Files For a Saw Frame?

I hope this is appropriate in a collection of posts about large power machinery.

I inherited this set 8 files that look to me like sections cut from pattern files with the ends then ground flat and bored to fit some kind of saw frame.

They came to me from Mac, a neighbor, who in turn inherited them from his maternal uncle, William Ordway, who lived in the Los Angeles area. Apparently Uncle Bill had a substantial machine shop. I should have asked more questions when Mac was still alive, but then I didn't know these existed. Inheritances are like that.

The holes in the tangs just pass a #63 wire drill (0.037".) Overall they are ~3.5" long. The file working length is 2.75." The tangs vary in thickness from 0.025 - 0.05" but are uniform both ends and along their length. They vary in width from 0.06 - 0.15." The distance between the mounting holes is 2.25 - 3.3" suggesting that any frame was adjustable in the way a jeweler's saw would be. They are 4 round (0.115, 0.110, 0.086 and 0.082") 1 oval (0.144 x 0.055" ) 1 square (0.053") and 2 flat (0.182 x 0.081 and 0.115 x 0.021") in cross-section.



Has anyone else seen anything like them elsewhere?

Can anyone suggest what Bill's frame looked like? I often wish I'd had a chance to meet him. He seemed to enjoy making his own tools. I do, too.

Thanks,
baumgrenze

they look like they were made to fit a scroll saw. jonthan

They would fit any of a number of filing machines. Milwaukee and Oliver die filers will take that kind of file, depending on length. Probably others will as well, but I have only used those two brands.

I have a couple files for the Oliver that are like those. I have not used those particular files, but I believe they are the right length to fit.

A lot of die filers will take a section of saw blade just as well as a file. The Milwaukee patent (a design patent) even shows that.

The Oliver overarm has a spring loaded plunger much like a scroll saw.

j r hayes said:

they look like they were made to fit a scroll saw. jonthan

Click to expand...

They do have a length and profile similar to the blades I used to get for an ancient (1940's era) WEN scroll saw. Other scroll saws like the Delta 1200 and 1440 were also capable of using die files. I currently have a Delta 40-440 (also from the 1940's) that has die filing capability. I would guess there were other brand scroll saws of that era that could also double as a die filer.

Thank you to everyone for pitching in with ideas.

It was my hope that the 'pin hole' diameter might be a clue. Is a #63 wire drill (0.037" that common a choice?

thanks
baumgrenze

Coping saws use blades with pins. Some are adjustable to use any length blade.

coping saw blades - Google Search

Paul

Yes, but these blades do not have pins mounted in them. They have 'pin holes' instead, like hacksaw blades. The problem is that at 0.037" the pins are only half again as big in diameter as common sewing pins at 0.024." That seems small to me.

baumgrenze

I had not paid attention to the holes. They do look as if they would fit some small hacksaw frames.

Many small saws have pins. I have two kinds of small hacksaw, blades about 1/4" x 6" or thereabout, but the two are slightly different length., One is British,, the other a US type, cast aluminum, that I understand was made for butchers....but the blades are hacksaw blades, and work well as hacksaws. They both use pins that are about 0.025 or so diameter.