Hi, I am trying to find information on different types of wood and metal
files. When I google I mostly get pages which are selling files.
Does anyone know a page on the web which explains different types of
files and their purposes so I can educate myself? Kurt

It's pretty much this, rasps and rifflers are for wood and any other type of
file is for either metal or wood (small teeth).
Alex

Nicholson has an informational brochure that pretty much explains the
various types of files and rasps. I got one at an Orchard Supply Hardware
store. It was free, sitting next to the rather large assortment of files in
the tool corral.

John Emmons

"Kurt" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

I am trying to find information on different types of wood and metal
files. When I google I mostly get pages which are selling files.
Does anyone know a page on the web which explains different types of
files and their purposes so I can educate myself?

Kurt

Fri, Jul 30, 2004, 10:50am (EDT-3) (Kurt) waves and
says:
Hi,
I am trying to find information on different types of wood and metal
files. snip

Reminds me of the new bride, going to the hardware store to buy a
file for her husband.

The salesman asked her if she'd like one of the ******* files. To
which she replied, "No, I'll take one of those big sonofabitches".



JOAT
The highway of fear is the road to defeat.
- Bazooka Joe
JERUSALEM RIDGE http://www.banjer.com/midi/jerridge.mid

"Kurt" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

I am trying to find information on different types of wood and metal
files. When I google I mostly get pages which are selling files.
Does anyone know a page on the web which explains different types of
files and their purposes so I can educate myself?

Kurt

Try to run down a copy of "A Treatise on Files and Rasps, Nicholson File Co"
1878. The Early American Industries Association reprinted this book in 1983.
There isn't an ISBN number in the book that I can find...

http://www.eaiainfo.org/

John

Fine woodworking magazine had an excellent overview on all types of files.
This was maybe 10 years ago.

Greg

On 30 Jul 2004 10:50:15 -0700, (Kurt) wrote:

I am trying to find information on different types of wood and metal
files.

There's not a lot of information around. Bealer's blacksmithing book
describes the old processes of making them well, but his earlier
description of them, and of using them, is almost entirely a
misunderstanding (not uncommon for Bealer).

There are files and rasps. Files are generally for metal, rasps for
wood. Giving a really clear definition is hard though, although you
can generally recognise which is which. The best I can come up with is
that file teeth are usually cut by a sharp tool moved from side to
side to cut a fairly long tooth, whilst rasps are cut by a short
lengthways stab with a cutter that raises a spur-like tooth, as much
as cutting away the gullet between teeth.

Because rasps have small teeth with large spacings, they cut well on
soft materials with large shavings that would clog a file. Cheap rasps
are machine cut, expensive rasps (the best are Italian) are hand-cut.
The advantage is the random placement of hand-cut teeth, as opposed to
the regular grid of machine-cut teeth. This regular spacing tends to
cut a "tramline" pattern on the workpiece, whilst the hand-cut teeth
give a more even surface, especially for curved rasps where you can;t
so easily move it around between strokes. If you're making cabriole
legs, you'll be wanting those hand-cut rasps, even at their $50
procetag.

A third form is the "Dreadnought", somewhere between files and rasps
(and referred to as either). This has very large non-clogging teeth,
cut as for files but generally used as a rasp. These teeth may also be
curved in outline and sometimes have their edges notched to reduce
clogging. They're used on bulky soft materials, sometimes wood but
perhaps best known for car body filler. Some of these rasps are
flexible and are used in a screw-adjustable holder to control their
radius of curvature, like a compass plane.

Even odder is the "riffler" - simply a short curved rasp on an
integral steel handle - usually double ended.


File terminology is arcane and just plain weird. Much of it is due to
the way that there are two main characteristics, and each is described
twice.

The teeth of a file are described by the "cut". Single cut and double
cut are pretty simple; one is the first set of diagonal teeth cut into
a file, the other is for files that have a second set cut at a shallow
angle to them. It's common for the face of a flat file to be double
cut, but with edges that are single cut at right angles to its axis.
Curved surfaces on files are often single cut with a large number of
short teeth, either at a shallow angle or perpendicular to the axis.

The coarseness of the teeth is also called the cut, but the terms are
different. The tems for hand files (the usual size for benchwork) are
usually coarse, *******, second, smooth and refer to the number of
dozens of teeth per inch. Coarse is around 12 tpi, ******* 24tpi,
second 36tpi and smooth 48tpi. The term "*******" comes from
historical swords, where a ******* sword was somewhere between a one-
and two-handed sword in size.

Shape of a file is also described twice; once for the cross-section
and once for the plan view.

As filing is a hand process, there's a tendency for files to swing
around a little at the end of the stroke. For this reason the
traditional bench-work file is the "flat" file, which has a slight
taper or curve inward to the edges for the last third of its length.
It's usually rectangular in section and has double cut faces with two
single cut edges. Larger ones also taper in thickness.

The more modern "hand" file is parallel in width, but thins a little
in thickness. This is the usual bench file these days - it looks like
a simple rectangle, 10" long. One edge is left uncut, as a "safe
edge".

"Half round" files look more like a half oval. Curved on one side,
flat on the other. They taper like a flat file in both ways

Round files and square files are fairly self-explanatory. They often
taper slightly in thickness at the end, as they're commonly used to
open up small holes.Triangular files are called "three square".

Another triangular file is the saw-sharpening file. These are usually
double-ended and six-edged, fitting into a loosely sprung wooden
handle. It's good practice to keep them only for saw sharpening, and
to use a new edge for every saw (yes, buying new files when they're
barely used). This really is worthwhile for saw sharpening, but you
can always keep the used files for use afterwards.

"Mill saw" files are bigger files used for sharpening circular blades
(but not carbide !). They're like a hand file, but both edges are cut
and one of them is rounded, for working the bottom of the gullet
between teeth. They're sometimes single cut on the faces too.

Japanese saws are sharpened with diamond section files that are
unfindable outside of Asia or Lee Valley.


"Small" files are about 6" long and are sometimes called "warding"
files. This is from their old use amongst locksmiths (actually
keysmiths, who were regarded even more highly), for filing the wards
and matching keys.

These small files come in a wide range of shapes (sections), although
most are roughly parallel and then tapered at the end, like the flat
file. Although these shapes may sometimes be found in large bench
files too, they're exceedingly rare.

The regulars of round, half-round, square and three square are there.
"Pillar" and "warding" shapes are like parallel-sided hand files,
although warding tend to be particularly flat and thin. Others are
more specialised for the lock and clockmaking trades.

"Knife" files have a thin knife-edge triangular section, with the
"back" edge ignored and uncut. A "Barrette" file is a flattened
triangle, with only the broad face cut (always double cut). It's used
like a single sided knife file, which can be turned over to work each
side in turn.

"Crochet" files are pillar files, with rounded edges.. They're handy
for sheet brasswork, as they can work flats, external curves and
radiused internal corners, all without changing tool. "Crossing" files
are even rarer - they're like half-round files of differing radii,
joined back-to-back. Obscure, but handy for working details into
carved brasswork, again with a lot of radii to offer on a single tool.

Needle files, sometimes called "swiss" files, are even smaller - about
6" long, although this includes an integral steel rod handle and the
working length is only 3" or so. These also come in many shapes.
Smaller files may be obtained in cuts from coarse to smooth, but
"coarse" here may be as fine as a smooth bench file and a smooth's
teeth are minuscule.

File handles are essential and are made of wood. The idea of using a
handle-less file puts a sharp-pointed tang far too near to your palm
or wrist and you _will_ slip with it.

Some "Python" handles use an internal wire spiral to give an extra
strong grip. They're easier to fit accurately, but either sort will
work. All-wood handles are usually fitted by burning them to fit,
heating the tang and then using it to burn an accurately shaped socket
into the handle. Danish oil is a good finish afterwards. I've never
(ever !) seen a plastic handle that could be fitted to a file so that
it didn't wobble, so avoid them.

A "farmer's own" or "toolbox" file has a rounded metal end formed as
part of it, often with a hanging hole. Like needle files, these don't
need a wooden handle.

Another "handy" toolbox file is the "four in hand". This is a
half-round file in section, but double-ended and with no taper. One
end has rasp teeth, the other has file teeth. To hold it, you grip
round the teeth of the other end to what you're using.

Keep your files in order by not letting them clog, especially on
aluminium or titanium. Rubbing with French chalk first avoids it,
brushing or combing (with the edge of some thickish brass sheet)
cleans it afterwards. A little caustic soda works wonders on
aluminium, but clog a file with Ti galled to the teeth and you can
scrap it.

The only good files are made in Switzerland, by either Grobet or
Vallorbe. There used to be good Sheffield-made files, if you can still
find some old ones, and probably there was once a good American maker
too. Brazilian files are much cheaper and aren't too bad. All Chinese
files are junk though - typically they're hard and cut well at first,
but they're not tough enough to stay sharp for long and their
brittleness risks them snapping.

Buy some new files. The difference with a rusty, worn or clogged old
one is incredible. It's possible to re-cut files (but not rasps) by
acid-etching, which is a process requiring them to be sent away.
Results seem good here - some people claim they're better than new.

Files also have re-use value as a source of steel. We're spoilt for
choice these days, but not that long ago it was easy to find iron but
still hard to find a useful tool steel (i.e. one that could be
hardened). Re-working or even re-forging old files has a long
pedigree. For many fitters, their first experience of hardening and
tempering steel tools is in re-working an old file into a centre punch
or bearing scraper.

You can even heat treat files, bend them to shape, then re-harden them
again (Google for an old post of mine).


--
Smert' spamionam

Great tutorial Andy,

Bob S.

Andy Dingley wrote in
:

On 30 Jul 2004 10:50:15 -0700, (Kurt) wrote:

I am trying to find information on different types of wood and metal
files.

There's not a lot of information around.

snippage of some great stuff

Well, here there is! Andy, thank you very much. This is the sort of
infomration that keeps me coming back.

Patriarch