diy die filer

[Andrew Wildman]

Having scratched my head for a project, what I have come up with is a die filer.  I want to make a simple one along the lines of the MLA one shown in this link (not my machine obviously!)
http://www.clickspringprojects.com/die-filer-or-bench-filing-machine.html
It does not need much grunt as I will just be using it for things like finishing square holes and sharp corners in plate.  This means I wont be bothering with an overarm guide or a workpiece holding down arm.

As with most of my projects the filer will be based around what is in the scrap pile, so no castings.  I would like to scratch the collective head with a few questions though:

What kind of strokes per minute/second should I be aiming at?

Is it worth making the thing variable stroke, if not what stroke is optimum?

I was planning to make the files by cutting up parallel sections of cheepo files and mounting them in a v block type arrangement so that they cut on the down stroke.  Does this seem reasonable?

I would appreciate any thoughts...

[krv3000]

hi looks good I did see sum time back a set of plans to make one out a old grass cuter side valve engine

[russ57]

A fie filer is also on  my list.  I'm planning to repurpose a cordless recipro saw I purchased without battery at a club auction. Hopefully I can reuse the original variable speed control with a mains power supply.

[Andrew Wildman]

I had a bit of a fiddle about in the shed today.  I mustered up a crank and a yoke and a bush.  I decided not to do a fancy variable stroke adjuster, though I have made the stroke simply adjustable and just made a few different crank peg locations at different radii.

this is the progress so far including a bit of bar that I faced for the base and what will become the bearing support for the shaft:
diy die filer

The rest of the build will be made from 60X12 flat bar that I have a lot of and some 15mm alu plate that I picked up from a boot fair.  I have stretched the budget and purchased some bronze bushes for the rotary part and the linear part.

[Andrew Wildman]

I got a bit of shed time yesterday so I started work on the body of the die filer.  I decided to change the design and build it so that it can fit on the smaller lathe so that I do not need to make a drive system for it.  Bolting it to 500kg of cast iron will also stop it jumping about as much.

I cut and milled the ends of some bar and then glued them together.  The frame still needs some bits adding but here is the basic shape

diy die filer

This is the frame posed on the lathe.

diy die filer

I will mill the critical features after the fabrication is done

[PK]

Looks like it's going to be a great example of a 'What I had to hand' tool.
I'm trying to get my head around that T slot mount on your lathe. Is it part of the bed, saddle, or a separate piece of metal?

[jcs0001]

Andrew:

Looks like a very handy tool.  I'm looking forward to seeing how it works for you,

John.

[SwarfnStuff]

Oooo,

     Now you just made me add this to my make it one day list. The fact that you are modifying the design to work on your lathe makes it feasible for me as my playpen is minuscule and space is at a premium. For the most part, if it won't store under something or hang off the wall someplace it won't fit. AND I'm running out of wall too.
  Waiting to see the end product and thanks for the build log.
John B

[rotorhead]

Hi Andrew,

That looks promising, from other postings of yours, it will come out well.

I like the multifunction usage (using existing sources), I try to make my bits with multi use in mind, saves materials and space, sometimes even time...

Will follow this project....

[Andrew Wildman]

Looks like it's going to be a great example of a 'What I had to hand' tool.
I'm trying to get my head around that T slot mount on your lathe. Is it part of the bed, saddle, or a separate piece of metal?

The t slot section is where the tailstock runs.  Details of the cromwell lathe can be found here. I think Tony from the lathes website has one.
http://www.lathes.co.uk/cromwell/index.html

[Andrew Wildman]

Right chaps,
I machined the base of the frame flat, drilled a clearance hole for the vertical shaft in the centre (I need all the clearance I can get to get a 50mm max stroke) dilled two holes for clamping nuts and drilled/reamed two holes for location pegs

diy die filer

I made some location pegs

diy die filer

and then drilled a location hole in situ on the lathe.  The frame was just sitting on the bed and thrust provided by the tailstock.  I also applied a bit of down pressure with my hand.  The setup looks a bit sketchy but because the pegs are a close fit it drilled fine with no lifting.

diy die filer

[Andrew Wildman]

I set up the fabrication on the small mill, with a parallel clocked straight and the pegs aligning the frame.  The part was centred on the hole I drilled on the lathe.  The hole was cut with a rota broach (if you do not use these then I advise getting some as they make cutting big holes a doddle and also are a lot shorter than the equivalent size twist drill, so are great where the machine is smaller) and then brought to size with a boring head. While I was at it I machined the face.

diy die filer

The crank bearing housing is the next job.  I did not weld this into the frame and then post machine as there is a recess that needs to be machined 'inside' the frame and this is a lot easier in the lathe.  I am unsure whether I will press the bearing housing or silver solder it into the frame.  If I weld it it will probably distort the fabrication so I want to avoid this.

[Andrew Wildman]

Happy new year all.  I got a bit of time in the shed today so a made a few bits.

T nuts to fit the lathe and a table for the filer

diy die filer

and I drilled/reamed the hole for the bushings as well as the mount holes for the table.  Times like this it is handy to have a mill with a fair bit of head room.  Saves having to faff about with setting this up on the lathe faceplate.

diy die filer

[raynerd]

Andrew, probably an obvious one but are those locating pegs just to insert into the holes so that it looks in the t slot on the lathe to align in on the square to the lathe head?

[Andrew Wildman]

Chris, yep they just align the shaft to the spindle cl.  Pegs seemed a bit easier to make than a key as the lathe t slot is a wierd size.  I am sure when I have made this thing that I will think of better ways of doing things!

[DMIOM]

A well-thought-out build Andrew

O/T:

.... Times like this it is handy to have a mill with a fair bit of head room...........

Is this why you need a ladder?  and will you planting that flag when you make the first ascent?

diy die filer

Dave   

[Andrew Wildman]

You joke, but the stool is used to get up to the drawbar!

[raynerd]

Just keep the pictures coming... I will be following this when time allows.  top post

[Andrew Wildman]

So I had a few evenings free this week to potter in the shed.

I completed the table.  The recess in the top will have a sacrificial Delrin puck in it that that means you can hold work close to the file.

diy die filer

diy die filer

I also made the crank bearing housing (shown with the bronze bushes)

diy die filer

[Andrew Wildman]

I also had a go at modifying some files to fit.  I splashed out on some £2.50 wilko files, chopped them up, pressed them into an aluminium bush and filled any gaps with epoxy.  When the epoxy was set I chucked the file in the lathe (with brass shims over the jaws) and trued the bush to the file.  This is how they turned out.

diy die filer

If this method works ok I will get some more files and do the same thing.  As a by product you also get some stubby files with no taper that may be useful???

I also bored the coupling and made the reciprocating shaft.

This is a mock up of the bits so far on the lathe (clearly I am missing some table supports... before anybody points that out ).  I will probably connect the drive shaft to a 19mm collet in the collet chuck rather than the 3 jaw as shown.  The picture is a bit confusing as there is a lathe and to tool holders cluttering the background, but hopefully you get the idea...

diy die filer

next jobs are to mount the other half of the jaw coupling to a shaft, make some table supports, make the delrin puck and tidy it all up with a splash of paint.

[Andrew Wildman]

It's alive

I made the table support pillars and fitted the filer to the lathe.  I just chucked the shaft without the coupling for a quick test.

diy die filer
diy die filer
diy die filer
The machine was set up for the 50mm stroke and seemed to work well   Despite the slightly ungainly look the table was very solid.

[ieezitin]

Andrew..

Very nice job, you will not regret making this attachment that bolts to the lathe for stability reasons alone, you're going to find you will require a hold down bar that prohibits the slight raising of the piece on the up-stroke... play with it and see what i mean, its well worth designing this bar it will make the filling experience a lot more precise and easier to work with.

A die-filler is such an asset to the shop, it makes your work easier and instead of setting up the mill you can just go over and file down very classy radius's, edges, slit holes and other great stuff, you will not regret making this tool... my one has a overhead arm which allows me to use hacksaw blades which is a plus..

Great job ... Enjoy the fruits of your labor may it serve you well..

Anthony.

[tom osselton]

Nice job! A future project I think! 

[RobWilson]

  Very  nicely done Andrew 



Rob

[Andrew Wildman]

I had a bit of a play with the (what I thought was) finished filer and realised that Anthony was spot on and, despite many of the examples I have seen not having a workpiece restraint, the machine really it needs it.  so I have started to cobble somthing up.  I stall need to make an arm for it and also may make an adjustable bearing support to reduce flex from the file (though it is fairly rigid)
diy die filer
diy die filer
diy die filer