HF Bandfile on sale.. anyone own one?

[C-Bag]

Yeah, that was my thought as well. I'm not sure what kind of work these are intended for, but it seems kind of bulky for hand held use. Mine is being fitted to a base and basically will be used as a small table top belt grinder. I've got a small Craftsman 1x30" belt / 4" disc sander, but this will only be about 1/3 the size of that when I'm done.

There has been some clumsy things on my HF motor tools but reliability has never been a problem. This bandfile and a HF sheetmetal shear were bought around the same time and both are bulky with the thumb switch in the wrong place. So not comfortable as say my Makita 4.5 angle grinder. I have no idea why they would put the switch on the top of the body instead of on the side/top where my thumb can get to it easily. They both do the job but for the shear I think I’m going to mod the switch as for me getting to the switch easily is a major safety factor as I use it with my right and hold the work with my left.

 

[pontiac428]

Huh... I bet that tool would be pretty easy to mount in a holder on the ol' QCTP. Seems like it might be nice for finishing barrels or the like.

 

[Jake M]

One of the drawbacks to the bandfile is the allen key required for the cover. STUPID.
I like tool less if I can in most areas. So made a knob for a 4 mm x .07 tpm.

I like this idea. If it's worth it, I'm not above making (or buying, or improvising) a tools free solution. I've also been known to "commonize" stuff, so if this had (it doesn't, but if it had) three service points with three tools, I might make them ALL work with one tool. Philips screws are usually the easiest way to get that result "off the shelf".

Do not understand what is happening with this new knurl, it has striations in the diamonds.. the rest is an old knurl.
the knurl was not on top of the old knurl, it was over a fresh clean cut.
View attachment 481696

One of the rollers "dropped in" to it's own pattern sooner than the other one did. Right on the hairy edge of a good start or a poor start, one of your wheels got a good start, and one didn't. My tool will do that on steel. Aluminum is pretty good. I work around it by starting on an end, partial engagement of the wheel and driving in right there until it makes a print both ways, then feed along. I have to plan ahead to be able to cut or chamfer off that "starting area" that's half a wheel wide. I'm pretty sure there's some black magic involved when it does it, because it doesn't seem to matter if I "match" the circumference to the pitch or not, it just does it sometimes.

 

[woodchucker]

BTW, I like the fact that I can fold the sander part so it stores in a smaller footprint.
I am probably going to flip the motor and head 180*.
I'm a lefty.. One thing that this is missing is threads to put a handle on it on the same plane as the output shaft. So you can hold it for fine work.
I may drill and tap the head, OR make a block that bolts into the 2 existing spots and offers a way to thread a handle in 90 to those bolts.

 

[Winegrower]

I am wondering if this little sander would be a good tool for taking, say, a few tenths off a lathe piece? Scotchbrite is a bit slow, a file might not leave a great finish but maybe with a fine grit this would be pretty fast and leave a good finish. No?

 

[C-Bag]

BTW, I like the fact that I can fold the sander part so it stores in a smaller footprint.
I am probably going to flip the motor and head 180*.
I'm a lefty.. One thing that this is missing is threads to put a handle on it on the same plane as the output shaft. So you can hold it for fine work.
I may drill and tap the head, OR make a block that bolts into the 2 existing spots and offers a way to thread a handle in 90 to those bolts.

View attachment 481757

I used the handle mount to attach my crude but effective mount on. I got the switch placement mixed up with my HF shear. The switch on the beltfiler is perfect.

 

[woodchucker]

I used the handle mount to attach my crude but effective mount on. I got the switch placement mixed up with my HF shear. The switch on the beltfiler is perfect.

they look almost alike. I already have a 1x40 belt sander , have had it since 2000 maybe , picked it up at a garage sale. Craftsman.. so I only needed the hand held when the files are just getting tiring, or you can't push anything in, there's no room behind it. My 1x40 is one of my most used tools (period).

nice and simple mod c-bag

 

[C-Bag]

they look almost alike.

yup, they are probably exact, but they changed the colors and for good reason I think. The old silver and whatever the color is looks cheap, yours looks like it means business. And that way they can double the price!

 

[woodchucker]

yup, they are probably exact, but they changed the colors and for good reason I think. The old silver and whatever the color is looks cheap, yours looks like it means business. And that way they can double the price!

yep, but I think the motor might be a little more juice. This is 5.3amp, yours? I also like that they didn't cheap out on the internal gear for the right angle. The last batch of 9.99 grinders sucked so bad.. plastic housing and really cheesy output shaft and gear.

 

[C-Bag]

The last batch of 9.99 grinders sucked so bad.. plastic housing and really cheesy output shaft and gear.

The only thing I don’t like is HF grinders. I’ll take the hit and buy Makita every time. I’ve saved so much on the other HF’s I can afford it. But there is not the crazy jump in $$ like as with Bosch.

Funny, my band file is also 5.3 amp. The new one looks way less cheesy. Like I said if they were side by side I’d go with the new one.