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Thread: Hardness files
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31st Dec 2021, 12:55 PM #1Golden Member
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- May 2020
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Hardness files
Hello all.
I have seen a few sets of hardness files for sale. As I understand it you essentially you use different files in the set and whichever one marks the surface is the approximate hardness. Does anyone here have experience with these and are the worth it.
Thanks Steve
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31st Dec 2021, 02:32 PM #2Gear expert in training
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- Aug 2008
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- Melbourne
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No experience, but I imagine they would only really be useful if you do a lot of work with mystery metal or repair jobs.
Gear cutting specialists and general engineers www.hardmanbros.com.au
Fine pitch gear cutting from 0.1 Module www.rigear.com.au
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31st Dec 2021, 02:56 PM #3
I have a cheap set and use them to check hardness in knife blade materials.
I was given an electric furnace and will use that to harden the blades and for me, thats where the hardness checking function is utilized.
They are an approximate method of checking the hardness.
Grahame
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31st Dec 2021, 05:39 PM #4Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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- Feb 2006
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I have used a cheap set and found them a bit frustrating so I bought an expensive Japanese set (Tsubosan) but they are not that much better.
The Tsubosans cost $70 but I see they are over $100 these days.
The way to use them is as follows - assume set is marked A for the hardest and F for softest
Starting with the hardest file (lets call that one "A") and see if it marks the piece of interest
Then use the next hardest file (B) to see if it marks the work.
etc
When you find a file (lets say that's file E) that doesn't marks the surface this means the hardness is between D and E
Given the files are 5 units of "Rockwell Hardness C" (HRC) apart, then the actual hardness could be anywhere in the range of 5 HRCs
Better than nothing I suppose
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31st Dec 2021, 07:10 PM #5Senior Member
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- Jul 2007
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- Perth
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I have a set of the original files and they are better than nothing and a step up from a file only guess, but can be fiddly to use. If you have not seen before, the Stefan G video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6SmsX44noo at around the 47 minute mark he compares them with a proper machine. Alan.
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