Opus die filer

I used a Thiel die filer in my apprentice days.It used special files with a plain section at both ends for gripping. The filer was mainly used for adding relief to the press tool dies.It can be a very useful machine. Colin

Hi again, got the machine running now and it is as smooth as silk, managed to get a manual from Tony Griffiths and made sense of the operating set up. Managed to modify some hand files but I'm waiting for some machine files to arrive.

It certainly seems to be a useful addition to the shop and will be more so as I get too old to file lol.

Cleaned up a 2 inch steel block in a few minutes and it looked like it had been in the shaper.

Will keep you posted on the machine and its uses as I discover them.

Thanks for all the replies.

Amazingly useful things

Watch your fingers if you get ambitious and start making square holes etc which are not much bigger than the file size.

The file can catch on 2 sides of the hole/slot and it lifts the workpiece...turning it into a hammer

ouchies...you soon learn the safest way to hold a workpiece

...not that it's ever happened to me or anything...

I made one from scratch out of scrap and using pictures from the web

Popular mechanics

Another

I never saw any "anti lifting bar" on any of the pictures I looked at, a good idea though

Both me and my fingers agree with you

LOL John!

What you are saying is that in the old days engineers were digitally challenged in a biologivcal way but nowadays we are digitally challenged in the electronic sense!

Neil

Thanks for that

Definitely on my to do list

Couple more references in Popular Mechanics:

1. October 1947 - another plan - simpler mechanism

2. July 1943 - a how to use article

I acquired a decent stock of such files many years ago. I do not know what speed the thing should run at. Anyone help?

Rdgs

Dick

Edited By Richard Parsons on 24/02/2012 16:31:18

I've been on the lookout for a filing machine since viewing Tractor Man's thread here quite awhile ago, and have finally located a smaller OPUS - 120 model with a good inventory of accessories, including a sawing attachment. I'm expecting delivery next week, and will post some photos in an album soon.

Although this is an old thread, it would be interesting to compare the differences with Tractor Man's OPUS - 140 and the OPUS - 120 model.

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Not seen one of these machines before. Had a look on Tony's Lathes site. Very interesting.

He obviously rates them very highly. But I bet in the wrong hands the potential bad things of one kind or another to happen would be high.

Nick

This beauty made the square handles for the Boxford shaper.

A dream to use.

Geoff - Took me ages to find one.

I can relate to it....... "Took me ages to find one". Your Excel looks like a nice compact machine. It would be interesting to see a close up of how the upper end of the file is supported by the extended arm ?

Do these things file on the up stroke or the down?

My thoughts are towards 'down' as that way the debris does not cover the viewed surface so quickly. Or could the files be fitted either way up?

Cheers, Tim

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I would have thought on the down stroke so that the table prevented the work from jumping about.

Cutting on the up stroke I would think would sooner or later end badly for the machine, work piece or the user.

Nick

As I understand....... Filers which have a single attachment point, file on the down stroke, and files for this type of machine are designed that way; with straight shanks. The machines which have two attachment points to support the files also file on the down stroke, but could also file on an up stroke if needed. Some filers have an attachments which blow air to clear debris away, and also have adjustable position arms to keep the work from jumping up while being filed.