Just remember what my dear mother used to say, "Haste makes waste and waste makes want". Take your time, keep that file clean and finish when you are done...no matter how long it takes.
Draw filing.
- Thread starter Gooddaytoya!
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Mike in FL
50 Cal.
I'm 76. 5 years ago I had consistent hand tremors, marked it down as age. Later saw a doctor on another matter and mentioned it. He prescribed Ropninol, 2 or 3 per day. That absolutely stopped the tremors making my hands steady for close work and for shooting. U might want to try it. No side affects.
I had a friend who developed hand tremors after retiring. Two years later he was dead from ALS.
30 minutes to an hour to draw file a longrifle barrel. Sharp Swiss files, clean often (like every 3-4 strokes), keep them level by choking up on the file blade and running both thumbs against the adjacent barrel flats as a guide. If you have to use a lot of downpressure, your file is dull. Let the file do the work, it shouldn't take any more pressure than putting an edge on a chisel. Draw file up to your thimbles and do the section you can't reach with the appropriate grit of hard-backed sandpaper or nail board and blend it in carefully, this will require a tiny bit of experimentation but browning tends to "melt" the microscopic surfaces and obscures slight differences in finish.
30 minutes to an hour to draw file a longrifle barrel. Sharp Swiss files, clean often (like every 3-4 strokes), keep them level by choking up on the file blade and running both thumbs against the adjacent barrel flats as a guide. If you have to use a lot of downpressure, your file is dull. Let the file do the work, it shouldn't take any more pressure than putting an edge on a chisel. Draw file up to your thimbles and do the section you can't reach with the appropriate grit of hard-backed sandpaper or nail board and blend it in carefully, this will require a tiny bit of experimentation but browning tends to "melt" the microscopic surfaces and obscures slight differences in finish.
I’ve not found chalk to be beneficial when draw filing. A good quality sharp mill file does the job.
With some practice, it’s actually a pretty fast process that produces amazing results. I’m sure I’ve shown it on videos.
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I watched a video on Jim Kibler's web site and he recommended Bahco files, I was needing some new files anyway so I thought I would give them a try.
They worked so much better than my Nicholson files for draw filing that I bought more and the Nicholson files will eventually become knife blades.
They worked so much better than my Nicholson files for draw filing that I bought more and the Nicholson files will eventually become knife blades.
Pete G
76 Cal.
No. Approximately 15 minutes per flat. You don’t need to file anything that doesn’t show.
TDM
Cannon
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I've had good luck with the Bahco files too.
I would say around 5 minutes per flat if things are going good.
Phil Coffins
69 Cal.
I’ve seen some that made me wonder if draw filing was needed at all, then others that the machine work looked like dull cutters with no coolant on a shaky set up. Each one can be very different.
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i powder my file with baby powder i swiped from she who must never know!
works great and smells good too!
the wife lost her sense of smell to a bout of covid. She can't smell the powder, so if i don't get it all over me i am safe.
works great and smells good too!
the wife lost her sense of smell to a bout of covid. She can't smell the powder, so if i don't get it all over me i am safe.
Gooddaytoya!
40 Cal
Great info, guys. Actually the file I'm using is a 12" single cut medium, not a double cut. I'
Great info, guys, good advice. Actually the file I'm using is a 12" single cut medium, not a double cut. I'll apply Phil Collins' and TDS' suggestions and try wet sanding, then degreasing, then browning. I've decided to tone down my perfectionism, so I won't look too closely at the results. I'm old and infirm and need to take the quick way out now. Then I'll keep the barrel well greased, and just shoot
Great info, guys, good advice. Actually the file I'm using is a 12" single cut medium, not a double cut. I'll apply Phil Collins' and TDS' suggestions and try wet sanding, then degreasing, then browning. I've decided to tone down my perfectionism, so I won't look too closely at the results. I'm old and infirm and need to take the quick way out now. Then I'll keep the barrel well greased, and just shoot.
Thank you, I hever heard of that one. I checked it out.
You are very lucky to escape the side effects of Ropninol, a dopamine promoter. Dopamine is great, but I'll choose this mostly benign tremor over the myriad possible debilitating side effects of Ropninol. I do take propanol, which does help.
64Springer
75 Cal.
Quoting someone four times has got to be some kind of record.
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Gooddaytoya!
40 Cal
Gooddaytoya!
40 Cal
It seems to be a side effect of using this Moto G6 cellphone for Internet access. I saw it occurring and couldn't stop it, and I can't edit it away, smdh.
Gooddaytoya!
40 Cal
(Sh)it happenshow the heck is it even done?
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64Springer
75 Cal.
I believe they're Brazil made.
And still a very good file.
Better than anything you'll find at a DIY store.
Yeah and annoying.
flatcreek
40 Cal
Try soaking your old files in cleaning vinegar for forty-eight hours. cleans them and seems to make them sharper.
