Draw Filing….

[flatlineParticipant @flatline]

I am a complete newbie… I’ve finished making my first Hemingway kit & am very pleased with it.. the Centre Height Gauge..

I am now embarking on another, this time the Spherical Turning Tool. Reference is made in the instructions to ‘draw filing’ – for example the ‘prepare the SIDE ARM by draw filing all over’ … I don’t understand why this would be necessary… and TBH perhaps I don’t fully understand what has to be done & why?

Can anyone enlighten me please… my apologies for asking, but ‘there’s no such thing as a stupid question’ & I’m probably going to ask a lot more!!

😎🇬🇧👍

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

It is really only to clean up the surface to remove any marks from when the metal was drawn /rolled or to remove machining marks.

A fine file is held across you and moved to and fro along the work so the file is cutting sideways. This will give quite a nice finish, if you want finer you can then wrap emery cloth around the file and use it in the same way

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Flatline, just as JasonB has described.

Regards Nick.

[flatlineParticipant @flatline]

Many thanks… 😎🇬🇧👍

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Worth practising to make sure the technique is mastered.   Not quite as easy to get good results as it looks.   Some lucky folk have natural filing talent – not me.

🙁

Dave

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Use a single cut file, not a double cut one. The latter will tend to produce fine ridges in the work while the former produce a smooth finish.

The action is shearing rather than cutting.

[flatlineParticipant @flatline]

Many thanks, I really appreciate this forum – the willingness to share knowledge & experience 😎🇬🇧👍

[HOWARDTParticipant @howardt]

Draw filing was the only finish allowed when I was training nearly sixty years ago. Filing can keep the edges and faces square, emery puts a softer face in contact which will round the surface.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

One other factor about draw filing is that the length of the file is giving you a sensitive measure of how level you are keeping the file so, with developing skill, helping keep the edge true.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Beware of “pinning” the file: i.e. tiny filings becoming wedged in the gullets.

They act as fangs, scratching the surface.

Keep the file clean, and (I recall being taught at school!) rubbing blackboard chalk into the file will reduce the risk. Don’t use natural chalk rock as that can contain tiny flint or sand grains that will damage the file as well as the work.

I have not tried it but talcum powder might be as effective… as well as giving you a rather sweet-smelling workshop!

.

How to clean the file to remove “pins”? Not with a steel wire brush. Take a scrap of brass and push its edge into and along the teeth (so across the file). It will partially take on the gullet profile and push the swarf out without trying to blunt the teeth.

I sometimes use white spirit or WD-40 (mainly white spirit anyway) or thin lubricating oil when draw-filing. It seems to reduce pinning and give a finer finish, but this might be my perception – or luck.

 

Draw-filing is a skill worth cultivating as it can give a lovely satiny-brushed finish on mild-steel especially, and on a model sometimes looking more prototypical than polishing would.

 

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Is that what is called a mill file? In a previous existence one of the really skilled chaps kept one of these locked away, rough types like me were not allowed to touch it. He was the one who could file oval crankpins round again rather than having to press them out and remachine

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

No. A Mill-file, or milling-cut file, has a single row of straight of curved teeth, but is very coarse.

Draw-filing uses a Second-cut or finer, grade.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, as Nigel Graham 2 has said, a milling cut file is very course, and cuts much like a milling cutter does, not very good for draw filling. When new they will remove metal very quickly with a few strokes, but don’t really leave a very smooth finish, I used to use 12″ ones a lot, filling keys down, before finishing them to size with a smoothing file. The one in the photo below is a section of a well worn 10″ one.

Regards Nick.

[Charles LamontParticipant @charleslamont71117]

Blackboard chalk will do, but a stick of french chalk is perhaps better.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Didn’t think my memory was that bad, so I googled it. Bahco sell a second cut mill file.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Don’t worry, Duncan … you were right

https://www.classichandtools.com/vallorbe-10-blunt-mill-file-single-cut/p1269

https://benchmarkabrasives.com/blogs/news/difference-between-a-mill-file-and-a-flat-file

… I think it’s the good old English language that’s struggling again.

’Mill File’ is not the same as ‘Millenicut File’

https://www.wonkeedonkeetools.co.uk/files/what-is-a-millenicut-file

 

MichaelG.

[MacolmParticipant @macolm]

The cheapest and in my experience also the most satisfactory file for this function is a suitable “farmers own”. Be sure to get a single cut version, preferably on both sides (some have one single, one double cut side). You should be able to easily get a fine score free finish.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I guess it all depends on local terminology, I’ve always known the type I’ve shown as milling cut, however, Buck & Hickman called them Milled Tooth, and the particular one I’ve shown, is a Dreadnought, and the finer toothed one a Millenicut.

Cromwell also call them Milled Tooth.

While looking through the Cromwell catalogue that I have, I found this.

Which relates to the fairly recent discussion about Python file handles, and shows a really good picture of the spring and it’s location inside, and the relative length of the file tang.

Regards Nick.

[GreensandsParticipant @greensands]

I was always given to understand that draw filing was a chargeable offence in the RAF but talking to an ex RAF Halton Training School apprentice some years ago he was not able to confirm this as a fact . Can  anyone throw any further light on the matter?

[flatlineParticipant @flatline]

Oh no!! I’ve been absorbed by ‘The Collective’.. 😇

My first proper file arrived today; a Swiss ‘Vallorbe’ single-cut draw-file… an initial play produced some very satisfying results, and made me realise just how much TLC, work + many hours go in to the tools that a home-machinist creates for his own use… 👏😎👍

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

A very wise purchase !

Keep it clean and don’t abuse it  … it should serve you very well.

MichaelG.

[Andrew CrowParticipant @andrewcrow91475]

Could you please tell me from where you obtained your Vallorbe file.

Many thanks,

Andy

[Andrew Crow]

On Andrew Crow Said:

Could you please tell me from where you obtained your Vallorbe file.

Many thanks,

Andy

https://www.classichandtools.com/vallorbe-10-blunt-mill-file-single-cut/p1269

[Andrew CrowParticipant @andrewcrow91475]

Many thanks, two ordered, one for sharpening various hand tools and one for draw filing.

Andy

[MikeKParticipant @mikek40713]

Wow, that’s a good price, too.  I pay that much, or more, for a Nicholson.

[Author]

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