Hi VRC friends
Could you please share what tools you find most useful for grinding/filing after cutting steel shaft and aluminum bars?
Thanks
CJ
Hi VRC friends
Could you please share what tools you find most useful for grinding/filing after cutting steel shaft and aluminum bars?
Thanks
CJ
My own flesh.
Generally a grinder (bench, or rotary mounted to a dremel), and a file are what I use to grind and file metal.
Dremel is great tool for both cutting and grinding, small, multipurpose, and portable. As for the type of bit for the grinder, I would suggest using metal ones, the grinding stones for me at least tend to have metal/plastic stick to it and it becomes useless
Our organization uses a combination belt and disc sander.
My org uses dinky little 3" nail files…
Oh, the misery
You guys file them down? We usually spend the first hour of a competition sharpening ours after inspection. But in all sincerity, dremels are worth the investment. There are a few online stores that let you buy bulk bits that are cheap and high quality. A couple of good files can also be helpful… And that gives me an idea. Proceeds to install a file in place of a sawzall saw
For hand tools, we keep several files around. For power, this little HF grinder is cheap and functional: https://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30-in-belt-sander-61728.html
So hand files are fine, but nobody takes the time to teach / learn.
Size matters. You want at least an 8" long file for most VEX stuff. Yea, I have three 12" mag strips with files from 2" to 10" with teeth from super fine to coarse, from flat through triangle to round/half round. Get the right set of tools for the task.
Do your files have handles? Get handles. Put the handles on.
Gonna anger some people here, but get a roll of the electrical tape. Tape a 3" section at the tip, two layers of tape thick. You want something your novice builders can grip without the “Ouchie” You want the layers thin so they can guide the file, Not having a big bulb at the tip makes it easier to learn skills so when the tape isn’t there it’s fine.
But the key is to have a sharp blade that cuts cleanly. Take your time, cut clean and then the file work is just seconds.
We use two belt sanders like this for most things.
Someone has tested this and found that back dragging outperformed lifting with a negligible difference of file damage between back dragging and lifting:
My suggestion is to use the full file length forward and full file length backwards similarly of using a saw, and barely press the file against the metal. Let the blades on the file do the cutting with the entire length of the file back and forth motion, almost as if you are using a knife on steak.
It depends on the type of file. Note that the one in the video has straight teeth. Some also have two way teeth. These types of files are effecient both forwards and backwards. Slanted tooth files are only effective one direction. I have no idea what the technical terms for these files are, but I think you get the idea.
Similar to cutting blades, I believe the type of teeth are to be used for specific materials. I think the type of file you are talking about is for wood, as usually blades with small tiny teeth are for metal.
I believe that even for just metal filing there are multiple types of files. But you’re right in the fact that generally metal files have small, sharp, slanted teeth.
Edit: Presumably Foster knows better. We’ll see when he chips in again soon
OK, lots to capture in the discussion.
But the big takeaways from the video are.
We use this dremel 4000 (With a disc on the end)
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