Creative Woodworks & crafts 1998-03, страница 56

Scrolling Editor Dirk Boelman discovers a new precision craft end hobby tool...

The KD-1 Electro-file

A hobbiest's dream come true

Just a short lime ago, I was working feverishly away with needle files to smooth out various imperfections on 93 Christmas ornaments (that were due to ship out the ■ w

next day, of course) and I was tiring quickly! In my frustra- h

tion, I thought to myself, u

"Boy, wouldn't it be nice if JW

there was some motorized way of doing this?"

Well, believe it or not, _ ■MX • there is. The tool is called the KD-1 Electro-file. It's a cord-less, hand-held, rechargeable, reciprocating tool with an adjustable chuck that holds all kinds of attachments for sanding, filing, sawing, and polishing. It's perfect for scroll saw enthusiasts fand I other hobbyists, loo!). ■

It's got it all

The unit comes complete with four needle files (flat, round, half-round, and triangular); four saw blades (15 and 24 TPI metal cutting blades and 15 and 40 TPI "thin blades" for wood and other soft materials); plus a paddle attachment

with 20 sanding strips in --

medium and fine grits.

Since the KD-1 is re«om-1 mended for light duty work, it I ^^ _L is ideal for working on deli- ^HHBfc^^^ cate scroll and fretwork made ™ with thin materials. It's not $ ymr

the kind of tool you would use ^a<a*

to saw through 3/4"-thick oak; ^MrfH however, you could use it to ."sF".

file, sand, and touch-up the edges.

Changing history

For many years, scroll saw project developers have recommended needle files lo clean up any imperfections that might occur on the piece as a result of sawing. The primary reason for this is because the small files fit so conveniently inside all of those little cutout openings. The problem is that if there are too many imperfections or they're too big, you gel

tired of filing very quickly.

The KD-1 is just the right tool for the job. It works quickly and effortlessly to smooth out those humps, bumps, and gouges! t i - ■ ■ — You can use it everywhere II MS that you've previously used

V V tf hand-held needle files, such

f i 1*1 fell J. as getling difficult tabs and

n^r' ^s^^{ots t0 to}9^ether'^as

vgpUfa aB-i as adjusting halved joints.

^{a rnuc}'¹ easier and .^^jjB^if: fl* more enjoyable method to

Oh, those nasty little

KjSljfejfej Oftentimes, scroll sawyers I end up with nasty little j humps on their projects ■ 1 where the blade is first \ J brought over to the pattern ■ ■* ■ ^ line. This happens either at

the drilled blade entry hole on inside cutouts or at the starting point along the outside contour line. They are actually created when the blade is returned to that same point after the cutout is completed. With just a few strokes of a needle file in the KD-1, the humps are smoothed out in seconds.

—_ And what about those ¹ I troublesome burn marks I you sometimes get on the * ^ I edges of hardwoods? I hur-

feih Ail ried a piece of 3/4" oak into

gw ^J^F¹ a No. 5 reverse tooth blade ^y^PP I and could literally see and -gttbtoiJ smell the smoke. Needless fiffita^^S^Ho to say, it produced some

__| dark burn marks whenever

tight curves and turns were made. Once again, a needle file in the KD-1 worked perfectly to remove the burned wood. 1 followed up with some sandpaper on the paddle attachment to quickly and effortlessly polish the edges, and the project was finished to perfection.

The KD-1 Electro-file wood culling blades easily cut through 1/4" and thinner plywoods and solid woods. They also work great for cutting Styrofoam, plastics, and other sofl materials. The thin, flexible blades are ideal

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