Creative Woodworks & crafts 2000-11, страница 24

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ELECTRO-FILE"

Pirk Boelman and his faithful shop dog, Annie. Since repairing a chewed up screwdriver handle with his Electro-File™, Annie is now out of the "dog house."

T first tested the original version of this tool back in the March, 1998 issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts and immediately fell in love with it! Its reciprocating in-line motion made it the perfect tool for reducing the labor previously required for hand filing the humps, bumps and other imperfections on our scroll sawn projects.

A short time ago, Precision Hobby Tools, Inc., manufacturer of the Electro-I'ile™, introduced the Model 3000 battery pack version of the tool, and more recently, the Model 2000 electric version. Presented with the task of evaluating both versions, I used the two models extensively to sand, file, shape and cut. The performance of both models exceeded my expectations, holding up remarkably well during rigorous use and abuse!

The Model 3000 battery pack version uses a 3.6 volt rechargeable NiCad battery. The battery mounts on the rear of the tool and is very easy to remove and install. The manufacturer states that this battery lasts for 30 minutes; however. 1 have found that it will easily power the tool for 1-1/2 to 2 hours of intermittent use (which is much longer than I want to spend sanding and filing). The 1/4" stroke length provides efficient removal of material at 2400 to 2700 strokes per minute. Weighing slightly over a pound, the tool is comfortable to lisc for extended periods of time, and having no power cord, it is ideal for outdoor use where the breeze can blow away the dust. You might be inclined to take the tool with you to craft shows to do your touch-up work "between customers."

The Model 2000 electric version uses 120 volt AC, 60Hz current. It connects to a 24 volt DC adapter and has a 6-foot cord which attaches to the rear of the tool. CuLting stroke and speed are equivalent to the battery pack version; however, the electric version weighs a few ounces less, as the weight of the battery does not exist.

Both models will perform a multitude of filing, sanding, shaping and cutting tasks. Essentially, tasks performed manually with a set of needle fi les, rasps, small sandpaper strips or even fingernail files can be executed much quicker and more effortlessly with the Electro-File™.

These tools utilize a specially-designed chuck which

by Dirk Boelman

accepts both round and Hat ends of various accessories including sanding paddles, needle files, rasps and saw blades. Accessories insert into the chuck until they bottom out at a specially-designed stop. A locking screw, adjusted with an alien wrench conveniently stored in a built-in slot on the bottom of the tool, holds die accessories in place.

I'm sure there are some folks who will say that they can do all of their filing and sanding by hand. To them I would reply, "We could cut all our boards with a hand saw too!" I guess most of us have found that power saws make the work much easier and often do a much better job. Likewise, the Electro-File™ helped me to overcome my previous dislike for filing and sanding...it took the "work" out of it...which also really did a lot to improve my general outlook on life (ha,ha).

The Electro-File™ is ideal for filing and sanding the interior cuts oil some of the most delicate scroll saw projects. The needle rasps work extremely well when removing burn marks left on edges of hardwoods like oak and cherry. If you follow-up with needle files and sandpaper strips, no one will know that burn marks previously existed!

Needle rasps remove the unwanted humps, bumps, dents and gouges much quicker than files. They also work great to round over edges on projects.

I had heard that the Electro-File™ was being used by many hobbyists to sand and file pieces of their plastic models, so T was curious what additional materials the tool could successfully handle.

My faithful shop dog, Annie, chewed one of my favorite screwdriver handles to shreds: so when I use it, the palm of my hand also gets "shredded." As an experiment, I used the EIcctro-Filc™ and a needle rasp in an attempt to smooth out the teeth marks. To my surprise, it performed superbly. I followed up with needle files, and soon the handle was restored to its original shiny finish.

I also found that the tool worked equally well on Plexiglas, alabaster, ceramic tile, aluminum, soft brass and other materials around my shop. The small saw blades are ideal for trimming embossed moldings and slicing off strips of plywood.

I understand that diamond files will be available soon for the Electro-File™, which will allow us to use the tool on an even wider variety of materials. In the meantime, you can get complete sets of needle files, needle rasps, saw blades and sanding paddles which will enable you to perform all the tasks I have outlined above, including fitting tabs and slots, making notches for hinges, putting square pegs in round holes and much, much more.

This product is an excellent supplement to rotary tools, and J recommend that you consider adding it to your collection. For more information on the Electro-File™, see page 29 of this issue.

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