Hand filing guide of feet has always been a pain for me. I never seemed to be able to get a good grip on them, especially really small guides like #6's. Tonight I used a 6 1/2" Hemostat to grip the guides across the faces of the ring. This provided a solid hold with great control. With this I was able to quickly and accurately file down the feet as well as use a small saw blade file to groove the underside.. and then de-burr all surfaces with some 400 wet/dry sandpaper. This is by far the easiest method yet for me.

Hope this is a helpful tip for someone.

Dave

Neat idea. However, I'd be a bit cautious about gripping the ring and ceramic with anything metal, to avoid scratches. How about covering the jaws with something protective, like a piece of srhink tubing or maybe some really small-diameter surgical tubing?

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

I use very small nylon bolts and stick them through the ring from thr foot side and just hold the bolt with my finger and thumb against thr ing Works good for me

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I’ve encountered similar difficulty with the small ones. My cure is, I put UHMW on the jaws of a small electronics vise. It pivots to all angles, hold firm, and no scratches. Just my way.
Keith

I do mine exactly like Mike - and I use a 1" belt sander to grind them. Works slick, and no more grooved fingernails :-)

I do mine like Mike and Rich except I use an 8" fine cut knife file. Works great for me.
I left a wide thin head on my nylon bolt and cut a v-groove in the edge of it for the guide leg to sit in . The groove keeps the guide from spinning on the bolt and protects the ring and frame from the file. I made these primarily for the 6's, 8's the bigger guides I can hold with my fingers and don't even use the bolts.

Jay

I use hemostats with heat shrink tubing, and have used a fly vice with surgical tubing. Both work well.

I use a hook File and all Forecast guides come pre ground so it only takes one swipe from time to time.

I will definitely add surgical tubing to the Hemostat Jaws. I also like the other ideas offered. A 1" belt sander is on the short list of things to add to my shop.
Dave

i do the same thing as mike also(i got it from him haha) and sometimes i use a dremel and sometimes a hand file

Tried the dremel, foredom, sander, and charged buffing wheel,,,,, and I keep going back to the file. Best file for me anyway is a rather specialized file from Nicholson called a Cant Saw file. Luthiers like them for dressing frets, and I happened to have a few from some guitar work a few years back. Nicholson files are darn good anyway, but I find the smaller Cant Saw file to be just right for me to file guide feet. Works perfect for me to rest the leg on a convenient section of the horn of a mini anvil, while holding the other leg with fingers or hemostats. Freehand without the anvil is not 1/2 as good or smooth a cut for me.

I follow w/ a small charged flap wheel on the foredom handpiece to deburr and smooth. And then a coat of POR-15 on the bare metal and set them aside to dry.

Lots of ways to do it. I certainly wouldn't want to forecep or hemostat across the guide ring though. Strong as they normally seem, they can snap very easily if tweaked just the right way. I know I've broken quite a few in messing with guides, and each time it is was something of a surprise at how easily they broke.

i only do the top with a dreme and i do the underside with a chainsaw file and finish off all my guides using a hand a hand file