The hardest part of learning filework for me was setting out the spacing of the first marks down the length of the blade. A friend showed me an ingenious way of making this very easy. He made a parallel out of some scrap steel, a chainsaw sharpening file, and a piece of steel rod the same diameter as the file. The object is to hold the file and the rod parallel to each other about a quarter to a half inch apart so that you can file your first groove wherever you want to start, then put the rod in that groove and file the next one a set distance from it. this allows you to set out a pattern of evenly spaced scallops down the blade without having to use layout dye and measuring. Once you have these down both sides of the blade you can easily finish out your vine or geometric pattern by eye.
The blocks can be made by starting with a 1"x1"x1/2" block and drilling two holes through the 1x1/2 face paralell to each other and the size of the file, then cutting it into two 1/2x1/2x1 inch blocks and drilling and tapping 4 holes for set screws to hold the file and rod in. Or you can start out with a piece of 1x1/4x2 inch and mill two paralell half round grooves down the face, cut into 4 pieces and bolt together onto the file and rod. It can be done by hand with just the file and a drill on 4 separate pieces, but it's a pain to get the alignment correct.
Sheesh, it's easier to do than to explain.
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