Great videos (parts 1 and 2). Waiting for part 3 to see how it works. I have a couple of Swiss made slitting saws to let which are of good quality. Let me know ; of course this will be free of charge for you 😎
I used to run a 3+2 axis vertical mill with a bad habit of dropping tools that had a 23" saw blade as an unfortunately common tool. I had some words with one of our programmers when he wrote a program that had a coping cut on extrusion where it would make the vertical cut then come in horizontally from the end... The temp I was training that day didn't stay too long. Can't really blame em when a nearly fist sized sharp edged chunk of aluminum shot out over 40 ft (missed us by about 2ft) AFTER bouncing off the guard so hard that people from every corner of a 100,000sqft building came to check on us.
I saw a great hack for your dead center, where part of it is made flat, so you can face while still using the dead center. I also wonder about the wear on a drill press, if you mounted a motor onto the press handle, put the file in the Jacob's chuck, and the part on the already adjustable table... I have a broken drill press, I might try this...
I cannot be the only one watching this video and not be a little irritated that he didn't spin the mechanism by hand?? Awesome build mate you do very tidy work! Would you consider making small hold downs fingers if the files are cut the wrong way? Just a thought I saw it this old Tony's channel, Keep up the excellent work 👍👍👍
Well done! I'd be tempted to add a nother leg opposing the first. Much appreciation for all the time & effort you spend on all the steps shown and or explained.
I wonder how hard it would be to make an adjustable height table so that as you wear out a part of the file you can move the table and wear out another part of the file. I have never used a die filer but I do a similar thing with reciprocating saw blades and the adjustable foot on the saw
Die filers use sepecial files with no tang and teeth oriented downwards (like band saws) to press the piece on the table when cutting. Ordinary hand files mounted like you did will cut upward and you will have to fight the piece from being lifted, especially if you intend to use rough files. You could still use them but you'd have to mount them tang up or buy a dedicated set, cut the tangs (and paint the cut so you know wich extremity goes where at a glance) and mount them teeth downwards. Apart from that, nice work. Wish I had one too. ;)
While I can certainly appreciate the effort that you have put into the project up to this point, I can see a few issues with the design. Firstly, holding the files that way will cut on the up stroke, pushing the work piece away from the table. Second, consider using the sturdy material of the base instead for the table. You could use much lighter material for the base, then bolt the device to your bench top. Good luck with the build.
I knew this problem heading into this, and it was certainly something I was concerned about, but having used the final model, it really doesn't pose much of a problem. I have been on the look out for proper die filers files but they are not super common to come by. Looked on eBay for a set of proper die filers files and the cost plus shipping would be roughly 3 times the cost of the build. I might look into making my own, but till then, needle files do a very decent job. Plus they take such a light cut with each stroke that its not a huge issue. I have also yet to weld up the extra support to the table in this video. It gets much better once I do that. Cheers
Could a saw all be mounted from above onto a sturdy table, with an arbour to hold a file, and bushings to keep it straight? Or a jigsaw, so it isn't so long? I know they run at pretty high speed, but they are DC motors, so speed control shouldn't be that difficult. I've had this idea in my head for some time. Also Mandy even a regular saw all blade to make an electric hacksaw? I guess I just need to try, and hope my fingers remain attached eh?
For next time that you have to turn cast iron, flip your inserts. If they are neutral rake then slide a piece of key stock underneath one long side. It gives you enough rake to cut cast, but it is not hard enough to chip the insert. Works great
First I wondered, a long time ago, what is a dye filer. Then I saw one from Hemmingway Kits. Finally I have seen your design. It looks quite interesting. My biggest problem is to buy different stock materials. In most cases companies do not sell to private people due to tax regulations (wat). In a few other cases they do, but you have to buy 6 m of eg. a steel bar which makes the material unnecessary expensive itself but also the transport is expensive. Who other than professionals (shipping companies) can transport 6 m legally? Nice project👍🏻. I look forward to the final powered version and to see it in operation.
I've considered making one of these many times. One day I'll get round to it. 😅 Could you have used a thick piece of aluminium for the table? Hell you could even laminate the alu with steel on top.
Obviously depends on budget and usage, but i've used it many times without too much issue, some alloys do work better than others though. Wear on it is minimal. Cheers
great job so far, enjoying your build however i can see that table resonating horribly, apart from using a thick plate have you thought about a lamination, perhaps some hardwood sandwhiched between 2 thinner plates to give it more mass and dampening ?
Um... that's a good-looking recipe for some interesting accidents: a) File is supposed to be working on the "pull" (down), not the push (up) movement b) file needs a guard/guide in case it comes loose c) machine files differ from workshop files in that the first type is parallel (a good starting point are files for chain saws) d) the table will flex and rattle like crazy e) consider a hold-down for your work piece f) you'll need a proper support for your table, preferably near the center...
I had a few people ask bout that a while back, having used it a bit I can say that whilst some of these concerns are valid on bigger die filers, on the scale here with the fine cut files it's not a big worry. It's such a light cut that even using these needle files, the cut is good and the table does not flex. I can see it being an issue with larger files, and if I were to use them if make a few changes, but in the months since I've made it I have had no issues. Cheers
@@artisanmakes Great if it works for you! I have a Hegner saw (the one you see in Clickspring's videos) and we had a full-size die filer in a shop where I worked part-time during high school and we did in fact have rather solid work pieces. The two things you should try though are a guard for the pointy bit of the file and FLIPPING the file so the forces are directed towards the table, not your fingers...
4:34 So the top plate is essentially attached via that one bolt... how do you stop it rotating (which would affect squareness of the files to the table)? Also that's the first time I've seen "No views" :)
It's all squared up using machinist squares and the bolt holds it in place pretty well. I wanted to have the one bolt so I could tilt the table if I wanted to go file in a chamfered edge. If you didn't want this you could always change it to a two bolts and set it up so it was permanently square. And RUclips is acting a little odd recently, views and all are a bit off and delayed. Nothing that I don't stress about. Cheers
Would it be possible to chuck up the slitting saw and grind out the arbor hole to be concentric? I suspect if it is possible, it might not be worth the trouble.
I knew this problem heading into this, and it was certainly something I was concerned about, but having used the final model, it really doesn't pose much of a problem. I have been on the look out for proper die filers files but they are not super common to come by. Looked on eBay for a set of proper die filers files and the cost plus shipping would be roughly 3 times the cost of the build. I might look into making my own, but till then, needle files do a very decent job. Plus they take such a light cut with each stroke that its not a huge issue
@@artisanmakes Thanks for the reply, I only raise the point because cutting with the file in the downward position give less chatter in the upward direction. I plan on making my own files.
There are some design that do that, I didn't want to over complicate mine. Some people are concerned about it cutting on the up stroke and all, but with he tiny amount of material these things remove with each stroke, and the low availability of proper die filer files, these things work fine as a substitute.
Nice job man. I think your milling machine speed is too high. Try to work with low speed, its best to your machine and your milling tools will not Heating and the parts will be more accurate. Or use liquid cooling. Good luck :)
These one cut on the up stroke, though I will be heading to the hobby store soon so see if I can find some ones that cut in both. And Im not exactly sure what type of files Chris uses in his, for all I know they could be proper die filers files, though they are difficult to come by. Cheers
@@artisanmakes I got mine little files from Harbor-freight. For $5.00 they work fine for me. I don't know how well they would work in your build. It sure would be nice to file small parts by machine and not by hand. It takes a long time! Watching to see how your project turns out.
I'm not being critical however since you're not using the proper bearing material I think you should be making provisions for lubrication. The motion of the shaft will cause heat and friction causing the bearings to fail and possibly bind the shaft. I'm enjoying the series and hope to make one myself shortly after I finish a few other projects
Always happy to hear feedback. Whilst I am very confident in this design, and having used the final model for a without problem, I guess the best thing I can say is we'll wait and see. A drop of oil on the shaft before use and it runs quite happily. I've used brass for bushing quite a bit in the past without issue, even it they aren't technically bearing materials, but thankfully these can always be easily swapped out if need be. If there are issues in the future I'll be sure to post an update. Cheers
I knew this problem heading into this, and it was certainly something I was concerned about, but having used the final model, it really doesn't pose much of a problem. I have been on the look out for proper die filers files but they are not super common to come by. Overall I'll take what I can get, cheers Edit: just looked on eBay for a set of proper die filers files and the cost plus shipping would be roughly 3 times the cost of the build. I might look into making my own, but till then, needle files do a very decent job. Cheers
@@artisanmakes Yeah, I'm sure so long as you don't push it too hard you can hold things down just fine. The other option is to try some longer files, anneal the tips and run them upsidedown. I've had one on my list of things to build for years. Edit: yikes, too bad you guys don't make stuff down there like you used to.
Love how you walk us through the whole process including your reasoning and any mistakes. 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great job man, keep'um coming.
Delrin has good wear resistance and would be a reasonable cover plus it machines well
Nice work, cant wait for part three. I think this s going to get made in my shop soon. Seems handy. Thanks.
Great build. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week :)
Great videos (parts 1 and 2). Waiting for part 3 to see how it works. I have a couple of Swiss made slitting saws to let which are of good quality. Let me know ; of course this will be free of charge for you 😎
I used to run a 3+2 axis vertical mill with a bad habit of dropping tools that had a 23" saw blade as an unfortunately common tool. I had some words with one of our programmers when he wrote a program that had a coping cut on extrusion where it would make the vertical cut then come in horizontally from the end... The temp I was training that day didn't stay too long. Can't really blame em when a nearly fist sized sharp edged chunk of aluminum shot out over 40 ft (missed us by about 2ft) AFTER bouncing off the guard so hard that people from every corner of a 100,000sqft building came to check on us.
Nice simple build, it looks like it will work like a charm. Cheers!
Thankyou
I saw a great hack for your dead center, where part of it is made flat, so you can face while still using the dead center.
I also wonder about the wear on a drill press, if you mounted a motor onto the press handle, put the file in the Jacob's chuck, and the part on the already adjustable table... I have a broken drill press, I might try this...
Awesome build! Simply Gorgeous.
Thankyou so much
I cannot be the only one watching this video and not be a little irritated that he didn't spin the mechanism by hand?? Awesome build mate you do very tidy work! Would you consider making small hold downs fingers if the files are cut the wrong way? Just a thought I saw it this old Tony's channel,
Keep up the excellent work 👍👍👍
Sorry bout that, chuck that up to a brain fart in the editing :)
Well done! I'd be tempted to add a nother leg opposing the first. Much appreciation for all the time & effort you spend on all the steps shown and or explained.
So nice and handy👌👍👍
I wonder how hard it would be to make an adjustable height table so that as you wear out a part of the file you can move the table and wear out another part of the file. I have never used a die filer but I do a similar thing with reciprocating saw blades and the adjustable foot on the saw
nice work and project
Loving these videos! Keep up the good work!
The way that aluminum was breaking a chip I bet you're right about it be a 7 thousand series.
Die filers use sepecial files with no tang and teeth oriented downwards (like band saws) to press the piece on the table when cutting. Ordinary hand files mounted like you did will cut upward and you will have to fight the piece from being lifted, especially if you intend to use rough files. You could still use them but you'd have to mount them tang up or buy a dedicated set, cut the tangs (and paint the cut so you know wich extremity goes where at a glance) and mount them teeth downwards. Apart from that, nice work. Wish I had one too. ;)
Very cool sir 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
While I can certainly appreciate the effort that you have put into the project up to this point, I can see a few issues with the design.
Firstly, holding the files that way will cut on the up stroke, pushing the work piece away from the table.
Second, consider using the sturdy material of the base instead for the table. You could use much lighter material for the base, then bolt the device to your bench top.
Good luck with the build.
I knew this problem heading into this, and it was certainly something I was concerned about, but having used the final model, it really doesn't pose much of a problem. I have been on the look out for proper die filers files but they are not super common to come by. Looked on eBay for a set of proper die filers files and the cost plus shipping would be roughly 3 times the cost of the build. I might look into making my own, but till then, needle files do a very decent job. Plus they take such a light cut with each stroke that its not a huge issue.
I have also yet to weld up the extra support to the table in this video. It gets much better once I do that. Cheers
Nice job m8! As you know, not de-burring your parts is like not wiping your own ass!
Never heard it put that way before. I did it I just didnt film it. :)
Could a saw all be mounted from above onto a sturdy table, with an arbour to hold a file, and bushings to keep it straight? Or a jigsaw, so it isn't so long? I know they run at pretty high speed, but they are DC motors, so speed control shouldn't be that difficult. I've had this idea in my head for some time. Also Mandy even a regular saw all blade to make an electric hacksaw? I guess I just need to try, and hope my fingers remain attached eh?
For next time that you have to turn cast iron, flip your inserts. If they are neutral rake then slide a piece of key stock underneath one long side. It gives you enough rake to cut cast, but it is not hard enough to chip the insert. Works great
All of my inserts are negative rake, but Ill save this tip for when I have some in the future. Cheers
nice work
Thank you! Cheers!
First I wondered, a long time ago, what is a dye filer.
Then I saw one from Hemmingway Kits.
Finally I have seen your design. It looks quite interesting.
My biggest problem is to buy different stock materials. In most cases companies do not sell to private people due to tax regulations (wat).
In a few other cases they do, but you have to buy 6 m of eg. a steel bar which makes the material unnecessary expensive itself but also the transport is expensive. Who other than professionals (shipping companies) can transport 6 m legally?
Nice project👍🏻. I look forward to the final powered version and to see it in operation.
Love your work but please make yourself a power hacksaw.
I've considered making one of these many times. One day I'll get round to it. 😅
Could you have used a thick piece of aluminium for the table? Hell you could even laminate the alu with steel on top.
Maybe, im sure there are heaps of ways of doing this that would works just fine. Cheers
@@artisanmakes I guess there is. Whatever works for you. Look forward to seeing part 3! 👍
Great job, thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching
Don't use brass, but bronze for the sliding part. Bronze in bronze would be best. Brass tends to block, while bronze tends to lubricate.
Obviously depends on budget and usage, but i've used it many times without too much issue, some alloys do work better than others though. Wear on it is minimal. Cheers
great job so far, enjoying your build however i can see that table resonating horribly, apart from using a thick plate have you thought about a lamination, perhaps some hardwood sandwhiched between 2 thinner plates to give it more mass and dampening ?
like i said in the video I have yet to weld on the extra support onto the bottom on the plate. Once I do that it gets much better. Cheers
Um... that's a good-looking recipe for some interesting accidents: a) File is supposed to be working on the "pull" (down), not the push (up) movement b) file needs a guard/guide in case it comes loose c) machine files differ from workshop files in that the first type is parallel (a good starting point are files for chain saws) d) the table will flex and rattle like crazy e) consider a hold-down for your work piece f) you'll need a proper support for your table, preferably near the center...
I had a few people ask bout that a while back, having used it a bit I can say that whilst some of these concerns are valid on bigger die filers, on the scale here with the fine cut files it's not a big worry. It's such a light cut that even using these needle files, the cut is good and the table does not flex. I can see it being an issue with larger files, and if I were to use them if make a few changes, but in the months since I've made it I have had no issues. Cheers
@@artisanmakes Great if it works for you! I have a Hegner saw (the one you see in Clickspring's videos) and we had a full-size die filer in a shop where I worked part-time during high school and we did in fact have rather solid work pieces. The two things you should try though are a guard for the pointy bit of the file and FLIPPING the file so the forces are directed towards the table, not your fingers...
cool
Use HSS for cast iron. You can't cut very well with carbide against iron especially with that tiny lathe.
Yeah but I don't have much choice with the rpm on this lathe due to the ch I ce of motor. Hss just burns up so my only choice is carbide.
Old bbq plate might be a good source of cast iron plate for your table
Now that might just be a great idea, thankyou
4:34 So the top plate is essentially attached via that one bolt... how do you stop it rotating (which would affect squareness of the files to the table)?
Also that's the first time I've seen "No views" :)
It's all squared up using machinist squares and the bolt holds it in place pretty well. I wanted to have the one bolt so I could tilt the table if I wanted to go file in a chamfered edge. If you didn't want this you could always change it to a two bolts and set it up so it was permanently square.
And RUclips is acting a little odd recently, views and all are a bit off and delayed. Nothing that I don't stress about. Cheers
Would it be possible to chuck up the slitting saw and grind out the arbor hole to be concentric? I suspect if it is possible, it might not be worth the trouble.
Thanks, I'm making a filer now out of an old 2 cycle weed whacker motor. I think your holder won't work the files should cut on the downstroke.
I knew this problem heading into this, and it was certainly something I was concerned about, but having used the final model, it really doesn't pose much of a problem. I have been on the look out for proper die filers files but they are not super common to come by. Looked on eBay for a set of proper die filers files and the cost plus shipping would be roughly 3 times the cost of the build. I might look into making my own, but till then, needle files do a very decent job. Plus they take such a light cut with each stroke that its not a huge issue
@@artisanmakes Thanks for the reply, I only raise the point because cutting with the file in the downward position give less chatter in the upward direction. I plan on making my own files.
Invest in a small band saw!
Still dont know whats the use of the contraption !?
Isn't the needle file mounted upside down?
There are some design that do that, I didn't want to over complicate mine. Some people are concerned about it cutting on the up stroke and all, but with he tiny amount of material these things remove with each stroke, and the low availability of proper die filer files, these things work fine as a substitute.
@@artisanmakes for round files you can use chainsaw files mounted so they cut on the down stroke.
Nice job man. I think your milling machine speed is too high. Try to work with low speed, its best to your machine and your milling tools will not Heating and the parts will be more accurate. Or use liquid cooling. Good luck :)
Not sure which part you are referring to. Everything is doused in good coating of kerosene before cutting :)
@@artisanmakes Agreed, I'm not sure either. Anyway with carbide, fast is usually good, and especially in aluminium.
Ayyyyyy sweet could you make a concave/convex cutting jig?
I could certainly look into it. Cheers
@@artisanmakes yessssssssss
Don't needle files cut in both directions? The ones I have do. Why all the comments about them? Doesn't clickspring have a similar tool?
These one cut on the up stroke, though I will be heading to the hobby store soon so see if I can find some ones that cut in both. And Im not exactly sure what type of files Chris uses in his, for all I know they could be proper die filers files, though they are difficult to come by. Cheers
@@artisanmakes
I got mine little files from Harbor-freight. For $5.00 they work fine for me. I don't know how well they would work in your build. It sure would be nice to file small parts by machine and not by hand. It takes a long time! Watching to see how your project turns out.
I'm not being critical however since you're not using the proper bearing material I think you should be making provisions for lubrication. The motion of the shaft will cause heat and friction causing the bearings to fail and possibly bind the shaft. I'm enjoying the series and hope to make one myself shortly after I finish a few other projects
Always happy to hear feedback. Whilst I am very confident in this design, and having used the final model for a without problem, I guess the best thing I can say is we'll wait and see. A drop of oil on the shaft before use and it runs quite happily. I've used brass for bushing quite a bit in the past without issue, even it they aren't technically bearing materials, but thankfully these can always be easily swapped out if need be. If there are issues in the future I'll be sure to post an update. Cheers
Hanzhen harmonic drive gear , automation joint gear , robot gear , over 30 years experience
How could you resist showing us it running by turning it by hand 😅
Sorry bout that, I had footage but I forgot to add it in premiere, chock it up to a brain fart :)
The only problem with using needle files is they are cut in the wrong direction, you want the cut to pull down into the table.
I knew this problem heading into this, and it was certainly something I was concerned about, but having used the final model, it really doesn't pose much of a problem. I have been on the look out for proper die filers files but they are not super common to come by. Overall I'll take what I can get, cheers
Edit: just looked on eBay for a set of proper die filers files and the cost plus shipping would be roughly 3 times the cost of the build. I might look into making my own, but till then, needle files do a very decent job. Cheers
@@artisanmakes Yeah, I'm sure so long as you don't push it too hard you can hold things down just fine. The other option is to try some longer files, anneal the tips and run them upsidedown. I've had one on my list of things to build for years.
Edit: yikes, too bad you guys don't make stuff down there like you used to.
1000rpm for a slitting saw, what? Did you mean 100rpm?
I think so, off the cuff remark and all.