Author Topic: Making a dovetail file?  (Read 8747 times)

Treebeard

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Making a dovetail file?
« on: September 07, 2017, 09:12:05 PM »
I have about wore out my two dovetail files from Brownells. I believe I have heard that some take a regular three sided file and remove teeth on two sides. My question is how best to do this?

Offline Dennis Glazener

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2017, 09:43:32 PM »
A belt sander worked for me but watch the tips of you fingers :'(
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Offline PPatch

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2017, 11:15:12 PM »
I just did one this morning and used a bench grinder. Does a quick job but watch out that you don't overheat the file and like Dennis said - watch those fingers and wear eye protection by all means.

dave
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Offline Tim Crosby

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2017, 11:30:33 PM »
 Why Two sides, don't you need just one safe side?

   Tim C.

Offline Joe S.

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2017, 12:04:21 AM »
I found using a belt sander wanted to put a slight radius on the safe side while trying to hold it by hand.I ended up making a jig that held the file true to the table and other file edges.This made for a perfect,flat safe side with nice sharp,crisp edges.You do have to pay extra mind to not over heat the file,take it slow.

Offline P.W.Berkuta

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2017, 01:05:49 AM »
I use a belt grinder or bench grinder to get most of the teeth off on one side then I use a coarse stone then a fine diamond plate to finish it off.
"The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it." - Chinese proverb

Treebeard

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2017, 08:11:38 AM »
Thanks for all the input- I am now experimenting with both a grinding stone and belt sander as has been suggested. Tim the Brownells dove tail files come with only one side with teeth so thought I would duplicate that. I may try doing just one side.

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2017, 07:55:04 PM »
You only need to remove the teeth from one side of a three sided file.  I use my 6" x 48" belt grinder, holding the file vertically pointing the file down from the top end of the grinder.  Otherwise, it's easy to get the file tipped a bit, and it no longer gives a 60 degree corner.
D. Taylor Sapergia
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Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Treebeard

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2017, 05:19:10 AM »
I used the belt sander today to smooth just one side of a file. Used it to do a rear sight dovetail.
A lot cheaper than store bought! Thanks for all the input.

Offline flehto

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2017, 02:40:22 PM »
I "safe" only one side and do it on a bench grinder which yields a hollow ground surface which stays flat when filing, Enough steel is removed so that the corners are sharp......Fred

Treebeard

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2017, 08:44:08 PM »
I will be modifing three sided files from here on out and appreciate the tips. I am lucky that Kansas has a lot of estate sales where I can pick up files as low as 50 cents.

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #11 on: September 12, 2017, 08:14:01 AM »
There is nothing like a brandy new triangular file, one side ground down to expose sharp corners, to cut a dovetail.  Makes for accurate and clean dovetails, with as little effort as possible.  A worn or old file doesn't cut it...sorry about the pun.
D. Taylor Sapergia
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Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Offline Bob Roller

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #12 on: September 12, 2017, 02:17:05 PM »
Find IF possible a three cornered file with SHARP.not radiused corners.
It will make the job MUCH easier.

Bob Roller

Treebeard

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2017, 01:22:50 AM »
The advise about sharp corners abd non rediused corners is well taken. I will be on lookout for quality files to use next I need them. I really liked my Brownells but they only last so long.

Offline T*O*F

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2017, 03:48:47 AM »
Quote
I really liked my Brownells but they only last so long.
You can send them to Boggs to be resharpened.  Considering what the Brownells ones cost, I would.

Dave Kanger

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Treebeard

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #15 on: September 16, 2017, 01:57:58 AM »
Quote
I really liked my Brownells but they only last so long.
You can send them to Boggs to be resharpened.  Considering what the Brownells ones cost, I would.

I'm not familiar with Boggs. Does he have a website or store with contact info.

Offline T*O*F

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Re: Making a dovetail file?
« Reply #16 on: September 16, 2017, 02:40:58 AM »
Use the search function to find threads about them.  Lots of kudos from guys here.

http://boggstool.com/
Dave Kanger

If religion is opium for the masses, the internet is a crack, pixel-huffing orgy that deafens the brain, numbs the senses and scrambles our peer list to include every anonymous loser, twisted deviant, and freak as well as people we normally wouldn't give the time of day.
-S.M. Tomlinson