Forming chisel side bevels.

[swagman]

Using a Simonds Multi-Kut (Chip Breaker) File.

 

[swagman]

The diamond pattern chipbreaking feature on the files are extremely effective on hardened steels.

As a gauge to their effectiveness the following shows the file working stainless steel rod.

 

[Ttrees]

Impressive to say the least! and at 11 dollars worth getting one!

Waaay to many questions to ask now about these,
I shall investigate this on the other side

Thank you for posting swagman

Tom

 

[swagman]

Trees; sounds like a reasonable price. I paid USD $67.64 for 2x 14" files.

 

[ED65]

That's a hell of a lot of hardened steel to hog off so this is impressive to say the least!

Couple of questions Stewie, did you get NOS files or are these some of the current production? Is your file handle off camera or do you not use one?

 

[ED65]

Reason I ask Stewie about whether these are NOS is that, just like Nicholson, as soon as production was moved outside of the US reports of a drop in standards started appearing from users. As Photobucket no longer allow others to see photos at native resolution I can't read any of the text on the box or the stamping on the tang.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I'm a wee bit puzzled.

If you need a bevelled-edged chisel, could you not just buy a bevelled-edged chisel? After all, they're freely available in great variety; simple steels, fancy steels, fat lands, thin lands, bench, butt, paring, new or secondhand.

Can't really see why good money has to be spent on tools to make one, unless it's just out of curiosity, of course.

 

[swagman]

Ed; these files are current production. http://www.simondssaw.com/handfiles/han ... atalog.pdf

No on the file handles. I still need to order in some brass stock for the ferules.

 

[ED65]

Ed; these files are current production.

Clearly nothing wrong with the one you were using!

No on the file handles. I need to order in some brass stock for the ferules.

FWIW I've found in practice that ferrules aren't necessary on permanent file handles where the tang is seated firmly. If you need a handle to be used for multiple files though then a ferrule or wrap I imagine becomes a must, lots of splitting force applied to the end of the handle each time a file is banged home.

 

[Rorschach]

Did you get these in the UK or the US? They seem to have a lot better access to different file types there. I can't find Nicholson aluminium files in the UK at all or at crazy import prices

 

[swagman]

The files were purchased from the U.S

 

[custard]

I can't find Nicholson aluminium files in the UK at all or at crazy import prices

I'm not sure if it's Nicholson or not, but I bought one from a UK supplier. As far as I can recall it was just a standard stock item at any engineer's supply company. I wanted to tinker with the aluminium body of an Eclipse Honing jig, regular files just clogged up, the one I got wasn't expensive and it worked fine. Great for reshaping brass furniture hardware too.

 

[D_W]

The 10 or 12" versions of those files are available in the United States with handles and black oxide coating for $8 on ebay. In sure they're foreign origin, but they're still quite good. I use the segmented side to file infills, both to file the pitting off of old ones and to finish file new ones. In combination with a vixen, you can do heavy removal of mild steel and finish file and have an acceptable finish if you mind the pinning carefully.

 

[ED65]

I can't find Nicholson aluminium files in the UK at all or at crazy import prices

Have you tried curved-tooth (dreadnought/vixen) or millenicut files for whatever it is you're doing?

Some related discussion here on BladeForums.

 

[AES]

That's VERY impressive swagman. I've heard of Simmons but don't own any. Didn't realise that they're available in UK, I thought sold in US only. The chip breaker pattern on yours looks like a very similar idea/pattern to the (curved) pattern on some of my Sandvik/Bahco/Oberg files.

 

[Rorschach]

I can't find Nicholson aluminium files in the UK at all or at crazy import prices

I'm not sure if it's Nicholson or not, but I bought one from a UK supplier. As far as I can recall it was just a standard stock item at any engineer's supply company. I wanted to tinker with the aluminium body of an Eclipse Honing jig, regular files just clogged up, the one I got wasn't expensive and it worked fine. Great for reshaping brass furniture hardware too.

That's not the same as Nicholson, they are much more coarse in the cut of their teeth.

 

[Rorschach]

I can't find Nicholson aluminium files in the UK at all or at crazy import prices

Have you tried curved-tooth (dreadnought/vixen) or millenicut files for whatever it is you're doing?

Some related discussion here on BladeForums.

Yes and they don't work I am afraid. I am looking for fast material removal on hard/semi hard plastics. Normal files are too slow and clog, even the Magi-cut files are too slow. Dreadnought files are too coarse and shape of the teeth mean catch on anything except large flattish pieces. I tried japanese razor files which are superb on wood but on plastics they chip out badly becuase of the acute angle on their teeth. The best I have found is the Nicholson aluminium file, its very coarse but cuts fairly smoothly with no chip out, doesn't clog too badly either. It is still a little on the slow side, but the best I have used to date.
Sadly I cannot find them in the UK, and files I have found in the UK for aluminium are usually of the Magi-cut design which is still an excellent file but slow in comparison.

 

[AES]

Just FYI, IF it helps. There is a firm, UK based I think, called Permagrit, who also make a range of "files". They're all a coppery/bronzey colour and consist of a flat or shaped (triangle or round) "steel" (??) "plates" onto which some "chunks" of "hard stuff" have been deposited (electro deposition, and it's tungsten or something I THINK). They are specifically designed for fast removal of plastics like GRP and come in either "Fine" or "Coarse" grits. Aimed primarily at the model aero market I think (that's where I heard of them anyway).

I have a set (they're about 8 inches long and 1.5 wide - the flats) and they do what's claimed on the tin - don't clog (or if they do, very easy to clear with thinners or acetone), and remove material pretty fast with minimum elbow grease.

The finish left on the job is not brilliant of course, but that can be final-sanded afterwards.

HTH. I can post a pic of my set later today/tomorrow if you're interested. For supplier I suggest Google - I bought my set at a show some years back (ME Exhibition I think) and not terribly expensive for a set of 4 or 5 either.

One of those tools that "come in handy for the appropriate job only" IMO

 

[swagman]

That process will again be repeated on the remaining chisels, including flattening the full length of backs, before moving to the final stage of re hardening and tempering the steel.



The process will be repeated on the remaining chisels, including flattening the full length of backs, before moving to the final stage of re hardening and tempering the steel.

Flattening the full length of backs will provide a good opportunity to test out the black brick that's on order from TFJ. http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/ind ... ts_id=1492

 

[D_W]

Rohrsach, if you're filing unhardened steel, make a backer for a vixen file and use it on the diagonal draw filing. That's the fastest hand filing method I've found.