It seemed like such a good idea... (file guide question)

T

Tenebr0s

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Jun 3, 2012
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A lot of my blades have a very pronounced taper just in front of where I cut my shoulders. This makes it very difficult to get a file guide to stay firmly in place. My big idea was to add two set screws as far back from the carbide face as possible. The screws are brass-tipped with tiny leather pads g-flexed on to prevent marring. When clamping the guide, the set screws are adjusted to fill up the gap at the tapered end. Well... The guide will still move out of place if pushed too hard. At this point, I'll probably just do my default method, which is to clamp my spare file guide further down the blade as a stop. Still... I wonder if maybe others have ideas. Is there a "grippier" material than leather that might work as pads? A high-durometer rubber?

Edit: Since it will probably come up, I have read Nick Wheeler's thread on file guides and small ricasso's. But his problem was trying to prevent minute warping in the carbide face alignment. I'm just trying to get the d@mn thing to stay in place!
 
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One of the many tricks Bing taught me was to use the small post-it notes under the file guide. If you need to build up the thickness towards the tang end of the ricasso, put a couple of those post-it’s on each side. The thin pieces of paper will take up some of that room from the taper and allow your file guide to stay good and snug and in place. It might take a couple of tries to figure out just how much room you need to take up, but it’s worked pretty well for me. Hope it ends up being helpful for you, too.

I sure miss Bing...


Jeremy
 
Are these blades forged into that challenging to hold shape? If not, could you put the shoulders in before creating those features?
 
I was just listening to the Knife Talk podcast. They had Bill Behnke on and he was saying the reason he makes the file guide with aluminum is that it grabs steel better. Maybe you could use aluminum or brass shims
 
I've run into this same issue many times. As you mentioned, the more aggressive your taper geometry, the more it can exacerbate the problem. I use one of Bruce Bump's file guides, which is a great precision made tool, but it can still happen. I've learned to just clamp slowly and carefully while trying to apply equal torque to the clamping screws. Sometimes there is no getting around it, and tiny shims of some kind will be required if you want your plunge shoulders to be square to the blade.
 
Make a second file guide that doesn't have alignment pins or a hard face. Set the hard guide where you want it, and butt the other one up to the bottom. If you drill and tap the holes at 50% engagement and leave clearance in the through holes, it will conform somewhat to your tapered surface and support the hard faced guide.
 
Just make a purpose built clamp whose geometry approximates that of your average blade and buy some grippy rubber material for the inside of the jaws. Set this clamp behind the guide. You will have to keep the jaws clean and the rubber will be consumable, but a few bucks worth should last you many years.
 
kuraki said:
Make a second file guide that doesn't have alignment pins or a hard face. Set the hard guide where you want it, and butt the other one up to the bottom. If you drill and tap the holes at 50% engagement and leave clearance in the through holes, it will conform somewhat to your tapered surface and support the hard faced guide.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think this is going to be the best fix for the problem. I’m thinking a spring-loaded file guide/clamp like the one on Fred Rowe’s bubble jig would be ideal for this also. This would then butt up against the back of the carbide file guide and serve as a stop.
 
If you think that will work I'll try and find mine and you can have it. I don't use the clamp.
 
Even when clamping a flat/parallel ricasso into a file guide you run the risk to put uneven torque to your hex screws. The blade would pivot since only one side of the clamp would actually touch the steel. The dowel pins help on this to a certain extent.
As when machine milling, those issues are often overcome with paper or aluminum as they easily comply increasing the surface in contact.
You should try fitting pieces of aluminum rods (tig welding supply) in between the jaws where they ride high on your uneven blade.
 
kuraki said:
If you think that will work I'll try and find mine and you can have it. I don't use the clamp.
Click to expand...

Wow, thank you! I unfortunately just ordered one from Fred Rowe, before I saw this. But thank you for the kind offer!
 
stezann said:
Even when clamping a flat/parallel ricasso into a file guide you run the risk to put uneven torque to your hex screws. The blade would pivot since only one side of the clamp would actually touch the steel. The dowel pins help on this to a certain extent.
As when machine milling, those issues are often overcome with paper or aluminum as they easily comply increasing the surface in contact.
You should try fitting pieces of aluminum rods (tig welding supply) in between the jaws where they ride high on your uneven blade.
Click to expand...

I’m having a hard time picturing what you’re saying. However, I’ve found that the set screws I added to the guide help with tweaking to get the faces to sit perpendicular to the blade.
 
On such a taper use the file guide made by Fred Rowe for the bubble jig. It naturally tapers as you tighten.
 
The problem is that if the clamp goes out of square when tightening, then you loose your square front face you would like to use for filing square features.
@TenebrOs: Yes i mean shimming the gaps, using aluminum, lead, solder or paper
 
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