Die Filers

[GWRdriver]

Does anyone out there have or use a die filer? These have been obsolete in production T&D work for some time but I have found they are simply a great tool to have for model engineering work. I worked for many years without one (for many years I didn't know what a die filer was!) and then one came my way and now I use it as frequently as I do any other tool in my workshop. Here's a photo of the Milwaukee die filer which was one of the better know mfgs along with Harvey, Oliver and Grob which was considered the Cadillac of die filers.

 

[Starlight Tools]

You missed a brand

Beaver / Rockwell / Delta

But they called it a scroll saw.

Walter

 

[Tony Wells]

Die filers are a very often overlooked tool. Anyone doing wheel work should have one (at least). They are not prohibitively heavy, or noisy, and the tooling is easy to come by, or make. I haven't had one in years, but now and then I wish I still had one.

 

[GWRdriver]

Tony,
The files are becoming difficult (ie expensive) to find, especially new, but a handfull will come up on eBay every once in a while. There is a company in Memphis TN, Federal File Co., which still lists die files (parallel machine files) in their catalogue but the last couple of times I tried to contact them they weren't at home. Although the shapes would be limited one could still adapt conventional hand files and get along pretty well.

 

[Tony Wells]

I thought Victor still sold them new:

http://www.victornet.com/cgi-bin/victor/productlist.html?subdepartments=Files,+Parallel+Machine:1564

Federal still lists a few:

http://www.fedfile.com/parallel.htm

I'm sure there are a few more, but you are right, since these machines aren't so popular any more, I expect the files will be harder and harder to find as time goes on.

 

[wdgarrett]

GWRdriver

Some pictures of an Oliver model S-4 die filer that I use from time to time.

Bill
[attachimg=1][attachimg=2][attachimg=3]

 

[GWRdriver]

author=chengdave2003 link=topic=1593.msg9421#msg9421 date=1302312763
You can buy a kit and machine one yourself:

Dave,
I knew of that one from Metal Lather Acces., and I almost went for it, and then a nice Milwaukee appeared for a good price. MLA also produces (or used to produce) a casting for a slotted table cross-slide for South Bends, and IIRC that's what got them started. Everything I've ever heard about his castings has been good.

 

[GWRdriver]

author=starlight_tools link=topic=1593.msg9418#msg9418 date=1302311975
You missed a brand

Not surprising. Until I started digging into it I'd only heard of 4 or 5 on my list. I'd like to see a picture of the Rockwell machine, I don't remember seeing one in their catalogues from the mid-1960s forward.

 

[Starlight Tools]

Harry as I said earlier, these were not known as Die filers, they were known as Scroll Saws. But the design was either based on how a Die Filer was made, or the Die Filer was based on this design, not sure which came first. Either way, there is a motorized reciprocating arbour that has a table wrapped around it to support the stock. The Scroll Saw had an additional overarm to support flimsy blades.

I have a JS3100 in my shop and a 40-440 that has been refurbed and is on my sales floor waiting for a new home.

Beaver JS3100 24" Scrol/Jig Saw

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2133

Rockwell Delta 40-205 to 40-440 Scroll / Jig Saw

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=3224

Here are the manuals for these two machines on Vintage Machines, fromerly OWWM.

The Series 40 manual actually shows a picture of it set up with a file inserted in the chuck.

Walter

 

[GWRdriver]

Thanks Walter. When I was a kid (early 1950s) there was a flurry of garage boat building activity around here and my Dad knew several of them and I can remember seeing a couple of these jigsaws when we'd visit the garages.