anyone tried this yet?

I have a high end Japanese version of this tool at work. It has its uses, but I wouldn't recommend doing file work on blades with it. They have too fast a stroke, and they will eat up the files on you.
 
It doesn't wobble really, it's kinda hard to put in words, it reciprocates so aggressively that it's difficult to control. Your hand can't hold it solidly enough to keep it steady.
 
leifjl said:
It doesn't wobble really, it's kinda hard to put in words, it reciprocates so aggressively that it's difficult to control. Your hand can't hold it solidly enough to keep it steady.
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Have you tried putting an adjustable regulator in the line to reduce the pressure you feed it ?
 
We have one at work (metal fab shop) and it is nice and handy on the things we use it for, but knives I'd say no. It is shaky and jumpy, we only use it to deburr slots and such on sheet matal.
 
^Thats pretty much what its used for in my shop also, deburring to fit punched sheet 6061 assemblies. It's more of a brute force type of thing, remove material quickly without regards to straight or flat. No finesse at all.

I haven't used one on a regulated supply, but I'd think it probably wouldn't make much of a difference in the amount of control you could get out of it. This tool is not built for this type of application at all. I've been making knives at my shop for a little over 4 years now and have never even considered this as a tool I'd use in knife making.
 
The one I have at work has a built in regulator. It doesn't make much difference. We bought the tool because we file 1/8" deep retaining slots for our parts into 316l stainless steel. We can take a nicholson bastard file and do 100 of these slots with one file by hand. With the pneumatic file, one slot and the file is done. It just runs way too fast to file anything but the softest steels or aluminum. Again, I do not recommend for knife making.
 
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