Filing a metal block to true squareness

[Koi]

Hey guys I have been teaching myself bench work for quite a long time and it came to my realization that I wasn't able to file a metal block square i could get one surface flat but I can't make all of them 90 degrees to each other.Any tips

 

[wrmiller]

Back when my mentor wanted me to do this, I used a piece of glass, sandpaper, and a 123 block to get the 90 degree angles.

 

[RJSakowski]

Just achieving six flat faces is difficult enough, Hand filing a metal block to squareness is a true test of patience and manual dexterity. I would bevel the high side so the lower edge of the bevel is slightly higher than the opposite edge and then file to remove the hump. When the hump is removed, check again and repeat the process. Once you have two faces square, rotate 90º to square up a face opposite from of of the previous faces and repeat. Rotate 90º to square the last face of the four to complete the squared parallelogram. You can repeat the process for the remaining two faces but should only concentrate on one direction at a time.

Once you have mastered the square block , you can add the requirement of making a true cube to dimension.

 

[RWanke]

I was told by a young apprentice at Colonial Williamsburg Gunsmith shop that that use to be an exercise that apprentices were tasked with. File by hand a 1" square block, all sides square and 1" in measure.

 

[T Bredehoft]

That practice must have started when Apprentices weren't paid by the hour.

 

[silence dogood]

Here's a little trick that I use that may help you. Cover the surface that you are going to file with a magic marker or similar. I usual use blue or red, doesn't matter. Take a square so that you can see the high area. Take a couple of strokes with your file, then check again with a square. I suspect that your problem is that you are over compensating. This should help and with practice, I'll think you will do fine. I started doing this when I got bifocals.

 

[Koi]

I was told by a young apprentice at Colonial Williamsburg Gunsmith shop that that use to be an exercise that apprentices were tasked with. File by hand a 1" square block, all sides square and 1" in measure.

Oh how's Mr hustlers btw and I didn't know gunsmith apprentice has to learn benchwork

 

[Koi]

Here's a little trick that I use that may help you. Cover the surface that you are going to file with a magic marker or similar. I usual use blue or red, doesn't matter. Take a square so that you can see the high area. Take a couple of strokes with your file, then check again with a square. I suspect that your problem is that you are over compensating. This should help and with practice, I'll think you will do fine. I started doing this when I got bifocals.

You got it right i might be over compesating

 

[Koi]

Wh

That practice must have started when Apprentices weren't paid by the hour.

What do you mean.

 

[T Bredehoft]

What do you mean?

At one time, apprentices were taken by the master to live with him, 24-7. They worked when they worked, on whatever he had them work on. no pay, probably only room and board.

So any time spent on filing cubes was time well spent, but not rewarded by income. After all, he had them for 6 years.