Is a die filing machine usefull in the home shop?

[itsme_Bernie]

This is a VALUABLE TIP: Die filers all run too FAST,and they wear out files quickly. Files,like any other metal cutting tool,must not be run too fast,and they are carbon steel,too,even worse for speed. And,die filers will snap metal back down on the table,pinching your fingers.

I put a little 1/2 h.p. motor on 2 of mine,with speed controllers. It was like magic. The filers can run at a much slower speed,not pinching your fingers and greatly saving the life of the file. This is REALLY worth doing.

Wow, what a tip! Thanks George.. I think I have a DC motor in an free up for that..


Bernie

 

[Privateer]

Is this the kind of machine you're referring to?



Reminds me of a scroll saw. Though now I'm curious as to what applications you'd use it for.

Terry

 

[Frank Ford]

Heat build up will crack or burn those materials.

Slower and with lube such as water for the shell will help.

Indeed it will, but it takes a LOT more heat than I generate - not hogging here - just doing gentle delicate stuff. I was more thinking about what George said about files wearing prematurely. I presume it's heat buildup at the micro edge of the file teeth generated when cutting steel at high speeds, the same as running other cutting tools too fast - you know, like when you just graze a nail with your wood cutting band saw. My filer is one I made from the MLA kit:



Here's a writeup of that adventure: http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Projects/Filer/diefiler01.html

 

[ome]

Is this the kind of machine you're referring to?

View attachment 64221

Reminds me of a scroll saw. Though now I'm curious as to what applications you'd use it for.

Terry

Thanks, And yes that is the type of machine, but on a stand.
Thanks,

Jon

- - - Updated - - -

This is a VALUABLE TIP: Die filers all run too FAST,and they wear out files quickly. Files,like any other metal cutting tool,must not be run too fast,and they are carbon steel,too,even worse for speed. And,die filers will snap metal back down on the table,pinching your fingers.

I put a little 1/2 h.p. motor on 2 of mine,with speed controllers. It was like magic. The filers can run at a much slower speed,not pinching your fingers and greatly saving the life of the file. This is REALLY worth doing.

Hi George,
Thanks for the info. Do you need a motor with infinite variable speed. 0 spm to 400spm
Any brands to stay away from, or just go with a 8" filer

thanks,
Jon

 

[george wilson]

Surplus Sales sells motors and variable speed units. I happened to get mine used somewhere. However,I managed to add a 1 1/4 H.P. variable speed D.C. motor to my Wilton Square Wheel belt grinder with a motor they no longer sell. The price was less than you can get them for elsewhere. They still have lower power motors and speed control units at Surplus Sales.

Frank,I have one of those little die filer kits. They make really beautiful little units. I need to get to building mine some day. I have his "loopy" 5C collet chuck and a ball cutter unit for a 9" SB lathe,too. I just am a sucker for those nice little kits he makes. The castings are very artistically shaped. I should have known you'd have the die filer.

Yes,heat at the tiny cutting edges will destroy the sharpness of files that are run too fast.

ome,I am not even sure of the highest speed of my units. The important thing is to use the lower speeds so filing is SAFE on your fingers,and easy on the files. I guess about 2 strokes per second is plenty fast,and soon gets the work done without the workpiece jumping up and down,pinching your fingertips. For pearl and bone you can go faster.

 

[ome]

Could I get one portable dust collector and use it on the die filer, a Sanford mini SG, and a tool and cutter grinder, as well as occasional use of spot welder on mild steel mostly, maybe some stainless.
Thanks,
Jon

 

[george wilson]

I'm not sure if a little dust collector could stand a lot of sparks without the cloth bag that is around some of their motors catching fire. Perhaps if you could put a Clean Stream filter in the unit it would be o.k.. Just be sure to never use the same unit for picking up wood dust. The vac can turn into a burning jet engine.

I do have a Delta dust collector dedicated to my Wilton Square Wheel belt grinder(which can make PLENTY of sparks.) This Delta unit has about a 40 gallon fiber drum. The outlet has a fabric bag,hanging off the side of the fiber drum. The motor is on top of the drum,with the suction fan just below the motor,also on top of the drum. So,the fabric bag is the farthest element from anything coming into the vacuum.

I have a 4" transparent plastic hose connecting the unit to the belt grinder. I have watched how far the sparks can get down the hose. They only get about between 2 and 3 feet before they burn out,and the hose is 6 feet long. No red hot sparks ever seem to make it into the dust collector drum. I seriously doubt they ever come close to reaching the external bag.

Your little vac would have the cloth bag inside the drum,though. So,if it has one,I'd get a Clean Stream filter( they have some kind of a plastic filter element). Use a long hose like I did,to give those sparks time to burn out. Use a clear hose like I did so you can verify that the sparks ARE burning out Keep a fire extinguisher handy,too.

Using the vac on a welder is not a good idea. There are special vacs used industrially to collect the SMOKE, mounted overhead with a scoop. The mini shop vac might not really filter out the smoke. That takes a special bank of filters to do it . They are pretty expensive. There's a gang of filters in them over a foot thick in them. You ought to Google around about this subject. Otherwise,you'll just have a vac that blows smoke out of the exhaust,doing no good at all. You definitely don't want to try vacuuming up those orange hot blobs of sparks from a welder. They take a lot longer to cool than grinder sparks.

By the way,I know that the clear plastic hose,with a spiral steel wire will wear a hole in it some day from the hot sparks. We had one at work that eventually got a hole worn(or melted) into it just below the belt grinder. We went to Hampton Rubber Co.,and bought some high temperature silicon rubber 4" hose to use. It could stand the heat,but was rather expensive. We did use the Wilton belt grinder a lot that was at work,and did some pretty heavy duty grinding on it. Beveling steel wagon tires for the museum was one job. they had to be beveled before welding to get a 100% weld. It might not be cost effective to buy this silicon rubber hose for the home shop. Just buy more clear plastic hose. It does take some years of nearly daily use to melt the hose.

 

[Tony Wells]

I gotta get me one of those some day. Cute little things.

 

[ome]

Thanks George and everyone else,
I was planning on using the dust collector to try and suck up the fumes from the spotwelder and send out the open window.
Since i only use one machine at a time, a portable dust collector really may work. It is 750 cfm, hoping that is a reliable number.
Thanks
Jon

 

[denton]

I was given a Milwaukee variable speed, variable stroke die filler in pieces. I finally got it all together an fabricated a few missing parts used on the overarm to hold the top of the file and keep the work on the table. I'm still looking for the perfect job to use it on. I'm still searching for an owner's guide / parts diagram.
Denton