Square filing. Who has tried, and given up?

[parrisw]

Andy, got the files yesterday. But they will be too long to use in the Oregon jig, so I will need shorter ones to make something up that will work for square filing in the jig.

But here is my first attempt at square by hand, I think I did ok? What do you think.

I started with my 20" on my 357, since its the smallest bar I got. These files are definetly very nice, and give a killer edge, very sharp edge, much sharper then I can get with the round files I have. They are the 8" goofy file.

 

[Metals406]

Looking good Will! I think you'll like the way the chain eats the wood!

 

[parrisw]

Looking good Will! I think you'll like the way the chain eats the wood!

Thanks!! I don't think its that hard to learn it. But will take some time to get very good at it, and become faster. I think I maybe spent about 30mins on this chain, not including rakers, and that was also going from round filed to square.

 

[Metals406]

Thanks!! I don't think its that hard to learn it. But will take some time to get very good at it, and become faster. I think I maybe spent about 30mins on this chain, not including rakers, and that was also going from round filed to square.

Whoa there cowboy. . . You ain't filing squared. . . You iz running goofy. Add two more angles to that there file, and you won't be whistling the "pretty easy" tune.

6 sided changes the game brother. . . Did you just order goofy or 6 sided as well?

 

[parrisw]

Whoa there cowboy. . . You ain't filing squared. . . You iz running goofy. Add two more angles to that there file, and you won't be whistling the "pretty easy" tune.

6 sided changes the game brother. . . Did you just order goofy or 6 sided as well?

Sorry ya, goofy filing. on a 6 sided, how many sides actually touch the chain? I thought only 2 right? So what's the deal with 6 sides? Or also hear double bevel?

 

[Zombiechopper]

can you fellers post some pics of these files? I thought goofy was flat top round side for the gullet? Will's looks like sguare gullet? I dunno maybe I dunno what i'm lookin at. What is this six sided business? I thought real square filing was with a square (rectangular) file. I feel dumb, help me out with some pitchers will ya eh?

 

[parrisw]

can you fellers post some pics of these files? I thought goofy was flat top round side for the gullet? Will's looks like sguare gullet? I dunno maybe I dunno what i'm lookin at. What is this six sided business? I thought real square filing was with a square (rectangular) file. I feel dumb, help me out with some pitchers will ya eh?

This is the file I used.

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=638+1080&catID=

 

[Zombiechopper]

ok, goofy has slight curve to the side, not a radius that matches a round file like I pictured. cool beans.

Now, six sided? huh?

 

[Metals406]

Sorry ya, goofy filing. on a 6 sided, how many sides actually touch the chain? I thought only 2 right? So what's the deal with 6 sides? Or also hear double bevel?

Two sides and a point of the third side touch on a 6 sided -- and a goofy touches on 2 sides. . . The big difference is the goofy's radius is a heck of a lot more forgiving with technique.

Think about hard angles, and how little changes make the angles change on ya. Now with a goofy file, you can be somewhat lacking holding the side angles, and it won't show up cause of the radius. The goofy's radius is also a lot more forgiving with a gullet that isn't cleaned out good, cause you don't have a point trying to dig in on ya.

You need a 6 sided to try now that you've tried goofy. . . You'll see what I mean.

 

[Metals406]

ok, goofy has slight curve to the side, not a radius that matches a round file like I pictured. cool beans.

Now, six sided? huh?

Here's some pics of the files and the end profiles. . . It'll maybe help you visualize it?

6 sided

Goofy

 

[mdavlee]

I was looking at some of my files last night and one of the new viiala I think is how you spell it and the double bevels aren't symmetrical to each side. One is short and one is longer. I think it will just be a raker file. I guess I'll have to order some more sooner than I thought. I have some triangular files also but are harder for me to use for some reason.

 

[SWE#Kipp]

I was looking at some of my files last night and one of the new viiala I think is how you spell it and the double bevels aren't symmetrical to each side. One is short and one is longer. I think it will just be a raker file. I guess I'll have to order some more sooner than I thought. I have some triangular files also but are harder for me to use for some reason.

Do you got a link to the files ??

 

[parrisw]

Two sides and a point of the third side touch on a 6 sided -- and a goofy touches on 2 sides. . . The big difference is the goofy's radius is a heck of a lot more forgiving with technique.

Think about hard angles, and how little changes make the angles change on ya. Now with a goofy file, you can be somewhat lacking holding the side angles, and it won't show up cause of the radius. The goofy's radius is also a lot more forgiving with a gullet that isn't cleaned out good, cause you don't have a point trying to dig in on ya.

You need a 6 sided to try now that you've tried goofy. . . You'll see what I mean.

Thanks. Next Baileys order I'll get a few to try out.

 

[WKEND LUMBERJAK]

Parish how are you guys geting such clesr pictures? I've been trying a six sided file like pictued in this thread. but my pictures are not this clear.

 

[ronT2]

The top picture looks more like a double bevel.

6 sided

I was under the impression that this was a 6-sided/3-corner/triangle/hexagon file.

Will, I would definitely try a double bevel next, if you can sharpen a drill bit odds are it will work for you.

 

[JT78]

I have been square filing some of my shorter chains doing pretty good at it now but I am slow! I can file a round chain much faster so am sticking to round on the long chains.

 

[mdavlee]

Do you got a link to the files ??

It is the one in madsens catalog. They seem to last longer than the save edge and pferd that baileys carries. They are shaped just like the picture paris posted but are off a little on the bevel. It's the last file I had that was brand new. The vallorbe for the atop guide is alsting good but only has 1 bevel on each side so it can't be flipped over to have 4 corners to use.

 

[redprospector]

Andy, got the files yesterday. But they will be too long to use in the Oregon jig, so I will need shorter ones to make something up that will work for square filing in the jig.

But here is my first attempt at square by hand, I think I did ok? What do you think.

I started with my 20" on my 357, since its the smallest bar I got. These files are definetly very nice, and give a killer edge, very sharp edge, much sharper then I can get with the round files I have. They are the 8" goofy file.

Parrisw, It's looking pretty good. But you need to raise your hand up to make the file go in at a steeper angle. You are also low in the cutter with the file.
Notice the beak you have on the top plate. It will cut like mad...........for a few cuts, but will dull very quickly because there's nothing to support the edge. Get the corner of the file (where the flat meets the edge) to meet in the corner of the cutter.
Here's a cutter I filed the other day for John's thread. See how the corner of the file made a line going into the corner of the cutter? That's what you're looking for.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

Andy, got the files yesterday. But they will be too long to use in the Oregon jig, so I will need shorter ones to make something up that will work for square filing in the jig.

Oh yeah, I forgot to comment on this.
Even with a 7" double bevel you'll have to replace the guide bars in the Oregon guide. I think you could extend it to hold a 12" bastard mill if you wanted to.
I don't mean to repeat myself, but this was my attempt at a description before I took any pictures.

Ok, don't say I never think of you guy's.
I was in Lowe's a few months ago and they had one of those Oregon bar mounted filing jig's on sale for $9. So I thought what the heck. I know some of the old filing jigs would take a double bevel (I've had a couple) and my mind got to churning. I've seen at least one of these type jigs on here that had been adapted to take a double bevel, but they had some pretty elaborate machine work involved. Knowing that most of us here are rednecks, and don't have machine shops set up in our tool shed's, I tried to think of a redneck way to adapt the filing jig to take a double bevel file.

Here's what I came up with. I cut a couple of short pieces from a 3/8" galvanized water pipe. Then I filed a notch in one end of each piece to accept a piece of 1/4" bar stock and welded it in the notch in each piece of pipe. Then I took 2 more short pieces of 1/4" bar stock and filed a saddle into one end of each piece, and welded it in the center of the first 1/4" bar.
Then I made a spacer to go inside one of these pieces to keep the tang end of the file centered and welded it in place.
The piece for the wide end of the file had to be tapped into an oval with a hammer to accept the file. Be careful doing this so that the file stays in the center. Now drill & tap each piece for a set screw to hold the file.
Ok, so now that I have all this together, it's too long to fit into the filing jig. So I replaced the bar stock in the guide with longer pieces. One is round (I think it was 1/4") the other is square (3/16" key stock fit pretty good).

This project had been shelved for a while, but I got inspired to finish it when I started this thread. I have it done and have filed a chain with it and it works pretty good. It's not as fast as free hand filing, but is consistant. The only thing I really don't care for is that the little steel stop that catches the back of the cutter isn't adjustable (yet), so the cutter length will varry after a few filings.

I'll get some pic's up in a day or so, and you guy's can see what you think. It's ugly, but makes for a cheap square filing jig.
My biggest concern about posting this is that some will become dependant on the jig, and never learn to file by hand.

I don't know if that helps any or not.......Probably not.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

Whoa there cowboy. . . You ain't filing squared. . . You iz running goofy. Add two more angles to that there file, and you won't be whistling the "pretty easy" tune.

6 sided changes the game brother. . . Did you just order goofy or 6 sided as well?

Metals, I'm glad you're chiming in. I can use all the help I can get, because I'm not a real good "online teacher".
All threads eventually take a deture, and we're now talking about goofy filing. But at least we're still talking about filing.
I think once most people get good with a goofy file, the transition to square filing isn't near as difficult.

Andy