wvlogger
Rock trucker
Espacally the goofy files
Square filing. Who has tried, and given up?
- Thread starter redprospector
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Espacally the goofy files
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yep, and if you succeed at learning to square file you can use up the sharpening edges and then use them as raker files. Then when you use up the flat's on the rakers, I hear that you can send them to Save Edge and they can re-sharpen the files for a couple of bucks each. I haven't tried it yet, but I intend to.
Andy
wvlogger
Rock trucker
keep us infromed on that one
tdi-rick
Addicted to ArboristSite
Andy, how many double bevel files would you go through converting, say, an 84DL round ground non skip chain to square ?
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
None.
You can convert a 84 DL round filed chain to square and still have several touch up's left in the file.
I try to teach all the guy's who work with me how to file square if they want to learn. One common mistake they make is trying to make the file do too much work on each stroke. This shortens the life of the file quite a bit. Don't get in a hurry, use light strokes (just enough pressure to make the file cut good), and make every stroke you can count.
Andy
teatersroad
What's a henway?
I round file square ground semi-skip, 'cuz you can't get semi-skip stock round. Lot's of scrutiny and I see no profile difference in the Oregon Round or Square cutter - 72LP-vs-72CK. A ground round holds up better for the dirty work. Just an aside.
tdi-rick
Addicted to ArboristSite
Thanks mate
I have a few double bevels stashed away, I'll have to have a go at some chain one of these days.
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
Ok, don't say I never think of you guy's.
I was in Lowe's a few months ago and they had one of those Oregon bar mounted filing jig's on sale for $9. So I thought what the heck. I know some of the old filing jigs would take a double bevel (I've had a couple) and my mind got to churning. I've seen at least one of these type jigs on here that had been adapted to take a double bevel, but they had some pretty elaborate machine work involved. Knowing that most of us here are rednecks, and don't have machine shops set up in our tool shed's, I tried to think of a redneck way to adapt the filing jig to take a double bevel file.
Here's what I came up with. I cut a couple of short pieces from a 3/8" galvanized water pipe. Then I filed a notch in one end of each piece to accept a piece of 1/4" bar stock and welded it in the notch in each piece of pipe. Then I took 2 more short pieces of 1/4" bar stock and filed a saddle into one end of each piece, and welded it in the center of the first 1/4" bar.
Then I made a spacer to go inside one of these pieces to keep the tang end of the file centered and welded it in place.
The piece for the wide end of the file had to be tapped into an oval with a hammer to accept the file. Be careful doing this so that the file stays in the center. Now drill & tap each piece for a set screw to hold the file.
Ok, so now that I have all this together, it's too long to fit into the filing jig. So I replaced the bar stock in the guide with longer pieces. One is round (I think it was 1/4") the other is square (3/16" key stock fit pretty good).
This project had been shelved for a while, but I got inspired to finish it when I started this thread. I have it done and have filed a chain with it and it works pretty good. It's not as fast as free hand filing, but is consistant. The only thing I really don't care for is that the little steel stop that catches the back of the cutter isn't adjustable (yet), so the cutter length will varry after a few filings.
I'll get some pic's up in a day or so, and you guy's can see what you think. It's ugly, but makes for a cheap square filing jig.
My biggest concern about posting this is that some will become dependant on the jig, and never learn to file by hand.
Andy
I was in Lowe's a few months ago and they had one of those Oregon bar mounted filing jig's on sale for $9. So I thought what the heck. I know some of the old filing jigs would take a double bevel (I've had a couple) and my mind got to churning. I've seen at least one of these type jigs on here that had been adapted to take a double bevel, but they had some pretty elaborate machine work involved. Knowing that most of us here are rednecks, and don't have machine shops set up in our tool shed's, I tried to think of a redneck way to adapt the filing jig to take a double bevel file.
Here's what I came up with. I cut a couple of short pieces from a 3/8" galvanized water pipe. Then I filed a notch in one end of each piece to accept a piece of 1/4" bar stock and welded it in the notch in each piece of pipe. Then I took 2 more short pieces of 1/4" bar stock and filed a saddle into one end of each piece, and welded it in the center of the first 1/4" bar.
Then I made a spacer to go inside one of these pieces to keep the tang end of the file centered and welded it in place.
The piece for the wide end of the file had to be tapped into an oval with a hammer to accept the file. Be careful doing this so that the file stays in the center. Now drill & tap each piece for a set screw to hold the file.
Ok, so now that I have all this together, it's too long to fit into the filing jig. So I replaced the bar stock in the guide with longer pieces. One is round (I think it was 1/4") the other is square (3/16" key stock fit pretty good).
This project had been shelved for a while, but I got inspired to finish it when I started this thread. I have it done and have filed a chain with it and it works pretty good. It's not as fast as free hand filing, but is consistant. The only thing I really don't care for is that the little steel stop that catches the back of the cutter isn't adjustable (yet), so the cutter length will varry after a few filings.
I'll get some pic's up in a day or so, and you guy's can see what you think. It's ugly, but makes for a cheap square filing jig.
My biggest concern about posting this is that some will become dependant on the jig, and never learn to file by hand.
Andy
scotclayshooter
Addicted to ArboristSite
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It really didnt seem too hard to do.
Once you get your head around how drastic the angles seem to be.
I have both save edge goofy and double bevels they were sheaper from Baileys than direct from save edge.
If you think $10 a file is bad try importing them into the UK!!!
It really didnt seem too hard to do.
Once you get your head around how drastic the angles seem to be.
I have both save edge goofy and double bevels they were sheaper from Baileys than direct from save edge.
If you think $10 a file is bad try importing them into the UK!!!
Gypo Logger
Timber Baron
Looks like you got that saw dialed in real nice.
John
John
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
scotclayshooter
Addicted to ArboristSite
Cheers guys!
Cut down and blocked up a couple of big Sycamores a couple of Scots pine whatever that wood is in the vid, a big ish Poplar and a fairly large Leylandi and its still sharp enough to cut your fingers.
The saw was ported by myself with lots of advice from Timberwolf.
It was a hybrid chain for a few sharpenings, Maybe 4 i think.
Until i sharpened all of the top plate, I dont think you need to fully convert the chain over in one go.....
Frank Crofter mentioned in one of his threads that a round filed chain could be "Improved" with a few strokes of a Goofy so thats what i aimed for before having it fully converted.
Cut down and blocked up a couple of big Sycamores a couple of Scots pine whatever that wood is in the vid, a big ish Poplar and a fairly large Leylandi and its still sharp enough to cut your fingers.
The saw was ported by myself with lots of advice from Timberwolf.
It was a hybrid chain for a few sharpenings, Maybe 4 i think.
Until i sharpened all of the top plate, I dont think you need to fully convert the chain over in one go.....
Frank Crofter mentioned in one of his threads that a round filed chain could be "Improved" with a few strokes of a Goofy so thats what i aimed for before having it fully converted.
Gypo Logger
Timber Baron
Scot, I'm outside goofy filing. What side plate angle should I shoot for. I'm doing about 30 degrees. Is this ok?
John
John
scotclayshooter
Addicted to ArboristSite
LOL John no idea what so ever im just going for what looks right to me.
Cutting grass for 6 months so not much chance of using the saws to November!
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
Ok, here's a few pic's of the converted filing jig I rednecked together. I've still got a little to do (re-do) to get it really right, but it works ok.
This piece had to be hammered into an oval to accept the end of the file.
This piece has the spacer in it to hold the tang of the file in the center. I'm gonna have to re-do it because I'm a little off center.
This is the jig set up on a piece of bar for filing.
This piece had to be hammered into an oval to accept the end of the file.
This piece has the spacer in it to hold the tang of the file in the center. I'm gonna have to re-do it because I'm a little off center.
This is the jig set up on a piece of bar for filing.
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
In the cutter.
Andy
parrisw
Tree Freak
In the cutter.
Andy
Nice work! Here is an idea for ya. I might try one of these myself since I got one of those file guides. Where you have the set screw, use a set screw on either side then you can just adjust to center, instead of trying to find a suitable spacer. I think I may turn up some nice pieces in my lathe instead of using a piece of pipe.
AUSSIE1
Al.
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Thanks for those photo's Andy.
Looks to be an easy enough mod to get those jigs working. I did have two at one stage but no idea if I still have them. I started filling by hand (with the clip on guide) some ten year ago. I'm a lefty but have gotten used to swapping hands with success.
So I pulled out the file I bought not too long ago and thought I would give it a crack. It's ugly but I can see light at the end of the tunnel, so I'll keep at it by hand. Bit hard to know what angles your working though.
Looks to be an easy enough mod to get those jigs working. I did have two at one stage but no idea if I still have them. I started filling by hand (with the clip on guide) some ten year ago. I'm a lefty but have gotten used to swapping hands with success.
So I pulled out the file I bought not too long ago and thought I would give it a crack. It's ugly but I can see light at the end of the tunnel, so I'll keep at it by hand. Bit hard to know what angles your working though.
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
That's a pretty good idea, may just have to try it.
I know it's ugly as sin, but I was trying to make it out of stuff that about anybody has laying around, or could easily get. With a lathe you could make a really nice jig for square filing. I was just showing that it dosen't have to be pretty, or professionally built to work.
Andy
