Giving myself eye strain again....Files

[darkzero]

Yup, saw that, too. My Nicholson lathe files are fine but I'm switching to Pferd. @darkzero is making me spend money.

Hey, well friends don't let friends keep their wallet full or buy cheap tools. Well technically you are up on me! My lil brother finally dropped of that Mitu level the other day. Thanks again!

I've only got 2 Nicholson files, both purchased from Home Depot. One is a 2 way, single cut on one side & double cut on the other. It has been holding up well. My other one is a single cut & it was the last Nicholson file I purchased, the thing felt like it dulled only after a few uses. I used to use it on the lathe for breaking edges.

Simmons & Grobet were my other choices before I went with Pferd. Have to be careful with Grobet cause they have an economy line that are made in China or somewhere else. I didn't look much into Simmons though when I discovered Amazon was selling lots of the Pferd. Unfortunately for some reason Amazon is not selling them anymore, well not restocking the ones that have sold out, only available from 3rd party sellers. Only thing I don't like about Pferd are lots of them just have a shear cut at the front end. Doesn't affect functionality or anything but it just seems unfinished in a sense. I can easily just clean that up on a belt sander but whatever. Belt sander works great for making your own safe edges, I remember doing that to one of my files cause I needed it.

The Flat File Plus is pretty cool. I've only used it once though on aluminum. Pretty cool cause it doesn't clog nearly as easy as your normal files.






And long angle files. I love them. Yup, everyone needs to have at least one of these. I like them so much I bought a whole case of them! Got a good deal on them so figured why not. I thought about selling some but I no longer want to.




My only regret (sort of) is that I didn't get a 12" LAL, mine are 10". I always see guys with huge files. Pferd only makes them in 10" & 12". Nicholson makes them in 14". But then again I don't have a big lathe & I don't work on big stuff.

Which brings me to a question I've always wanted to ask. What size files do you guys prefer to use and why? I Pferd 8" which most of mine are but then again I've never owned a file larger than 12".

 

[mikey]

I love it when Will comes along. His pics and narrative just sort of sucks you right in. Before you know it, you're on Amazon or eBay, looking for the same stuff. Luckily, he knows what he's talking about! I have a Flat File Plus in another window as we speak - insidious, I tell you ...

Glad the level thing worked out, Will.

I prefer a 10" file for roughing, primarily because that length allows me to keep my elbows in tight without extending my arms too far on the forward stroke, while allowing me to use the full length of the file. A 12" file is too long for me and while it works, it makes it harder for me to keep the file level.

I like an 8" file for finishing. It allows me to get over the work and take lighter, shorter strokes. Quite often, I'll have to round a corner and short, round strokes let me control the file better. I also use an 8" double-cut to ease or chamfer edges so this is a work horse for me.

For drawfiling, I choke up on the file so the length doesn't matter but I prefer the lathe file for roughing and a double-cut for finish draw filing.

Chalk is used on all my files because I hate pinning. A brass rod gets rid of the pinning when I do have it.

 

[darkzero]

Haha & thanks Mike for your input on file lengths! When I was searching to buy new quality files to replace all my cheap crap. Funny, the file I used for the longest was a Craftsman made in India that was black oxide coated. Why would you even want to black oxide a file? Anyways, I searched & searched for file lengths that people commonly used for machining related. I couldn't find anything. Just seemed to be personal preference.

But what I did find was something that I never knew, was that that files get coarser as they get longer. So if you purchased 2 identical type cut files but in 2 different lengths, the shorter one will have a finer cut.

So I figured I would just stick with 8" & 10", then buy coarser cut files if needed. Well that led me to buy more files than I need but at least I have them at hand whenever needed.

 

[mikey]

I don't know about you but if I use too long a file, my forward hand causes the tip of the file to rise. Might just be my anatomy but I can file more accurately with a 10" long file than I can with a 12" long file. Maybe its a lack of skill ...

I did want to remind Aukai to buy a good file card like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Simonds-File-Card-Brush-Pack/dp/B0050EEW1Y. I use the brush side most of the time but when I need to clear chips, the steel side is used. I try not to use it too often as it might dull the teeth a bit; that's why I use chalk.

 

[darkzero]

I have a file card just like that, they pretty much all look the same, just different colored bristles. Mine is made by Lutz & has black bristles. No matter, but the steel "bristles" always had me wondering. They just don't seem right, like they are too large in dia. I always felt weird using the steel bristles & they never seemed that effective to me.

My card before the Lutz is a Nicholson that only has the steel bristles. Not sure if it's a mental thing but I feel like it would do more harm to the file than good. I only use the nylon (or whatever) bristles for cleaning which works quite well. And for that stubborn aluminum that won't come out, I run it over some copper. I just use scrap pieces of copper pipe & it works well. Better than sittingbthere trying to pick all that crap out.

 

[mikey]

And for that stubborn aluminum that won't come out, I run it over some copper. I just use scrap pieces of copper pipe & it works well. Better than sittingbthere trying to pick all that crap out.

Yup, brass, copper - both work and neither harm the file - good stuff.

 

[Aukai]

Got it, thank you. Thank you all for the responses.

 

[ddickey]

Aukai,
Try looking for NOS on eBay.
I found two very nice new files there for a very reasonable price.
My favorite for the lathe is a K&F 8" long angle lathe fine cut file.
The other is a US made Nicholson Mill Blunt second cut 10 incher.

 

[Frank Ford]

Classic technique for cleaning files is to run some softer material, such as hardwood or copper, in line with the teeth:

After years of just using any old scrap, I made myself a fancy holder for pieces of bamboo.
It hangs on the tool board, ready for easy use:

Bamboo is works really well to push out those little chips.
Every so often I have to pick 'em out with the backside point of a regular X-Acto #11 blade.

 

[4GSR]

Not to hijack the thread a little, I must ask, how do you guys store your files? I looking for something that will hold lots of files 20-30+, with handles and without. Ken