Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Apr 7, 8:02 am, David Billington
wrote:

In case you didn't see my response to Jim Wilkins, I posted the following.

I've done the same but I was thinking of filing the final smooth curve.
On say a 90 degree corner and holding the piece with each face at about
45 to horizontal what I did originally, as I had never been shown, I
just moved the file forward and rocked it from the near face to the far
face so the contact point travels away form you to create the curve. The
instructor showed my to start with the file parallel with the far face
and moving the file forward, rock it back, to end the stroke with the
file parallel to the near face, in this way the contact point travels
back towards you during the operation. This instantly gave me a much
better finish and radius and it's the way I've done it ever since.

Bill


You mean filing lengthwise to smooth it after shaping crosswise to the
line?

Yes filing perpendicular to the radius axis rather than parallel, that's
how I normally file the flats also on narrow pieces, wider pieces I
would file parallel to the radius axis.
I'm OK with the rocking motion but I have a hard time keeping the
pressure equal on both sides of the file, especially after the flats
are gone and I can't see the angle of the lines between them to
correct. For the last bit of finish I use my squared-up belt sander
and the same smooth rotation of the part. The sander has a free-hand
area above the backing plate that does an excellent job of smoothing
the sharp edges on either side of the radius curve. The 1" sander I
have doesn't cut to shape as fast as a good coarse file, though.

I have a 1" belt linisher also, don't know how I lived without one
before I got it. My neighbour liked it as well and kept popping around
to use it until he bought one of his own. As you say about the
unsupported section it leaves a much better finish the running the piece
against the platen, it seems every time the join comes around it takes
slightly more off a radius and makes for a poorer finish.
I can do almost as well with a hand-held angle grinder by rotating the
body of the tool with both hands.

Jim Wilkins