AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: caliber45 on August 05, 2011, 08:06:06 PM
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Hey, guys -- I may be the only one with this problem, but I've found a solution to it. When making pewter nosecaps, I tend to be "overly generous" in casting the inital hunk of metal; better too much than too little. Removing the excess has been labor intensive, pewter being soft and tending to "gum up" coarse files, rasps, etc. At the swap meet, I purchased what I believe to be a "farrier's file" that I'd seen horseshoers use to remove hoof material. Instead of having parallel, crossed straight lines like a "regular" file, or gouged-up points like a rasp, this one has curved cutting edges, like a series of "smiley-face" mouths -- maybe 7-8 to the inch on the "coarse" side, a dozen or so on the "fine" side. It removes LOTS of pewter in a very short time, and what little "clumping" between the teeth that occurs is easily removed with a file card and sharp pick. If you place a paper plate alongside the vise and beneath the work, you can reclaim most of your "removed" pewter and remelt it for "next time." Works really well for me. -- paulallen, tucson az
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Thjere is a name for that tool.
Not sure of memory (or knowledge) today.
Can one of you more learned guys speak up?
Isn't that tool called a float?
Greg
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Sounds like an auto body file.
John.
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John is right - it's an auto body file, used to remove Bondo. I've heard Glen St. Charles refer to it as a "Vixen" file. It works well on barrel steel as well...cuts like a milling machine.
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Agreed, in the good ole days they worked well when you used lead for body repairs.
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You can also reduce clogging in a conventional file by rubbing chalk on it. Reduce, not eliminate. I always chalk my files when working brass or pewter.
Got one of those auto body files, too, but it cuts too fast for my taste when working on nosecaps.
Dale H
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Our local farrier gives me her files when they aren't up to hoof work any longer. I've got a box of them, and use them all the time for fast stock removal. They are great for forging into other tools as well.
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The autobody file Taylor and John mentioned is incredible for removing a lot of material quickly. As Taylor noted, if used in drawfiling a barrel, it actually takes curls of steel off. Wonderful tool - I thought it was called "Jaws". It is easy to not be brutal enough with it, and have it run across your wood or steel, cutting several deep 'cuts'. You MUST be in command of this file.
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Its a lead float.
I have a couple my dad gave me. leaves a super smooth finish.
I didn't know they still made them. Where have you all found them?
Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles (http://trochronicles.blogspot.com)
I Review the Nikon Monarch (http://trochronicles.blogspot.com/2009/05/range-reviews-nikon-monarch-atb-8x42.html)
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Vixen are what I have always been taught to call them.
I found mine at Airparts, inc. in Merriam KS. They are an aircraft supply store, supplying all sorts of tubing, sheet metal, rivets and such. They have a LOT of "resharpened" drill bits, reamers and endmills. ( some really honking big endmills :o ) they get in boxes of files from time to time. I bought my Vixens there for $5
Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan
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Good to know!
Thanks
Best Regards,
Albert “Afghanus” Rasch (http://af.linkedin.com/pub/albert-rasch/14/623/958)
Dealing with Islamic Extremism “Chronicles” Style (http://trochronicles.blogspot.com/2010/12/dealing-with-muslim-extremism.html)
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Hey, guys -- I may be the only one with this problem, but I've found a solution to it. When making pewter nosecaps, I tend to be "overly generous" in casting the inital hunk of metal; better too much than too little. Removing the excess has been labor intensive, pewter being soft and tending to "gum up" coarse files, rasps, etc. At the swap meet, I purchased what I believe to be a "farrier's file" that I'd seen horseshoers use to remove hoof material. Instead of having parallel, crossed straight lines like a "regular" file, or gouged-up points like a rasp, this one has curved cutting edges, like a series of "smiley-face" mouths -- maybe 7-8 to the inch on the "coarse" side, a dozen or so on the "fine" side. It removes LOTS of pewter in a very short time, and what little "clumping" between the teeth that occurs is easily removed with a file card and sharp pick. If you place a paper plate alongside the vise and beneath the work, you can reclaim most of your "removed" pewter and remelt it for "next time." Works really well for me. -- paulallen, tucson az
I have a file designed for soft metals, aluminum I think, but its getting pretty old and dull. A large magic cut will work fairly well too. But not as good as dedicated file for lead.
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&tag=mozilla-20&index=blended&link_code=qs&field-keywords=body%20file&sourceid=Mozilla-search
Coarse belt sander works fairly well but can plug. Less sweat than filing though.
Wood cutting band saws work too for removing really big chunks.
Dan