Diamond files

[caseback]

Can anyone you recommend a source and a type of good diamond files? The ones I have are from Cousins "budget set" and while they work ok for roughing out a general shape, I find  they are to course/rough for fine details (e.g. small parts, gear cutters).

Edited November 4, 2024 by caseback

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, caseback said:

Can anyone you recommend a source and a type of good diamond files? The ones I have are from Cousins "budget set" and while they work ok for roughing out a general shape, I find  they are to course/rough for fine details (e.g. small parts, gear cutters).

Have you tried making any caseback ?

I made this a couple of years ago , it measures 1mm square....cut from a small diamond sharpening stone cut from a 2000 grit lapping plate. Ive yet to make another from a 5000 grit disk

[caseback]

1 hour ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Have you tried making any caseback ?

I made this a couple of years ago , it measures 1mm square....cut from a small diamond sharpening stone cut from a 2000 grit lapping plate. Ive yet to make another from a 5000 grit disk.

Thnx. I'll give that a try. 

Should work better than juggling these larger plates trying to improve my gear cutters geometry...

Edited November 4, 2024 by caseback

[Neverenoughwatches]

51 minutes ago, caseback said:

Thnx. I'll give that a try. 

Should work better than juggling these larger plates trying to improve my gear cutters geometry...

I use it for shaping setting levers etc from annealed or hardened steel, not sure how you gonna make a round though

[nickelsilver]

While not cheap, the Vallorbe "buff" files are fanstasic. Vallorbe says they are equivalent to a 10 cut file, but you can get an even finer finish with a lighter touch. They're cagey about what exactly they are coated with ("composite abrasives"), but they will cut tungsten carbide no sweat, and ruby too. An added bonus is the handle is also coated, so you can use the handle for manky work, keeping the formed end in better shape.

 

I use the escapement files, but the needle files are the same just larger.

 

https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/escapement-buff-files?code=F59706

https://www.vallorbe.com/en-ch/products/files/buff-files

 

 

[tomh207]

I recently picked up a watch/clockmaker job lot with some very fine diamond files, not vallorbe, but look decent.

So they are out there.

Tom