Drawfiling

Hengelo_77

Hengelo_77

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Mar 2, 2006
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Can anybody please explain me how drawfiling exacly should be done?
(or show me a tuturial)
Since I am learning I would like to learn it right.
Thnx
 
On related note, in one of Bedside Machinist Readers there was a good story of some machinist from Canada going to England, during the WWII, along with plenty of Americans, to work on preparing the invasion.

They all got assigned to a British maintenance unit and were told right away, in no uncertain terms, that Brits didn't care if guys thought of themselves as accomplished machinist, they'd be taught from scratch.

Draw filing with flat bastard was tought for a month or so :) and no, no elbow grease was made available.
 
So it goes like this, if I understand right?
And since the teeth of the file are diagonal it works?

drawfiling.JPG[
 
looks like you have the general idea. this would be the proper way to place the file if the teeth run from upper left to lower right, if your file is cut the other way, place the tang on the left.

Remember, to keep a really smooth cut, chalk the file, make your first cut near one of your hands, for the next pass, move further down on the file, continue making passes until you run out of file, making sure not to overlap passes. then take a file card and clean the file, rechalk and start again. this will keep your file sutting well,and it will keep a burr from putting a deep scratch in your work.

Good luck
Ken
 
put enough pressure on the file .... and go just fast enough to feel it cutting well.....

i find if you go too fast... you get lotsa pinners that gouge the work... and even burnishes the steel abit..... yuck


just take your time.... and let this cutting instrument do the cutting work..... ..


and follow the good advice above



Greg;)
 
Think of it as block sanding with a file.
Very little pressure is required.
On a badly pitted gun I draw file the entire barrel, or receiver, removing the same amount of material from end to end.( but as little as possible where the stamping or serial numbers are located. )
This eliminates "waves".
My hero always said 5000 flat spots, all equal, then buff and polish.
Get yourself all different sorts of files and paly around a bit to see what YOU like best.
 
I am a big fan of draw filing. No matter what grit my grinder appears to have taken my blade, when i draw file, i see every subtle dip that normally are washed out in those perfect vertical grind lines. I draw file just prior to HT.
 
In my shop there are 2 of us that draw file every day on rifle barrels and master parts for mold making. We gave up using chalk years ago and went to using WD40 and I don't think any of us would switch back. I have also found that a little draw filing will straighten out a bad grind job on a knife real easy -- been there done that:D
 
After reading all the recent draw filing posts i decided to try it a couple nights ago on a small blade i am working on, i have to say, once you heed all instructions and get into a groove, i like it a lot, good control, nice finish, and you really get to see things happen, see the high spots fall and work toward ridding yourself of lows and making everything as close to perfect as possible. like everyone says, keep your file clean, and my nicholson cuts with the tang in my left hand pulling from ricasso toward tip with the knife pointed at me, it didn't work so well the wrong way, go figure.
give it a try, it take a bit of patience, but definetely worth it
 
Excellent advice above, just one more thing.
Avoid wiping over the job with your hand, the natural grease on your skin will wipe off on the steel and can cause the next stroke of the file to "skate" over the steel instead of cutting.

Yes, it is a good feeling when a good sharp file does its job in the habds of someone who appreciates the magic of it all.
When I was an apprentice and got into trouble we were given a large block of steel and told to file it into a small block of steel. It sort of loses a bit of the magic then, especially when the milling machine is just a couple of feet away!:D

Mike
 
Yup, straight down, or up and watch the steel just peel away. Not diagonal or the file teeth will make grooves.

It will probably get a bit magnetic too, the filings will stick to the file. Just tap the file on the wooden work benck to get them off, do not wipe with your hand, the body grease thing......and steel splinters in the fingers are unpleasant....they do not fester out in a day like the wood ones do.
Enjoy.:thumbup:

Mike
 
Not a tutorial, but a newbie mistake I made:

Even if you've been very careful not to put a sharpened edge on your blade while you're still working on it, draw filing the bevels can in fact make things sufficiently sharp in a short amount of time.
Sharp Object + inattention = lots and lots of blood.
 
Thnx for the information.
I espessialy like the rodder.com site.
I can get a job done with my tools, no problem, but I think it is always good to know how exactly you should use something.
I prefer to step over my pride and see myself as an absolute beginner than thinking I know best and not get the best results I can.
It is so simple to think: ah a file is so easy, lets get it done.
 
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