Filing a metal block to true squareness

I never even thought to try to make a square with a file. I bought machines so that I did not have to file anymore.
To me filing falls into the realm of artistic ability. ALL of my artistic ability can be poured into a thimble with a LOT of room left over. I spent all of my adult life as an engineer / draftsman. I still can not draw even a semi straight line to save my life without the help of a straight edge.
I do not try to make much of anything that requires it to be pretty, Pretty is not in my tool box.
 
I don't have a need nor desire to file a steel block square, in fact I that's sounds like an extremely unenjoyable project. But if you're enjoying it that's all that matters.
 
Downunder Bob said:
It wasn't really a cruel reality, it was just reality. The logic was that if you couldn't make it in two weeks, you would never make a good toolmaker. Out of five apprentices in my intake year four of us got it easily in 4 to 5 days, the fifth guy struggled, he just got in the full two weeks but he had a lot of help.The company kept him on, but regretted it, he graduated, but only just and never made a good tradesman, In fact at the end of his apprenticeship he quit and joined the army.

No we didn't have to make our own square, they were bought proper engineers square, but yes I got the block square at the end of the first week. The first couple of days were awful but you just persevere and all of a sudden it just falls into place.
Click to expand...

My former father in law was an engineer trained in Germany in the early 50s. I remember him telling me that one of his first tasks was to make a rectangular brass hammer head using only hand tools and it had to be filed to tolerance including all angles being within tolerance of 90.

I can see the value in going through the process as an apprentice, especially as an engineer that will be designing parts to be manufactured, but I'm not too eager to run out to the shop and give it a go myself.
 
Flyinfool said:
I never even thought to try to make a square with a file. I bought machines so that I did not have to file anymore.
To me filing falls into the realm of artistic ability. ALL of my artistic ability can be poured into a thimble with a LOT of room left over. I spent all of my adult life as an engineer / draftsman. I still can not draw even a semi straight line to save my life without the help of a straight edge.
I do not try to make much of anything that requires it to be pretty, Pretty is not in my tool box.
Click to expand...
Well for me it's about making the most precise thing with only hand tools and how sophisticated can I get and learning the lost art of metal cold working
 
When I was studying machine shop at the Junior College, one of our first projects was a parallel jaw clamp. We were only allowed to use a hacksaw, files and a drill press to make the jaws. Harry tried to make us feel better by describing the poor German apprentices who had to file a cube.
 
When I started my apprenticeship in 1974, I can't remember having to file a block like that (might have done though). I can remember doing an exercise that was made from 6 or 8mm thick X 75mm flat blackbar. It had to be cut with a hacksaw and then filed so that it looked like a letter "E". Then we had to make the mating part so that when it went together it became a square (or rectangle) It had to fit both ways and no light showing through the joins when held up to the light. Plus both sides had to be flat. That was pretty challenging for a 16yo kid. Most of us (there were about 16 of us in that years apprentice intake) managed to do it after a while but it was hard going. Especially in the middle of summer, with brand new overalls and work boots on and standing in the sun in the afternoon. (The door to the workshop faced the west and it was open all day and of course thats where the filing benches were)
I couldn't file something like that now if my life depended on it. I admire those who wish to learn this as a hobby.
Thinking back now, I must have been really keen to be a fitter and machinist. With hindsight I should have got a job as a clerk somewhere. I would have earned a lot more money over the years and not knocked my body around. hmmm.
peter
 
bollie7 said:
When I started my apprenticeship in 1974, I can't remember having to file a block like that (might have done though). I can remember doing an exercise that was made from 6 or 8mm thick X 75mm flat blackbar. It had to be cut with a hacksaw and then filed so that it looked like a letter "E". Then we had to make the mating part so that when it went together it became a square (or rectangle) It had to fit both ways and no light showing through the joins when held up to the light. Plus both sides had to be flat. That was pretty challenging for a 16yo kid. Most of us (there were about 16 of us in that years apprentice intake) managed to do it after a while but it was hard going. Especially in the middle of summer, with brand new overalls and work boots on and standing in the sun in the afternoon. (The door to the workshop faced the west and it was open all day and of course thats where the filing benches were)
I couldn't file something like that now if my life depended on it. I admire those who wish to learn this as a hobby.
Thinking back now, I must have been really keen to be a fitter and machinist. With hindsight I should have got a job as a clerk somewhere. I would have earned a lot more money over the years and not knocked my body around. hmmm.
peter
Click to expand...
I'm 18 now does that mean I'm worst than you :-(
 
Koi said:
I'm 18 now does that mean I'm worst than you :-(
Click to expand...
Dunno mate. Depends on what you mean by worse I suppose. :) As I've got older and had more life experience (some of which I wish I had not had), what is important to me has changed a lot since I was your age. I look at some of the stuff I have in my shed that I've had for more than 35 years and never used. I'm starting to realise a lot of it I never will use.
When I was your age I was always working on something. Id spend my work days fixing machinery and then come home and work on more machinery etc. Loved it.
So if you love working on things and making things etc then go for it. There's not as many young people these days interested in doing that.
Take care
peter
 
After over 50 years, I will still use a file for three reasons. On certain jobs, it is far quicker to clamp the work in a vise, file it than mill it. It keeps me in practice. And I actually enjoy it. Now here is something that should help you. Keep that file clean as you use it. So keep a file card near by and use it often. A little burr embedded in your file can scratch your work big time. It can take quite a few strokes to get it out and may end up throwing your dimension and the flatness off.
 
I think it's funny the one apprentice I ever met lives down the street from me and is in his 80's. He apprenticed when he was 16 to a company that made precision equipment used in navigation like sextant and clocks in Breman Germany after the war. He had a leg up because everybody knew his father did all kinds of repair and my neighbor had worked in his fathers shop since he was 5 so when I asked him about "the cube" he just laughed. He never finished his and was worried about it and the journeymen he worked under just growled go put it on the lathe! His gruff old boss never did ask him for his cube. He figured they used it to run off those they felt didn't have any aptitude. He still makes incredible stuff like model ships from scratch and RC aircraft. Almost all with simple hand tools.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top