Filing Machine

[dreeves]

I would like to know if anyone has purchased the casting set from a guy in Pine Grove Mills,Pa. I would like to build A filing machine and this one look good. Any help would be great

http://www.statecollegecentral.com/metallathe/MLA-18.html

Dave

 

[Quickj]

I have the kit, which I bought at NAMEs several years ago. I have not started it yet, but it is a very nice set of castings, and the instructions are very well done.

Jim

 

[Tin Falcon]

I have spoke with the guy at several shows . From what I can see he an an up front guy that supports the hobby . seems like quality. If you want to build a filling machine a good way to do it. I would say give the guy a call and ask any question you have about the kit.
I believe it is a one man show he developed most of the designs and made the patterns and he has them commercially cast. I got the feeling he does his home work before offering a kit for sale.
Tin

 

[Twmaster]

Andy Lofquist is a great guy. I've done business with him a few times and you cannot find a better guy with better quality.

Give him a call if you have any questions.

 

[dreeves]

Thanks for the info. I sent him several emails and just wanted to check before I put out $100.00 plus for the castings.

Im going to order them soon.

Dave

 

[shred]

A guy in the club here made one of the MLA kits. It looks great and seems to work well. I've got an old commercial one that I find handy occasionally. The story and what I consider one of my better rants is posted over here.

 

[Blogwitch]

If you are going to build one, I would suggest fabricating up an overarm to support the top end of the file.

It will allow you to put a lot more pressure on the cut, take a lot of the side forces off the main bearing, ensure your cuts are truly vertical and stop the occasional file breakage.

I have a commercially produced die filer, and wouldn't even consider using it without the overarm, unless I was filing up into a blind hole.

If you want more details, I can photoshoot mine to show you what is involved. It wouldn't be a big job at all. If you can make a filer from castings, an overarm would be easy to fabricate.

Bogs

 

[deverett]

Following on from what Bogs wrote, Harold Hall has recently concluded a 4 part series in MEW on building a filing machine from bar stock. His design uses an overarm.

Although his was designed to be used on a Myford lathe, it is very easy to adapt the design to any other lathe.

Looks like quite a good piece of equipment, if that is what you are looking for.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

 

[don-tucker]

I saw a nice one detailed in the Home Engineers Workshop ,I wouldn't mind having a go at that one,any one made one?
Don

 

[DICKEYBIRD]

Here's a (typically) great build of the MLA filer by Frank Ford. Gotta' luv him! :bow:

Edit:
Oops, paste the link stoopid!
http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Projects/Filer/diefiler01.html

 

[Dunc1]

A few more references
Go to the Popular Mechanics archives on Google
http://books.google.com/books?id=RdMDAAAAMBAJ

How To: Mechanics of Machine Filing, July 1943

Construction
Pop Mech, Oct 1947
Pop Mech, Mar 1957
Pop Mech, Feb 1941

Useful Workshop Tools by Stan Bray, #31 in the Workshop Practice Series

Home Shop Machinist, Homemade Die Filer, Melvin Kalb, Vol 14, #2, Mar-Apr 1995

 

[toolsrul]

Andy is "top notch", good quality castings, excellent dwg's. & instructions. Once built it's a very good quality piece of equipment.
Had a problem with a part that I machined too deep & it cracked Andy replaced it w/o any problem.

 

[Twmaster]

Dunc1, those are great references in those old PM magazines. Thanks for the links!