Free 186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook:  
Get 2,000+ tool plans, full site access, and more.

User Tag List

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 1 2
Results 11 to 19 of 19

Thread: A Centerless Filing Button

  1. #11
    Supporting Member Karl_H's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    790
    Thanks
    603
    Thanked 434 Times in 235 Posts

    Karl_H's Tools
    So how did you shape the jig?
    Since it is just a jig, a hole for filing buttons, or for a pivot point on your belt sanding table would certainly be fine and would not effect the appearance of the final part, but your jig has no center hole; so how did you shape it?

    I am also wondering how you cut it on the band saw without cutting into the hidden jig? I guess you could flip your workpiece and trace a line using the jig as a template, then flip the piece back (line would now be visible on the top) and cut close to the line instead of close to the jig.

    Just thinking as this gets filed in the to do pile.

    Thanks for this share (and all your others.)

    Karl

    Sorry, I missed the cover plate description - that would let you cut and sand close the the final size without damaging the jig.

    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook
    Last edited by Karl_H; Feb 16, 2020 at 05:54 PM.

  2. #12
    Supporting Member Karl_H's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    790
    Thanks
    603
    Thanked 434 Times in 235 Posts

    Karl_H's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by Tooler2 View Post
    With any method you should be cutting to a line, not actually cutting till you touch the button?
    When I have used buttons, I leave then loose enough to rotate and I file perpendicular to the axis of them. That way, when I reach the proper depth of the filing, the buttons rotate and will not be worn at all by the file.

    2000 Tool Plans

  3. #13
    Supporting Member rgsparber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    1,278
    Thanks
    733
    Thanked 2,763 Times in 650 Posts

    rgsparber's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by Karl_H View Post
    So how did you shape the jig?
    Since it is just a jig, a hole for filing buttons, or for a pivot point on your belt sanding table would certainly be fine and would not effect the appearance of the final part, but your jig has no center hole; so how did you shape it?

    I am also wondering how you cut it on the band saw without cutting into the hidden jig? I guess you could flip your workpiece and trace a line using the jig as a template, then flip the piece back (line would now be visible on the top) and cut close to the line instead of close to the jig.

    Just thinking as this gets filed in the to do pile.

    Thanks for this share (and all your others.)

    Karl

    Sorry, I missed the cover plate description - that would let you cut and sand close the the final size without damaging the jig.
    Karl,

    Great question. I have updated the article to explain that step plus took the liberty of giving you credit for the question.

    Rick
    Rick

  4. #14
    Supporting Member rgsparber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    1,278
    Thanks
    733
    Thanked 2,763 Times in 650 Posts

    rgsparber's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by Karl_H View Post
    When I have used buttons, I leave then loose enough to rotate and I file perpendicular to the axis of them. That way, when I reach the proper depth of the filing, the buttons rotate and will not be worn at all by the file.
    Karl,

    Smart solution. I've never heard of that being done before but it makes a lot of sense.

    Thanks,

    Rick
    PS: a ball bearing fits the bill nicely. The center can be tightly bolted down while the perimeter spins under the file. Just don’t file axially.
    Last edited by rgsparber; Feb 17, 2020 at 04:46 AM.
    Rick

  5. #15
    Supporting Member Scotsman Hosie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Salt Lake City, UTAH
    Posts
    359
    Thanks
    4,937
    Thanked 85 Times in 60 Posts

    Scotsman Hosie's Tools
    You've certainly designed a beautifully functional tool there, Rick. Has Tool of the Week written all over it (if I haven't jinxed it for you).

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to Scotsman Hosie For This Useful Post:

    rgsparber (Feb 17, 2020)

  7. #16
    Jon
    Jon is online now Jon has agreed the Seller's Terms of Service
    Administrator
    Supporting Member
    Jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Colorado, USA
    Posts
    25,451
    Thanks
    7,928
    Thanked 38,619 Times in 11,284 Posts
    Congratulations rgsparber - your Centerless Filing Button is the Homemade Tool of the Week!

    Clever solution that will be copied in various forms around here

    Some more good builds from this week:

    Vise Jaw Liners by rgsparber
    Mill Tramming Alternative by Crusty
    Sliding Angle Grinder Mount by Kwandotechnic
    Bench Vise Jaw Jack by rgsparber
    Wire Guillotine by thehomeengineer
    Grinding Stone Bushing by thehomeengineer
    Compass Divider by Art of Boat Building
    Welding Clamp by Kwandotechnic
    Dog Head Sledgehammer by Philip Davies
    Camlock Back Plate by celsoari
    Belt Grinder by mariost
    Protractor by Salix84
    Spline Jig by Christofix
    Magnetic V Pads by bouboulas
    Fly Cutter with Morse Taper by shopandmath
    Vertical Benchtop Planer Table by Didpoolhall
    Pocket Hole Jig by Didpoolhall
    Sheetmetal Bender by warsztatOdZera
    Mill Stand by threesixesinarow
    Shovel by Jdplus3


    rgsparber - you'll be receiving a $25 online gift card, in your choice of Amazon, PayPal, or bitcoin. Please PM me your current email address and gift card choice and I'll get it sent over right away.

    This is your 6th Homemade Tool of the Week. Here are all of your Homemade Tool of the Week winning tools. Congrats again



  8. #17
    Supporting Member Karl_H's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    790
    Thanks
    603
    Thanked 434 Times in 235 Posts

    Karl_H's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by rgsparber View Post

    PS: a ball bearing fits the bill nicely. The center can be tightly bolted down while the perimeter spins under the file. Just don’t file axially.
    IF you have the bearing with the correct ID and OD.
    A chunk of CRS round bar and 5 minutes at the lathe and you are good to go.

  9. #18
    Supporting Member saguaro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Posts
    3
    Thanks
    56
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    Quote Originally Posted by rgsparber View Post
    I don't know why, but I have a facination with forming rounded corners on flat stock. The standard way to do this is with a filing button. You drill a hole in the stock, run a bolt through the button and the hole, and add a nut to secure the assembly. Then file down to the button. That hole really bugs me. I did figure out a way to avoid drilling the hole by using hot glue to secure the button. That didn't satisfy me so I kept thinking about the problem. Can't say that I'm done with this journey, but here is my latest "day trip" - a tool that lets me cut a nice 7/8th inch radius in sheet stock. No hole is drilled and no glue is used.

    If you are interested, please see

    https://rick.sparber.org/CenterlessFilingButton.pdf

    Your comments are welcome. All of us are smarter than any one of us.


    Thanks,

    Rick
    Really admire the elegant and smooth shapes that seem visually simple but are so difficult for me to achieve. This rounded corner is a perfect example--mine have been so inelegant and unsmooth, but now I shall gratefully steal this idea and hopefully get some satisfactory results.

  10. #19
    Supporting Member mklotz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    LA, CA, USA
    Posts
    3,434
    Thanks
    357
    Thanked 6,379 Times in 2,117 Posts

    mklotz's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by Karl_H View Post
    When I have used buttons, I leave then loose enough to rotate and I file perpendicular to the axis of them. That way, when I reach the proper depth of the filing, the buttons rotate and will not be worn at all by the file.
    Also, the buttons can be hardened so the file will simply slide over them.



    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook
    ---
    Regards, Marv

    Home Shop Freeware
    https://www.myvirtualnetwork.com/mklotz

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •