my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Literally cutting aperture corners

Author Topic: Literally cutting aperture corners Richard May Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1057 From: Floral Park, NY USA Registered: Aug 2004 posted 03-20-2007 12:40 PM                     Whats the best type of file to do this? Simple enough.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 03-20-2007 01:12 PM                        I think most of us go with a small flat file with milled edges, like the kind Sears used to sell for filing ignition points (remember those?). Produces nice clean corners.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 03-20-2007 01:30 PM                        http://www.contenti.com/products/files/231-810-2.html I have the #4 cut (a little coarser than #2).  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-20-2007 03:00 PM                     Odd...#4 is normally a finer cut than #2 if going by the Swiss cut patterns.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-20-2007 09:29 PM                     The link above is what I use for corners and smoothing.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 03-20-2007 09:36 PM                        quote: Steve Guttag Odd...#4 is normally a finer cut than #2 if going by the Swiss cut patterns. That's right. It even says that on the website. I was just momentarily confused. Also, 230-314-2 4" #2 230-314-2/0 4" #00 230-336-4 6" #4 from the same website. Has anyone experimented with something like a Dremel tool to shorten the time for basic, rough cutting? Although the #00 file above is already quite hungry, it will also tear out pieces off lesh from your arm if you aren't careful (I normally wear a glove on the left hand anyway though, because of the heat).  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 03-20-2007 10:24 PM                     I have used a dremel with a portable mill vise Hand holding not good....a nibbler for hand held is better.... remember a face mask.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-21-2007 09:24 AM                     LaVezzi makes one that is easy to get and inexpensive. It is a precision made file and cuts the best square corners I've seen done and it last a very long time. I think its part# AF-12 or something like that... They have just the one style so its good for casual filing or touching up a sloppy job. If you file alot then a complete set as above is best. Mark  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-21-2007 10:36 AM                     LaVezzi's is a #2 cut and is a bit short for my liking. It is thinner than standard pillar files though so that would helf a bit in the corners. They also have a half-round file which can be useful for corners as well as for shaping for a curved screen. Personally, I have a rather full set as well as precision set that has things like a 3-corner square which is great for corners.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-21-2007 10:59 AM                     Gee Whiz, Brad How many threads are there going tobe about cutting aperature plates, all discussing the same thing? Once again, look for Grobet files, available through any decent lapidary supply. You need files that are "safe" meaning that one or more surfaces are without cutting teeth. The file should also be non-tapered and have square (non-radius) corners. Brass and other non-ferrous metals like aluminum can do an excellent job of clogging files. One of the oldest tool-makers tricks is to have some good-ole chalk-board chalk in your tool box. After every other stroke or so, the file should be reloaded with chalk. This will prevent file damage and all the chips can be easily removed with a light tap on a table-top and swipe with a file card. Two of the best ways to ruin a file: files are meant to cut on the push-stroke, not on the pull-stroke. Also, storing files together w/o a protective sleeve (letting them bang against each other). Finally, when cutting aperatures, make sure you deburr the damn things. I was personally injured by a moron-tech who did not deburr. Basically, a burr was present and looked like a piece of lint on the screen, a major distraction for the audience. Luckily, I cought it during the trailers, so I stopped the presentation to clean. Turned out is was a burr upon which I cut myself (like a bad paper cut) and started bleeding all over the place. K  |  IP: Logged Richard May Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1057 From: Floral Park, NY USA Registered: Aug 2004 posted 03-21-2007 12:36 PM                     Sorry Will but when I did a search for this specific topic that I asked about, nothing relevant came up. If you think I missed something, then maybe you can point it out for me.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-21-2007 05:35 PM                     Richard... Pay no attention to the irrlevant hissing going on above you! There have been discussions in the past on filing and such but they may have been part of other threads. Sometimes they are difficult to find at best. Mark  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 03-21-2007 08:34 PM                        quote: Will Kutler Once again, look for Grobet files The files linked to above are Grobet. Does anyone have a link to a LaVezzi catalog for files? I couldn't find them on their website.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-21-2007 08:48 PM                     http://www.lavezzi.com/MotionPictureMisc.html  |  IP: Logged David Zylstra Master Film Handler Posts: 432 From: Novi, MI, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 03-22-2007 04:35 PM                     I like to use an auger bit file . . . . it's a double ended file, each end is triangular in shaped . . . the neat thing is that each end has only 2 faces that cut so you can file the lower edge in the corner without cutting into the side, 1 edge of the file is also angled so you can easily get into the corners if you have a bad keystone situation. I bought my last few from these guys, about $10 ea: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32954&cat=1,43072,43089&ap=1  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.