File coarseness

Toss them in the pot with the leftover frog parts?

SHHHH!!! :)

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Back to my original post, Are there any preferences for Simonds vs. Nicholson or anyother brand? I hope that's not a troll question like Fords or Chevys. Thanks, JD

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I would like to buy a set of files & not waste a lot of $ on files of different lengths of ~ the same coarseness. Or buy individual files to meet my needs, but that would probably be more expensive.

Any suggestions? Thanks, JD

Nicholson was always my favorite, but it was one of the most common availible, if a file had a brand name. A lot of them i sw didn't. I had to find a 4" mill bastard a few months ago and ended up ordering a Nicholson through Grainger's. My old ones (a pair) disappeared after 30 years of use.

If you only need a few, check out Grainger's or other online distributors. I have a local Grainger's store, and they special ordered what I needed from their warehouse.

I never had much luck with whole sets. Most of a 'set' was useless for my work.

Only if your balls have been washed in the ball washer near the tee off area or whatever it's called, JD

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I always wash my balls before putting a dozen or so in my bag. Dirt in the dimples affects the way they fly off into the woods on the right.

Most of my balls have smiles on them.

Sell them to Volkswagen!

OK that's what I am anticipating doing. but which ones to buy? I want to to be able to produce a variety of finishes on hard steel, to aluminum, & other soft materials, w/ a minimum of work & a reasonably minimum amount of files (read $). What would some of the regular contributors here, people who work regularly in shops, buy to meet my needs? Please share any specific advice, JD

Yeah, that's pretty much been my experience w/ sets of anything. 1st Aid kits, U name it, JD

So why do you hit them with a club? :)

Doncha' hate that? I had that happen with a piece of sandpaper.

Bob

jay wrote in news:01010bd1-1baf-4ce9-b2d3- snipped-for-privacy@n10g2000prj.googlegroups.com:

Rule #1: Get good ones. Nicholson & Simonds are pretty good, Grobet is better. Grobet also makes really nice handles that screw on & don't come off (or loose).

I use 3 files more than any others by an order of magnitude:

#1 A fine 4" pointed half round file for knocking burrs off of stuff. The sharp point is good for getting into small spots & holes:

Precision Half-Round Hand File 4" Long, 15/32" W X 9/64" Thickness, Swiss pattern, Cut No. 2 (McMaster Carr #4248A23)

#2 Simonds 8" half round Multi-Kut. This is my favorite general purpose file. It cuts reasonably fast, leaves a good finish, & doesn't clog too quickly.

#3 Nicholson "Superior Standard" 10" half round soft metal file (sometimes called a "lead float" or Babbitt file). This has widely spaced arched teeth that leave a fairly smooth finish on soft materials without clogging. Good for removing large amounts of material in brass, aluminum & plastic. The trick is that Nicholson doesn't seem to sell the large half-round ones any more (they have an 8"), and everyone has a different name for them. They are used a lot for body work, planing down body putty & filler. Note: some "babbitt" files have a more conventional cut to the teeth. Simonds sells the right shape teeth on theirs, but they only have flat.

It's also good to have a set of Swiss needle files in a fine & medium cut. Good sets are spendy, but will long out last the cheap ones. The price difference can be close to an order of magnitude. McMaster carries $140 sets & $20 sets. I'd look for something in between, or try to catch a good sale. Also a medium cut 1/4" round "rat tail" file, and a similar sized triangular file.

Doug White

A commonly used, although not precisely accurate term for shaping files like Doug describes with widely-spaced teeth, is Vixen file. The teeth are spaced more similarly to gear rack, than to most common metalworking files.

Vixen files were very popular in past decades/generations when all autobody damage work was finished with a torch instead of a plastic spatula/spreader. Vixen files rapidly peel away soft materials such as autobody lead for very fast leveling of a surface.

The ones that I have don't have a blank tang for a handle, but instead have a countersunk hole near each end to mount them to full-length (typically wooden) holder which is sorta like holding a long, narrow wood plane. Some Vixen holders are metal/aluminum, and may have a turnbuckle in the center for slight ajustments of straight to small arc.

Vixen files used to be available in various lengths and shapes, but the most common shapes were flat and rounded.

Some other specialty files that are extremely handy, are the pull-cut types used with die filing machines. I stumbled upon some new 8" Oliver files at a flea market years ago, and continue to use them almost daily. They are available (when you can find 'em) in various shapes, and easily recognized by the straight/parallel sides. On square or rectangular shapes, one edge may be a safe edge (smooth so it won't cut), which is also very handy whether using them by hand or machine use.

Files that cut on the pull stroke can remove material very effectively (even single-handedly held) after a little practice. They're very fast for openings in panels and various other situations where filing with a single hand is more convenient. The pull stroke is efficient at material removal, similar to using a coping saw cutting on the pull stroke instead of pushing it.

There are some presently-made brands that include parallel-sided files that can be adapted for die filer machine use by annealing the tip end (or brazing a scrap to the end) to mount in the filing machine, and breaking off the handle tang.

I'm still fond of filing after many years. A couple of used files were my first metalworking cutting tools that I had in my youth.

[ ... ]

I tend to use the Shaviv replaceable blade deburring tools for most of that kind of work. Three kinds:

1) The standard hook blade to deburr a single edge. 2) The steeper hook, to deburr both sides of sheet metal. 3) The countersink in a ratchet for deburring single sided holes. *My* favorite files are "safe-edge" files. Cutting on the two flat sides. Smooth on the two edges. (Since I more often use files for squaring up the corners of a milled opening for mounting a switch or meter in a rectangular hole. This lets me cut right up to the edge of the hole without unintentionally widening the hole at the corner. A safe side triangular file is useful at times too. [ ... ]

And so far -- nobody has mentioned a "mill bastard", which is good for smoothing a finish on a lathe. It has grooves at a much steeper angle, so the effect is closer to draw filing. Of course, make

*sure* to have a handle on it when you use it on a lathe. And be careful of sleeves in chuck jaws. (I prefer to use collets when filing, if I have some large enough.)

Yes. And (for some things) a set of diamond grit needle files.

Enjoy, DoN.