I Am Not Making This Up

[jdedmon91]

Neat ideas, conversion of the bandsaw to metal isn’t that hard, I just recently converted a 12” Craftsman to metal cutting. I had to extra work because it was on a homemade wooden stand when I purchased it an estate auction. Instead of cluttering up the thread with the build videos, go to my YouTube channel on this build. Its Sawlogs Plastic by James Dedmon. This will give you some ideas on how I did it with jackshafts and pulleys to get the speed correct


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[ThinWoodsman]

Don’t worry about the files. They can be had (a little pricey) or made.

Think the files for an air file would work? Obligatory HF link: air file

 

[wlburton]

I bought a die filer at an auction a little while ago (made by Keller) and have found that the original files, which cut on the down stroke, are essentially not available at all. All the die filer files I've been able to locate on line (if you read the fine print) are ones that cut on the upstroke--not to mention that they are ridiculously expensive.. I quit bothering to look for them, however, when I realized that ANY file which will fit through the hole on the table and can be made to fit in the clamp will work fine--as long as the tang is pointed up. Some files cut in both directions and work okay as long as you keep the part well held down--so it doesn't pinch your fingers. The diamond coated needle files work fine as is. It's a tool that we can all probably do without, but if you can pick one up inexpensively enough you WILL find uses for it. Now I have a way to (slowly) make square and hexagonal holes!

 

[Susan_in_SF]

Neat ideas, conversion of the bandsaw to metal isn’t that hard, I just recently converted a 12” Craftsman to metal cutting. I had to extra work because it was on a homemade wooden stand when I purchased it an estate auction. Instead of cluttering up the thread with the build videos, go to my YouTube channel on this build. Its Sawlogs Plastic by James Dedmon. This will give you some ideas on how I did it with jackshafts and pulleys to get the speed correct


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The 18" Craftsman has some sort of gearbox inside with a lever to allow slow speed cutting for metal, or faster speed for wood, but you still have to change blades.
Other options for

I bought a die filer at an auction a little while ago (made by Keller) and have found that the original files, which cut on the down stroke, are essentially not available at all. All the die filer files I've been able to locate on line (if you read the fine print) are ones that cut on the upstroke--not to mention that they are ridiculously expensive.. I quit bothering to look for them, however, when I realized that ANY file which will fit through the hole on the table and can be made to fit in the clamp will work fine--as long as the tang is pointed up. Some files cut in both directions and work okay as long as you keep the part well held down--so it doesn't pinch your fingers. The diamond coated needle files work fine as is. It's a tool that we can all probably do without, but if you can pick one up inexpensively enough you WILL find uses for it. Now I have a way to (slowly) make square and hexagonal holes!

Thank you for the very useful info, wlburton.

 

[Aaron_W]

Well that is great. I thought all the California public schools abolished all the wood and metal shop classes.

I thought the same thing. They were actively closing shop classes as I was graduating in the 1980s.

I'm taking a welding class through the local community college, and the class is held in a high school metal shop, the teacher wearing two hats (HS shop teacher and college welding teacher). They have a very nice shop with several Southbend and Clausing lathes a Bridgeport mill, a second smaller Taiwanese mill (Liang Wai), a 36 ton metal shear, variety of sheet metal tools, lots of up to date welding equipment, Oxy fuel, Arc, Mig, Tig, plasma cutter, CNC plasma table, laser cutter. They move into a new building next September. This is a rural high school in one of the poorest counties in the state.

He said the past few years there has been more money coming to the schools for shop classes in California.

As an aside he would like a second Bridgeport or similar if somebody had one they wanted to donate to a school, I can get information to pass along.

 

[Silverbullet]

Must be your personality , and oh who you calling old and archaic just cause we know how to use the tools in the box . Really you young whipper snapper, showing my age LOL. You did real well in that deal all items I've had on my list of wants. But I'm happy for you too. A little ok lot jealous . Any of the tools in the box you don't know ask If you want to find out.

 

[Susan_in_SF]

Must be your personality , and oh who you calling old and archaic just cause we know how to use the tools in the box . Really you young whipper snapper, showing my age LOL. You did real well in that deal all items I've had on my list of wants. But I'm happy for you too. A little ok lot jealous . Any of the tools in the box you don't know ask If you want to find out.

Thank you for the offer, Silverbullet. I actually have so many tools that are not common (to me, at least), I plan on eventually making thread dedicated to "Name This Tool!" ;-)

 

[MSD0]

If you need to make space, let me know and maybe can work out a deal. I’m in the east bay (Fremont).

 

[Susan_in_SF]

If you need to make space, let me know and maybe can work out a deal. I’m in the east bay (Fremont).

Thanks MSD0. Let me send you a pm now..

 

[Susan_in_SF]

Make room for that die filer! Put it in your kitchen if you have to! That’s one of those machines you think you don’t need until you get one. Then you wonder how you got along without it! Kinda like a surface grinder story. Don’t worry about the files. They can be had (a little pricey) or made.

Dear chips&more,
Today, my friend Michael picked up the machines from the seller's home.



I fell off the no more tools wagon. The seller offered me the Keller 1a die filer to me for $50.

He said he always hoped to get around to finding the Overarm guise on ebay, but never got around to it.
The Overarm doesn't look to hard to make though. It also came with zero files. I did find one seller on ebay selling a new lot of 8 die filer square files for $20 that i paid for.

I actually considered taking a pic of the filer in my kitchen, but was too tired to unload it from my car, along with the boxes full of Brown & Sharpe #9 tapered end mills, mill cast iron coolant reservoir, $20 full clamp set, books, mill overarm, etc. Too bad Craigslist closed down their "Personals" section since I need to find a new strong servant (aka boyfriend) for me to move all my stuff, LOL ;-)
Susan