New file jig

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Dixieblade57

Joined
Jun 20, 2007
Messages
1,361
Well I don't know if anyone else has this problem but when I file a blade I have problems with holding it still and it vibrating or jumping up and down. So I came up with this solution I built a jig that can be clamped into my vice which makes it solid to work on. It's welded up out of mild black iron, the top is 3/8" thick as well as the bottom and the sides are out of 3/16". It has an 1/8" angle iron welded to bottom so it set center in the vice no matter which way it is turned. Yeah it's built like a tank but thats the idea when the blade is clamped into it, the blade ain't going to move. That allows for better file control using both hands on the file.
It kinda blends in, in the picture but there is a ratchet type 3/8 bolt on the one end (left side in this pic) for holding the handle of the blank.
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On the other end I made an assortment of different lenght pieces of spring steel to use to clamp down on the blades with set screws. I have taped the top piece with several holes at different intervals to allow for use with all sizes and lengths of blades.That way I can hold the blade out over the edge of the jig allowing for a full file stroke.
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It has a cut out built into the center to allow for use of a file guide. The one in the picture is one that I got for Rudy, at rujoco.
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It can be picked up and turned end for end in the vice and the blade moved to the other edge to allow for easy fileing on both sides without moving the file guide.
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Today was the first time that I used the jig but I think it is going to work out good. It allowed me to file and polish out with wet dry both sides of a blade in much shorter time than I was able to do before!
 
I'll be honest, I can't really wrap my mind around what you've built here.

Pretty sure I understand the reason you wanted a supporting fixture, but I'm just not seeing what all your advantages with this one are.

Maybe more pics... like setting it up and using it?
 
Looks like a good idea, I'll have to give it a try. I have been propping mine up with a board trying to get it stable.

Thanks for the idea
 
Nick, I am not set up where I can just grind out my blade edges as of yet. So there fore most of the time I finsh my blade edges with a file and then work down with finer and finer wet dry sand paper to a finish!
My biggest problem is when I file the edge on a blade has been getting it stable. I have tried clamping it directly into the vice but, when the pressure of a two handed fileing makes the blade flex, or it walks and eventuallly pops out of the vice.
I have tried supporting it with a board but it still tries to walk and you can't file the edge if it scoots back to far. With this jig I can put my file guide on and leave it till finished and the knob and the spring steel clips allow me to change postion from side to side of the blade with ease, in just a few seconds.
I will post some pics later unfortunately at this time I have a knife handle that I epoxyied in the vice last night and due to low temps I am afraid it hasn't fully cured.
 
One of the guys who is working on the newbie knives has a "filing station" which appears to work kind of like a Lansky sharpening system. it looks like it allows him to file things like the swedges on a clip point and maintain the same angle on every stoke.
 
jdm61 said:
One of the guys who is working on the newbie knives has a "filing station" which appears to work kind of like a Lansky sharpening system. it looks like it allows him to file things like the swedges on a clip point and maintain the same angle on every stoke.
Click to expand...

Yep, that would be me...
 

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fitzo said:
Here is another version of the "filing station", built by Brent Finnigan a couple years ago:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=399930
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Hey fitzo,

I am glad you posted that. As I said on the newbie knife posting, I was not the original designer of this file station but I could not remember where I saw the picture of it. Your posting is it! Thanks. When folks have asked about the orgin, I did not know who to give credit to. Brent Finnigan is the guy! :thumbup::thumbup:

Eric
 
With mine I still have to freehand the angle but I don't have a real problem with that. I use a sharpie to mark out the gouge cut and the shape of the cut.
efleming
I would love to see some more pics of the fileing jig! I think I see how it works but, is the blade laying in there backwards, or do you cut the edge with blade elavated towards the center of your jig.
Do you file side to side or in and out (back and forth towards the post)?
I see you achived the stability by clamping blade in on left and using the bolts with the rubber caps underneath.
What happens when you hit the curved part of the blade?
Please post some more pics and and enlighten me a little on its use.

Now I can see why maybe my pics don't explain my jig to Nick. To me it ought to be simple but when you look at it from the other persons view it is not all crystal clear! I am not seeing all with your picture. Iam sure if I could see it work I would fully understand immmediately!
I just went back and looked at the link you had on your post and the light bulb just lit up!!!!!!!!! Kind of makes my rig look crude. I got stability but dont have the advantage of the true angle. Great idea!
 
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Dixieblade57 said:
efleming
I would love to see some more pics of the fileing jig! I think I see how it works but, is the blade laying in there backwards, or do you cut the edge with blade elavated towards the center of your jig.

What happens when you hit the curved part of the blade?

Please post some more pics and and enlighten me a little on its use.
Click to expand...

Fitzo found the link in his post above that shows exactly how this works. Many good pics. Just keep on clicking on the <Next> link to see all the pics. Here is the direct site --> http://groups.msn.com/Brentscustomknives/filingsharpeningstation.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=134

In my picture, I was filing in the clip. You would turn the blade around to work on the edge. Moving across curved surfaces as the blade curves works great as well. Check out Brent's link above. It's excellent! :thumbup:

Eric
 
efleming said:
Hey fitzo,

I am glad you posted that. As I said on the newbie knife posting, I was not the original designer of this file station but I could not remember where I saw the picture of it. Your posting is it! Thanks. When folks have asked about the orgin, I did not know who to give credit to. Brent Finnigan is the guy! :thumbup::thumbup:

Eric
Click to expand...

You're welcome, Eric. Brent has surely shared some very nice tool designs with us!
I posted that link because he offers some extended pics and explanations in his MSN link.
 
fitzo said:
You're welcome, Eric. Brent has surely shared some very nice tool designs with us!
I posted that link because he offers some extended pics and explanations in his MSN link.
Click to expand...

This was one of the first knife making tools I built before even finding bladeforums. I stumbled across his pics while searching on the web, bookmarked it and built one based on these pics. When my hard drive crashed, I lost the link. His post has some great explanations that I had since forgot. Man, I'm glad you found that. Thanks again!

Eric
 
Ineed to build one of those. I set the clip with the contact wheel and roughit and cleanit up with files. My problem is that things tend to get "rounded over" in the later stages when i am sanding the swedges. It would be neat to have a jig like that set up to use hard stones or ceramic roads for post-heat treat work.
 
Joe,

It is really easy to build one of these. Brent uses a lathe and mill to build his in the descriptions on the link. All I had at the time was a drill press and a 4" angle grinder with a metal cutting disk. It was really no problem with only those tools and of course having to purchase a 1/4" tap. I also bought replacement stones for the Edge Pro and fitted them to the device as well. You can see the yellowish/orange 800 grit Edge Pro stone on the picture I have attached above. It's really a cool tool.

Eric
 
I have the low teck model, but it works great.
And just my luck the photo posted its self sideways :barf: but you get the idea.
Cheers Ron.
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