Suggestions And Help On Shaping The Outer Edge Of My Stems

[Sebastian Heck]

Tenon holder is a piece of 5/16” tool rod and can be adjusted to give working room for filing.

The slot holder is a piece of 1” Delrin which has been turned and shaped into a “screw driver-ish” shape. the contact points should be the ENDs of the slot NOT the top and bottom, otherwise the slot will crack open (ask me how I know this)
This set up allows quite forceful two handed filing (for best control) with aggressive files, can be rotated to file panels on the stem (bull dogs or fancy free hands) and allows you to extrapolate the line of the airway between the ends without taping.
The first photo also shows the preliminary shaping of the button with the parallel flats top and bottom to orient the blade.
DocAitch

DocAitch, I have a question about the tenon holder. Does it spin, if you want to turn the stem over? Do you just stick it into the tailstock?

[DocAitch]

The slot holder fits in the tail stock chuck- that is why it has been turned down to ~1/2”. It does not “spin”, but it can be rotated with some force in the Morse taper. Usually I can just grip the chuck and rotate it by hand, but occasionally I have to put the chuck key in place to use as a lever.
It holds with enough force that it does not turn or wobble while filing. It can be positioned so that a horizontal file stroke can be used to cut facets on the stem.
This photo shows the slot holder in the tailstock chuck. Since the photo was taken, I have removed those pieces of1/16” rod which were added as a guide for filing. The blade of the holder has also been modified.
DocAitch

[Sebastian Heck]

Thanks DocAitch! Looks good!