File Guide Making: As simple as it seems?

michdad said:
I was thinking the same thing!

Matt
Click to expand...

You can use them for many things. The two most common uses are:
  1. As a guide to allow you to keep spine or guard filing in a precise location, hence the "File Guide" name.
  2. Or as in the photo that I've attached. I use them quite often on my full tang construction to get the front of my bolsters perfectly lined up with each other.
 

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  • 23First bolster glued and lightly clamped.jpg
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George,
That would work fine for trimming the tang, but how would you make the shoulders parallel with no teeth on the file???:confused:
Stacy
 
I went ahead and ordered one of the 1-2-3 blocks from midwest kife supply. I'll be doing it by hand till that arrives, so if i can't pull it off with my super ninja brain and patience, i'll have that to fall back on. Thanks everyone!
 
David Schott said:
Am I missing something, seeing these expensive file guides for sale here and there?

Can I just take two pieces of blade steel, drill and tap them both with two screws 3" apart from the other, screw them together, grind a perfectly flat edge against my platen, then heat em up above critical and quench?

Anything at home depot that I can just use? Seems like all I need are two pieces of hardened steel with holes tapped in em....
Click to expand...

I just used a old file .
I anealed it ,ground off all the file groves ,drilled it and tapped one side then heat treated it,screwed it together then touch up the edges so they are both the same.
Richard
 
hi guys , does anyone have a pic of the guide in place on a blade and just the plunge filed , do you do the plunge with a round file first and then the blade ---------------------------- clear as mud ------ thx
 
George, I was kidding. ;):)
You said to grind all the teeth off the side that was running against the guard. If you were filing the shoulders, there would be no teeth to do the filing.
Stacy
 
Well I went ahead and did it without a file guide tonight...whew....what an act of patience. Can't wait to get a guide, but always helps to have done it by eye and feel a few times....I am quite impressed with myself since all I used was my eye.

This will be a 17.5" OAL bowie, stag is in the back. Guard it just fitted, not attached in any way:
guardfit.jpg
 
David Schott said:
Well I went ahead and did it without a file guide tonight...whew....what an act of patience. Can't wait to get a guide, but always helps to have done it by eye and feel a few times....I am quite impressed with myself since all I used was my eye.

This will be a 17.5" OAL bowie, stag is in the back. Guard it just fitted, not attached in any way:
Click to expand...


Nice job David!

-d
 
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Thanks guys! I normall do smaller full tang knives with wood, so this knife has lots of firsts....first stag, first quality through tang, largest blade i've ever made, etc etc.
 
scottickes said:
You can use them for many things. The two most common uses are:
  1. As a guide to allow you to keep spine or guard filing in a precise location, hence the "File Guide" name.
  2. Or as in the photo that I've attached. I use them quite often on my full tang construction to get the front of my bolsters perfectly lined up with each other.
Click to expand...

Thanx I was wondering how they were used!:eek::D:thumbup:
 
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