Home-made Vise jaws for chain filing.

[parrisw]

I've been thinking of doing this for sometime now just never got around to it. So I whipped up some jaws tonight for filing chain in my vise, mainly square or goofy filing, makes it much easier when the tooth is held very firmly instead of wobbling all over the place in the bar. So here it is.

The lip under the top "Jaw" holds it in the vise when you slacken it off so it doesn't slip out, actually this works very well, surprising considering how simple it was to make. The half's are just loosely bolted together so it lets go of the chain when the vise is slackened off. Also started goofy filing this chain, going to attempt to make a "fast" chain! What allot of work, just cleaning out the gullet narrowing the raker, and filing back under the tooth and filing the back of the tooth as well, only sharpened a few cutters so far.

 

[wigglesworth]

Looks good!! But I think you'll find that the skinnier the better when trying to get the right angles with a double bevel. IF its wide up top, the file has a tendancy to get into it.

 

[parrisw]

Looks good!! But I think you'll find that the skinnier the better when trying to get the right angles with a double bevel. IF its wide up top, the file has a tendancy to get into it.

Yep I thought of that, that's why I cut the outer parts on an angle pointing up, so far so good, worst case, I just make them a little thinner, no big deal.

 

[Rudolf73]

Very nice indeed

 

[mdavlee]

Take the gullet on back a little more. I like using a 5/32" file for gullets. I haven't ordered any 1/8" files to try but I think they'll work even better for that.

 

[Tzed250]

Nice work Will !!!

 

[parrisw]

Take the gullet on back a little more. I like using a 5/32" file for gullets. I haven't ordered any 1/8" files to try but I think they'll work even better for that.

Yep I will, in that pic there was no filing done to that chain yet, I didn't have my camera with me to take any close ups of the chain, those pics are from my iPhone, it doesn't do close ups!

Nice work Will !!!

Thanks John, should of done it much sooner.

 

[Arrowhead]

Looks good. :msp_thumbsup:

 

[3000 FPS]

I like your idea. Is it aluminium you are using?

 

[parrisw]

I like your idea. Is it aluminium you are using?

Yes, made from C-Channel, that's why the top part is thicker, it was from the corner.

 

[diggers_dad]

I've been thinking of doing this for sometime now just never got around to it. So I whipped up some jaws tonight for filing chain in my vise, mainly square or goofy filing, makes it much easier when the tooth is held very firmly instead of wobbling all over the place in the bar. So here it is.

Thanks for sharing! I'll be stealing that idea, of course. :hmm3grin2orange: The homemade set up I use allows a little wiggle and yours looks much steadier.

Rep for ya!

 

[Chris-PA]

This is similar to the one I made:

At first I thought I would hold it in the vice by the rear flange and use the thumb screws to hold the chain. This works OK for sharpening round ground chain, and I can set the tension so that I can just slide the chain through it. But I can't make it tight enough for the new loop of square I got (the screws are too low). For that I think I will remove the center screw and clamp it on the front, more like yours.

Mine was made from some cut off lengths of industrial 19" equipment strut. The holes were already in it and tapped.

 

[rmh3481]

Very nice, should work well too.

 

[watsonr]

This is similar to the one I made:

At first I thought I would hold it in the vice by the rear flange and use the thumb screws to hold the chain. This works OK for sharpening round ground chain, and I can set the tension so that I can just slide the chain through it. But I can't make it tight enough for the new loop of square I got (the screws are too low). For that I think I will remove the center screw and clamp it on the front, more like yours.

Mine was made from some cut off lengths of industrial 19" equipment strut. The holes were already in it and tapped.

What about a C-clamp, a small one would work very nice. At least that's what I use, big handle and I can clamp it down pretty tight.

 

[Chris-PA]

What about a C-clamp, a small one would work very nice. At least that's what I use, big handle and I can clamp it down pretty tight.

I tried it tonight with the center screws removed and the bench vice clamping on the front, and of course I got a lot more clamping force that way - held it pretty tight. I think that will work, and I'm going to need it as I try to learn to file square!

 

[watsonr]

If you could figure a way to use the vise to hold the devise and something else to clamp the chain it would make re-positioning the chain easier. How about moving the clamp nearer the chain itself or two clamps instead of the screws?

 

[Chris-PA]

If you could figure a way to use the vise to hold the devise and something else to clamp the chain it would make re-positioning the chain easier. How about moving the clamp nearer the chain itself or two clamps instead of the screws?

That's certainly a good point. However, by good fortune the back flange the fixture rests on the top of the vice jaw, and it looks like all I have to do is slack the jaw a little bit to release the chain. If I add some screws to position it side to side I should be able to slide the chain pretty easily by just moving the vice handle a little bit. I'll see how it works the next time I dress a chain.