Home Built Die Filer

I started this about six months ago. I'd seen pictures of the Pine Grove (MLA-18). I decided I didn't want to spend quite that much, so after talking to Andy at Pine Grove, I had him send me the drawings and decided to try to build one out of materials I had on hand rather than use his beautiful casting kit. This is what I ended up with.

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Here's a video of it running.

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Ed ke6bnl
What is with the insane prices for die filer files. All I see on ebay is about $30+ for them. Can't l just grind down some regular file ends to fit? I bought a die filer for $50 and they want that much for each file not my style for purchase while retired.
 
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Ed ke6bnl said:
What is with the insane prices for die filer files. All I see on ebay is about $30+ for them. Can't l just grind down some regular file ends to fit? I bought a die filer for $50 and they want that much for each file not my style for purchase while retired.
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Perhaps? The problem is that you need untapered files (easy enough with SOME types of files), PLUS the file needs to be 'reversed' (as they cut going 'down'), so you'd have to cut off the tang, and cut a new one on the other side.

They're expensive, because no one makes them anymore it seems.
 
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I thought about this kit, and while I was thinking, found a Butterfly die filer and got that. A friend, like the OP, built this design from the drawings. While it works fine, the difference I see between the Butterfly and this design are chiefly in the file retaining mechanism. The Butterfly has a nice screw adjust with left and right hand threads, so two jaws are clamped equally on whatever you stick in the slot. Round like a file, flat like a cut-off hacksaw blade, rectangular like some files, all are held very securely. This kit only holds a round file of a specific size, as I recall. Something to think about if you are building this kit or similar.
 
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