Miniature die filer

[mklotz]

I haven't found anyone yet who wants to donate me their die filing machine so I resorted to building a miniature version for myself. Like its big brother it uses a Scotch Yoke arrangement to turn circular motion into reciprocating motion, driving a file up and down through a hole in its table. In use, a workpiece is held against the file to debur and/or final shape. Beyond relieving the operator of physical effort, it has the advantage of producing nice, crisp, orthogonal surfaces on pieces with curved edges.

Here's the basic machine showing the drive. A diamond file is mounted and next to the machine is a conventional file which has been modified to be used in the machine. Die filers cut on the down stroke to avoid lifting the part from the table so, to adapt a conventional file one must provide a way of mounting it from its outboard end. In this case I've soldered a bit of threaded rod to the file end and added a lock nut to keep it firmly attached to the driver.

Here's another view. The brass disk under the file attach point is there to deflect swarf and keeping it from falling into the bearings.

Another view showing the drive shaft. Normally I grasp it in the bench vise and power it via a flexible cable from an electric drill. It works nicely for my small stuff but I'll still accept donations of a manly die filer. [There is a company that sells castings for one but I haven't gone there yet.]