What's new
What's new

die filer -- seeking a good used one; suggestions?

farmacresinohio

Plastic
Joined
Feb 10, 2020
Hello -- I am seeking a good used vintage die filer. Similar to the one my father had years ago. Unfortunately, I do not recall the make/model. I recall it was a bench type, approximately 12 x 12 inch table and no top support. It was NOT a Keller. As I recall, it was slow! Looking to add one to my farm shop. Suggestions?

tony
 
Look for a "Milwaukee" die filer built by Rice Pump Company. I have one in my own shop. It is a smaller die filer with about a 12" x 12" table. There is a provision on the crankcase/base casting for mounting a top support/guide, but it is easily removed. Mine is on a small cast iron base with the mount for the motor.
 
The Duplex brand die filer is very nicely made, and I think it is better than the Keller, which I also owned. But it does have an overarm. Mine has a 1943 patent date and was bought from a General Electric auction.

Oliver used to make a very good die filer, but I never owned one.

In general, there are four types of machine files. The little ones with 1/8 or 1/4 inch round tangs are for use in machines with no overarm. The bigger 5 or 8 inch files have straight tangs the same size and shape as the rest of the file. The machines for them often had overarms to stabilize the top of the file and could also be used with hacksaw blades.

I believe new machine files are almost impossible to find these days, so you would not be happy with a machine with no files. Some hand files are straight, allowing them to be turned tang up and used in a machine.

I was advised that a VFD and 3 phase motor is a good way to power a die filer because the variable speed can be helpful. I tried it on one of my machines and agree.

Larry
 
I own two Olivers and have used a DoAll branded All American. The Oliver S4 is the one I’d suggest looking for. Altho if a good condition Thiel showed up, you’d be fighting me off...

L7
 
Look for a "Milwaukee" die filer built by Rice Pump Company. I have one in my own shop. It is a smaller die filer with about a 12" x 12" table. There is a provision on the crankcase/base casting for mounting a top support/guide, but it is easily removed. Mine is on a small cast iron base with the mount for the motor.

I have one of these in my garage waiting for the time to fix it up. The Milwaukee fits your description. Mine has an original base. Whatever you get be sure it has accessories like the over ram and especially some files. It is popular to sell these die filers to the unsuspecting, stripped of their valuables.

Last fall when I bought mine I did find new files on the net but they are expensive.
Good luck in your search.
 
BB48648D-9ABC-4392-9DAC-134EA2FFADD9.jpg93FA9BA6-C9E8-49FD-B0E3-B99FE040DF06.jpg35A5396F-7B85-4619-B759-E7C753BFB185.jpg83E8A2C0-6BB3-4CBA-9C9C-744859C2E37C.jpgBB48648D-9ABC-4392-9DAC-134EA2FFADD9.jpg93FA9BA6-C9E8-49FD-B0E3-B99FE040DF06.jpg35A5396F-7B85-4619-B759-E7C753BFB185.jpg83E8A2C0-6BB3-4CBA-9C9C-744859C2E37C.jpgI have an Oliver of Adrian HD die filer for sale on the Toledo Craigslist. It’s the large, floor standing model if you can manage a heavier machine. Asking 550.00 obo, I have a forklift to load. PM or text me at 419 two65 one688.
The very helpful folks at Oliver of Adrian still have an assortment of straight side machine files for sale. You can find them on the web or call and talk to Mary at 877 668 0885
 
I have an old Oliver die filer head to sell reasonable if you are up for a build project? It's from a bigger machine than the 12"x12" bench top ones. Stepped flat belt drive and cast brass tag that looks early 1900s or older? Can dig it out & get pics if possibly interested for $50 plus ship?
 
I checked my own die filer, as it is a handy bench-top unit. The name on the crankcase cover-plate is: "Milwaukee Die Filer" and "Rice Pump and Machinery Company".

On the cast iron baseplate, the name "Milwaukee Chaplet Company" is cast in raised letters. A "chaplet" is used in foundry work to hold cores in position in molds, and is puddled into the casting. Interesting name on the baseplate, so the company which made my die filer must have gone thru a few incarnations.

The die filer which I have is about the size of a jig-saw. It is a handy machine for smaller work such as mechanism parts, and would be good sized machine for someone like a gunsmith.

The downside to the die filer which I have is its speed, even with the belt set on the slower speed steps of the pulleys (two speeds). I think a drive made from a DC treadmill motor with some kind of foot pedal controller would be ideal if I were having a lot of work for my die filer.

The complete unit, die filer, cast iron baseplate, motor and belt guard is something I can pick up and carry in my arms. There is an overarm support, if needed, but it swings out of the way and is easily removable. What my die filer lacks is a self-contained means of blowing the filings clear of the work, and a work light would be handy. I suppose a solenoid valve and regulator connected to shop air, with a flexible snout to direct the air to the filing area would be the way to make this happen. Start the filer motor, the compressed air to blow the filings clear comes on.

I keep my die filer on a stand with casters and brakes on them. This lets me roll the die filer out to a convenient location for either use or storing it. A shop stool of the right height is the other necessity with a die filer, in my opinion.
 
Hah... Joe I think I used to have the same model. Mine was worn and the plunger rattled around a bit, but it had 2 or 3 different overarms, including a roller, and a spring return overarm like an Oliver. There is a design patent for those that shows using it with a hacksaw type blade.

I sold it and got an Oliver S2 on a floor stand. That thing is great. I have better files, and it is shocking how fast it cuts metal. I keep meaning to put in a hacksaw blade and see how it cuts thick metal. By H-V bandsaw is a bit slow on that, and less convenient to use.

I'd recommend an Oliver S2 to the OP.
 
The silence is deafening ! No reply to PM's, no thanks to anyone that took the time to offer their experience...... No "Thanks guys I found one".........
 
The silence is deafening ! No reply to PM's, no thanks to anyone that took the time to offer their experience...... No "Thanks guys I found one".........

-Fairly common here, no reply/update except the crickets. New members and even some with longer time. Hope this will not diminish your contributions.
 
I don't know if it is still the case. But, until some time ago, if you started a thread you had to subscribe to that thread, in order to get notified about the replies. It could well be that the new member who started this thread is completely unaware of all these replies and has perhaps lost the link to this thread/has difficulties navigating the forum.

It wouldn't be the first case.

Paolo
 
I don't know if it is still the case. But, until some time ago, if you started a thread you had to subscribe to that thread, in order to get notified about the replies. It could well be that the new member who started this thread is completely unaware of all these replies and has perhaps lost the link to this thread/has difficulties navigating the forum.

It wouldn't be the first case.

Paolo

-You may be right. I'll have to consider that as a reasonable excuse for the new members. The longer time members that do this are another story. Thank you for pointing that out.
 
Not the OP, but I just picked up a Milwaukee die filer yesterday. If anyone has extra files for sale, please get in touch. 😁

Looks like there are a few different ways to adapt hand files to the machine. The Milwaukee looks like it can clamp up to 1/2" diameter in its "piston" so lack of machine files seems like a demonstrable obstacle.
 
I don't know if it is still the case. But, until some time ago, if you started a thread you had to subscribe to that thread, in order to get notified about the replies. It could well be that the new member who started this thread is completely unaware of all these replies and has perhaps lost the link to this thread/has difficulties navigating the forum.

It wouldn't be the first case.

Paolo

I would have to disagree as far as automatically being subscribed to a thread even if you started it. I have been a member since 2006. In that time I've started a number of threads. I've never been automatically subscribed to any of them. In cases where I've been out of town for extended periods there have literally been dozens of responses I was not aware of.
 








 
Back
Top