Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Largest Manufacturing Technology Community on the Web
Stay Connected:
File question
- Thread starter greesy
- Start date
- Replies 26
- Views 3,313
trevj
Titanium
- Joined
- May 17, 2005
- Location
- Interior British Columbia
Shhhh!
It's not a fault, it's a FEATURE!
Word gets out that the seller is letting the custom curved ones go for the same price as straight, and all hell gonna break loose!
Really dude. It's BENT. Scream blue murder and get your money back, or one that isn't already fucked.
It's not a fault, it's a FEATURE!
Word gets out that the seller is letting the custom curved ones go for the same price as straight, and all hell gonna break loose!
Really dude. It's BENT. Scream blue murder and get your money back, or one that isn't already fucked.
ChipSplitter
Titanium
- Joined
- May 23, 2019
- Location
- Maybe
A file that can be bent.......is not a file.
It's a piece of Chinese flat bar that was chewed by a North Korean beaver with brazed teeth.
Return it and get a real file.
It's a piece of Chinese flat bar that was chewed by a North Korean beaver with brazed teeth.
Return it and get a real file.
Sounds like curved auto body files
Lot of 4 Auto Body Bow Files,Nicholson Bodifile 50-210, Heller Nucut 5241 | #1815695547
Lot of 4 Auto Body Bow Files,Nicholson Bodifile 50-210, Heller Nucut 5241 | #1815695547
trevj
Titanium
- Joined
- May 17, 2005
- Location
- Interior British Columbia
A file that can be bent, is a whole 'nuther thing compared to a file that comes bent when it wasn't supposed to be.
Anyone that has spent any decent amount of time with a file in hand is well aware that almost none of them are truly flat, and also knows to use that to advantage when filing.
But a 3/16" bend in a supposedly flat file is pushing the limits of acceptable tolerances from heat treat warpage, just a few 16ths of an inch way too far!
thermite
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2011
Anyone old enough to see auto shop working with lead filler and curved files?
What do you mean "old enough"?
Is there some OTHER way?
Is the file tang straight or bent to funny shapes? If bent its certainly auto body file like this:
Body File "PFERD" - Cut On One Side
angelw
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2010
- Location
- Victoria Australia
Hello Matt,
Anyone old enough to see auto shop working with lead filler and curved files?
This type of file is still used in most panel shops, but particularly those that do good Metal Finish restorations.
When repairing a panel, without the use of plastic filler, the type of file shown in your attached picture are used to give a visual indication of high and low spot when you get to the point where they are hard to feel. The knob practitioner tend to try and file the high spots down to the level of the low areas. On 20g sheet metal, it doesn't take that long for the unskilled operator (the knob) to file through. The idea is to just highlight the high spots. Accordingly, I still have the same file as I had when training as a Coach Builder 50 years ago and its blunt as can be; all it needs to do is put a witness mark on the high stops.
Filing Lead is a different kettle of fish. For this you want a good, sharp body file and I have one that is dedicated to that purpose.
The files shown in Post #4 and your Post #9, except for some Concave, Return Sweeps, would be as useful in picking up highs and lows, as the OP's described file would be in filing a surface flat. Predominately, the shape of most body panels are from slightly to moderately Convex. Accordingly, you want a file that is Flat to having a Concave curve to somewhat match the Convex shape of the panel being worked on.
The following picture is of a full metal finish restoration, that I prepared earlier
, being readied for primer. No Plastic Filler in this one.Regards,
Bill
thermite
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2011
The following picture is of a full metal finish restoration, that I prepared earlier
Regards,
Bill
View attachment 290229
Not really clear on what "cockles of me heart" even ARE. But it warms mine to know the Old Skewl art is not yet lost.
Thanks for that!
The good news? My beloved 2005 X350 is all Aluminium.
The BAD news? My beloved 2005 X350 is all Aluminium.
Trying like Hell not to prang the sweet bitch.
Nor ever forget that "rust" is only one form of corrosion among hundreds... when your motorcar is built out of "fuel" in the Atomic activity series...
At least it weren't Sodium?
pavt
Stainless
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2013
- Location
- 20 miles north of Buffalo NY
Hope you don't have to drive where they use road salt. Up here in the People's Democratic Republic of western NY, they use enough salt during our siberian winters to make the shoulders crusty and attract cows. Never mind that the Governor's family owns an interest in some salt mines...
thermite
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2011
No fear. I drive the remains of the 2005 MOPAR T&C wintertimes.
It conducts formal classes at the College level on how to rust, bestest and fastest. No third-party chemicals required.
Licensed the technology from Ford and GMC, ages ago, Chrysler did - then figured they had to improve on it to extend the patent!
Page Two:
Bills coming due, no bail-out from Warshington of "Other People's Money", the current Governator of NY might be advised to build him a BUNKER down inside of a salt mine, better-yet, a Pizza oven. BIG one.
Then "have" that exponential-fool Mare (horse with TWO arseholes) of New York City "for dinner".
Any leftovers salt-cured for another year, the stupidity-toxins happen to overwhelm his own and put him down. Figure 50/50 odds?
Average IQ of both State and City could go up off the back of a single roasted meal? Fava beans optional, decent vintage of Sangiovese - or even a Brunello, Barbera, Barolo - on MY dime if they are up for the gamble. Italian thing. Like red ink is.
What's not to like about THAT?
Oh.. The bill never gets paid. Regardless.
angelw
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2010
- Location
- Victoria Australia
Not really clear on what "cockles of me heart" even ARE. But it warms mine to know the Old Skewl art is not yet lost.
Thanks for that!
The good news? My beloved 2005 X350 is all Aluminium.
The BAD news? My beloved 2005 X350 is all Aluminium.
Trying like Hell not to prang the sweet bitch.
Nor ever forget that "rust" is only one form of corrosion among hundreds... when your motorcar is built out of "fuel" in the Atomic activity series...
At least it weren't Sodium?
Hello thermite,
The fellow that taught me (Tom), was the best.
When he retired from business, he took on a Panel Beating teaching job. As well as teaching apprentices, he ran a journeyman's class for those restoring their own cars. One fellow in a class was restoring an A Model Ford and as he brought panels into class to work on, Tom would make a paper pattern; it gives the rough shape to be cut from sheet and an indication of where the metal has to be Shrunk, or Stretched, of the part and created a new panel in Aluminium. In the course of a year (working at the pace panels were brought into class), he hand made a complete half of an A Model Body (from centre line out), including the Pleated Seats, Rag Top etc., all in Aluminium. On completion, it was mounted on the back wall of one of the Theory Class Rooms.
Regards,
Bill
Yes, bent.
thermite
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2011
Jr. HS -> HS + + mate of mine's stepdad was a self-made auto wrecking yard owner, had a '56 ISTR Buick Roadmaster 4 dr hardtop.
Another mate's Dad - machine-tool salesman, the same car, year and model different colour. But also taller and stodgier-looking.
Didn't know why Buick had built two cars so different, same year and model, until Bill showed me how Bob's Buick had arrived off the end of the hook, their 1936 Diamond T tow truck, hand-cranked winch.
Top and pillars had been shorn clear-off!
And Bob was shorter than average.
Metal in the top and pillars no longer had any Buick DNA in it. Re-bent - no patterns - just what looked good to Bob - largely by eye - off the remains of mostly 1940's dead Chevrolet donors.
Page two:
Former boss had been Navy, Rota Spain, married a very lovely local widow that MANY had wished to make their own. So they visited their wroth on his brand-new motorcar by beating it to resemble a sheet-metal sea-sponge.
Butch had it hauled to Basque Country. Was there six months. Came back better-looking than new. Cheap, too. By US standards of the day vs Franco's Spain anyway.
Having met the wife, I gave him high marks indeed for his good taste, courage, and good fortune.
Understanding WHY anyone that bright, otherwise, would ever buy a Borgward Isabella, and then also REPAIR it?
That part was beyond my ken...
angelw
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2010
- Location
- Victoria Australia
Understanding WHY anyone that bright, otherwise, would ever buy a Borgward Isabella, and then also REPAIR it?
That part was beyond my ken...
Hello thermite,
Back in the 80s, Australia's then Federal Treasurer spoke of the Recession we had to have.
There must have been a lot of people hurting, as a lot of toys (cars) were being sold at a major car auction house in Melbourne. A friend of mine, of Motec Engine Management System fame, attended the auction and a few days later I asked how it went. His reply was:
Some cars sold really well. However, there came the realization, that the cars that were Lemons 30 years ago, with the passing of time, hadn't improved.
There are cars that makes you wonder why anyone would put the time and money into resurrecting them.
Regards,
Bill
thermite
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2011
AFAIK, the most HONEST thing Edsal Ford ever did in his career was to approve the design of the car that ruined his given name... with a mouth (or c**t?) of a grill that HEAVILY implied it would INHALE... money if not also yer putz!
Redirect Notice
Fair warning, coming atcha, was better than a toilet-seat on the arse, "departing" and "too late, NOW, Mother F(elcher)" as MOPAR had done!
Limy Sami
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
Anyone old enough to see auto shop working with lead filler and curved files?
Yes, many times, and for the record it wasn't straight lead, but an alloy ...of what we in the UK know as Plumbers solder (80% lead, 20% tin) which has a wide plastic range (so it can be worked with spatulas or wiping cloths) - unlike pure lead or electrical / tinmans solder which is almost either solid or liquid.
angelw
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2010
- Location
- Victoria Australia
Hello Limy Sami,
In my experience, the most common Wiping Metal was a 70/30, Lead/Tin alloy. Lead has a higher melting point than Tin and with the greater percentage of Lead in the alloy, there is greater chance of the the Tin separating from the Lead, resulting in a vert grainy texture in the plastic state to spread. This separation was more obvious when Lead Wiping vertical, or near vertical surfaces.
The old school method of fixing a wide door gap (where door adjustment was of no use), was to make a mould out of 4mm thick cardboard sheet. After cleaning the edge of the door back to bare metal and tinning the edge, one piece is clamped to the inside edge of the door and another piece, cut with a profile of the door edge, clamped on top of the first piece and roughly level with the outside surface of the door. Then using a very large, old Copper Soldering Iron, melt 50/50 solder into the Cardboard mould. The extra 20% Tin in the alloy, compared to the 70/30 Wiping Metal, made for a much harder edge and when cooled, you can't break the solder off with Vice Grips. The correct gap is obtained by filing the built up edge to suit.
Regards,
Bill
