:


Just PM me your details (size, black/white color choice, and mailing address) and we'll get your award sent out.

Congratulations and nice job.

[McDesign]

What about pressure on the back side of the tooth on the return stroke? I understand that wears files quickly.

Was wondering - been hand-filing a lot lately -

[brianhw]

Yes, McDesign, ideally it should have a fore and aft movement like the better quality jig saws, but this was impractical to construct and in use it doesn't seem to have any noticeable adverse effects on the files. 'Rubbing wear' on files on the back stroke is widely greatly exaggerated, I think.

[olderdan]

I have used an industrial floor standing filing machine with adjustable stroke maxing out at 6 inches, mainly used for profiling templates.
As I recall it had a purely linear action with no back stroke relief.

[mklotz]

If you're interested in adding backstroke relief to a filing machine Google motion picture projector film advance mechanisms.

A given frame of the film must sit stationary in the gates for a short period of time while the advance mechanism pulls back and reaches down/up for a new frame to replace the stationary one being projected.

There are many mechanical arrangements for doing this push/pull, backoff, rise/fall, reengage sequence. I'm familiar with a D-drive implementation and another based on the Reuleaux triangle (of rotary engine fame) but there are probably dozens others.