Needle File Holder

[echris 1,425]

While going through some old shop photos tonight, I came across this.

Back in 2015, Grandpa Uncle (I ain't giving you nothing I don't have 10 of™ ") Dave next door saw my meager needle file collection.
He came over to my place with a handful of all sorts I didn't have and says, "Do you have a block to store them in?"

I did not, so we want back to his place. He hunted around his various "make-from" piles and came up with a beautiful, although caddy-whompus chunk of brass.

We then spent a few hours squaring up the brass block on his mill, Dave showing me all sort of tricks for making a rhombus into a perfect cube. (Pretty sure I've forgotten most of his tricks)

Some math, Dykem, a ruler, and a scribe later and all the holes are marked with a punch, then touched off with a drill bit.

 

Bonus points for finding the hole I slipped with the punch.

 

There was a hole in the back side of the block, so I threaded it and inserted/epoxied this unholy brass screw that I have no idea where it came from and sawed it off.

 

Then drilled and counter sunk the holes. Mmm shiny brass counter sinks...

 

 

Test fit up

Always sign tools when a good friend helps you out.

 

 

Having your needle files in a block you can't knock over, right within reach on your benchtop makes you use your needle files all the time! 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,596]

That's a right purrtttyyy block o shiny metal. 

[Ed Kennell 38,210]

18 minutes ago, echris said:

Bonus points for finding the hole I slipped with the punch.

Bottom center.

[echris 1,425]

5 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

Bottom center.

Sssh, don't tell anyone, you'll ruin it! 

This was one of those Uncle Dave experiments where he teaches you some stuff about machining, but what he's really teaching you is the correct way to store this specific tool so it's always handy and easy to store, and how to make that storage.

This guy has a ~2000 sq ft basement, all shop, and has mastered the skill of cramming every possible tool, hardware, metal stock, plastic stock, resistors, capacitors, blocks of carbon (I don't know why either, but he has them. ha), lathes, drill presses, milling machines (including an '80's CNC Bridgeport), quite literally almost anything you could want to do a project either mechanical or electrical, and for the most part, you can easily find what you're looking for.

There's been more than one occasion over the ~20 years I've lived here where he was out of town and I had a need, so I raided his shop and wouldn't you know it, there was the block of carbon I needed right in the box labeled "Carbon". 

It's kinda frightening. And exciting too. I have the best "Hardwork" store ever, and it's right next door to me. And in comes with an expert on all topics.  


I'm a lucky man.

Any of you locals, we should arrange a tour of Grandpa Uncle Dave's shop. Nary a WH in site, but it should be a museum of everything we need to do stuff. No lie.
 

[formariz 11,987]

On 10/24/2021 at 8:08 PM, echris said:

Having your needle files in a block you can't knock over, right within reach on your benchtop makes you use your needle files all the time! 

More importantly in addition to it it protects files from hitting each other or other tools dulling them. Files are really edge tools that need protection from damage.  Should also keep separate ones for different metals such as steel or bronze. 

[echris 1,425]

4 minutes ago, formariz said:

More importantly in addition to it it protects files from hitting each other or other tools dulling them. Files are really edge tools that need protection from damage.  Should also keep separate ones for different metals such as steel or bronze. 

You're right, I forgot the most important part!

Uncle Dave has a pet peeve about that one and has drilled that into my head, "You DO NOT just throw your files in a $&%&# drawer! " 

He taught me to use shrink tubing that is a bit larger than the file and shrink it just so it fits. Makes a cheap, simple cover for your good files!

He also taught me a trick his grandpa taught him about dull files. I've never tested it, but he swears if you throw a dull file in the backyard and let it sit over the winter and retrieve it in the springtime and clean it up, it will be as sharp as new. I really want to test this sometime.

[lynnmor 7,308]

Anyone remember Sunny's Surplus?  They had refurbished files, for little money, that were dipped in acid till the rounded edge was consumed.

[formariz 11,987]

4 hours ago, echris said:

You DO NOT just throw your files in a $&%&# drawer! " 

They can be really troublesome to store particularly when one uses a lot of them and they are large. I even use a sort of “caddy” to keep them when in use so I just don’t place them on bench . It’s designed so I can hang it on any 3/4” edge such as a drawer front.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by formariz

[formariz 11,987]

1 hour ago, echris said:

He also taught me a trick his grandpa taught him about dull files. I've never tested it, but he swears if you throw a dull file in the backyard and let it sit over the winter and retrieve it in the springtime and clean it up, it will be as sharp as new. I really want to test this sometime

Yes that works although for a short time. It’s a way to rejuvenate an old worn file for a few more uses.  What I do every once in a while also to clean fine ones that have a tendency to clog with resinous woods is placing them in a small electrolysis tank.  Also sometimes the rifflers occasionally need to be soaked in alcohol to stay clean and unclogged. 

[echris 1,425]

Uncle Dave taught me to ALWAYS clean the pims out of a file when using it on soft metal.

I was rebuilding a 3 cylinder Johnson outboard for my father-in-law. The center cylinder had sucked in a brass jet from the carb and all hell broke loose.

 

The aluminum head was beat up pretty bad, so I brought it to Dave for help. Pieces of piston and rings stuck in it. I expected him to set it up on one of his mills and clean it up to see if it could be saved.

"Nah, too much setup time', Dave says.

"We'll use files", Daves says.

ME: 

Dave took out his special files and we filed the head, by hand.

Two stokes max at a time, then using a steel pick, clean out the aluminum pims from the file. He was almost yelling this at me the whole time, "CLEAN THE FILE!".

It took quite a while, but came out near perfect.

 

For the 15 years or so I used that boat (It's still alive from what I hear) she was always a tiny click on the key for Varoom!

PS: You can post more pics of your shop if you like. I don't mind drooling on my keyboard a bit more.

[echris 1,425]

8 hours ago, lynnmor said:

Anyone remember Sunny's Surplus?  They had refurbished files, for little money, that were dipped in acid till the rounded edge was consumed.

 

I would image this is a similar process to throwing it in the snow. Only a lot faster.