# upgrade your files



## fast67ford (Jul 31, 2013)

Lately i have been trying to get my basement shop more organized trying to hang as many tools on peg boards as i can. Many of my files didn't have handles and had been carelessly thrown in my tool box. Then the other day i just happen to be walking around the local dollar store around here and noticed their putty knives just so happen to look like excellent file handles. And i was right!   







IMG_20130728_105959 by fast_67ford, on Flickr



IMG_20130728_110044 by fast_67ford, on Flickr




IMG_20130728_110909 by fast_67ford, on Flickr




IMG_20130728_111049 by fast_67ford, on Flickr




IMG_20130728_115256 by fast_67ford, on Flickr


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## Chucketn (Jul 31, 2013)

Great idea! I've been turning wood handles for my files, but your idea is so much easier! Thanks for sharing your inspiration.

Chuck


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## fast67ford (Aug 1, 2013)

Thank ya! I was thinking about turning some out of delrin stock i had laying around. But this took all of 10 minutes.


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## churchjw (Aug 1, 2013)

Wow great idea.  

Thanks
Jeff


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## Fitter Bill (Aug 1, 2013)

Great job on handles....I bet the Dog is happy too....


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## raross61 (Aug 3, 2013)

fast67ford said:


> Lately i have been trying to get my basement shop more organized trying to hang as many tools on peg boards as i can. Many of my files didn't have handles and had been carelessly thrown in my tool box. Then the other day i just happen to be walking around the local dollar store around here and noticed their putty knives just so happen to look like excellent file handles. And i was right!
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Hey great idea! Can I ask one thing I see here buying the putty knives, heating the blade and pulling it out. What are you doing when you put the file into the handle? Heating the file end and driving it in? Or driving it in cold with a dead blow? Or did you center drill it and drive in, Looks great and right up my alley on cost!

                                      Thanks Bob in Oregon!


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## hman (Aug 7, 2013)

First off, *THANK YOU* for this great idea!:man:

Secondly - I bought a large bunch of them at Dollar Tree today.  The store didn't have the size scrapers you got, but they had the 3" size.  Fine by me.  Now I have a bunch of nice chunks of springy steel in somewhat of a handy size/form factor.

Thirdly - didn't even need to heat them to get the blades out of the handles! I just grabbed each blade in the vise and wiggled/tugged the handle off.

Some o' the most worthwhile bux I've spent in maybe a fortnight!


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## raross61 (Aug 8, 2013)

Hey great idea! Can I ask one thing? I see here buying the putty knives, heating the blade and pulling it out. What are you guys doing when you put the file into the handle? Heating the file end and driving it in? Or driving it in cold with a dead blow? Or did you center drill it and drive in, Looks great and right up my alley on cost!

Thanks Bob in Oregon!


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## hman (Aug 9, 2013)

raross61 said:


> Hey great idea! Can I ask one thing? I see here buying the putty knives, heating the blade and pulling it out. What are you guys doing when you put the file into the handle? Heating the file end and driving it in? Or driving it in cold with a dead blow? Or did you center drill it and drive in



I've only had time to add a handle to one file so far - and it was a Lowes "special" with a 5/16" hexagonal tang.  I marked the center of the file handle slot, used a countersink to get a good starting point, then a step drill to 5/16" diameter, then a 5/16" drill bit to depth.  Didn't want to try drilling into a slotted object with a 5/16" bit!  

Held the file handle upright in the vise jaws, with the butt end resting on the bar below, and used a block of wood to seat the file.  Seems to be holding very well.

I'll do some experimenting with "regular" files once I get back to Corvallis (late this month) and let you know the results.  Right now, heating kinda appeals to me, and I'll try that first.


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## raross61 (Aug 9, 2013)

hman said:


> I've only had time to add a handle to one file so far - and it was a Lowes "special" with a 5/16" hexagonal tang. I marked the center of the file handle slot, used a countersink to get a good starting point, then a step drill to 5/16" diameter, then a 5/16" drill bit to depth. Didn't want to try drilling into a slotted object with a 5/16" bit!
> 
> Held the file handle upright in the vise jaws, with the butt end resting on the bar below, and used a block of wood to seat the file. Seems to be holding very well.
> 
> I'll do some experimenting with "regular" files once I get back to Corvallis (late this month) and let you know the results. Right now, heating kinda appeals to me, and I'll try that first.



John,

Thanks I will try the drilling, but I was also wondering about the heating! I just moved my Mom and Dad back to Oregon, from Surprise, AZ, so I hope you are not saying you are still in AZ?, and you are hoping to get back to Oregon in 30 days? You must have the town all to yourself, down there this time of year! Thanks and get back her while you are still Medium Rare, and not Well Done!

LOL Bob in Oregon


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## fast67ford (Aug 13, 2013)

raross61 said:


> Hey great idea! Can I ask one thing? I see here buying the putty knives, heating the blade and pulling it out. What are you guys doing when you put the file into the handle? Heating the file end and driving it in? Or driving it in cold with a dead blow? Or did you center drill it and drive in, Looks great and right up my alley on cost!
> 
> Thanks Bob in Oregon!



As long as the tang isn't super big like on some 12" files they just tap right on like a champ


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## llarson (Aug 19, 2013)

Went  to town yesterday, got some of the scrapers, wiggled the handles off the blades [cold]; now I have some really nice affordable file handles, and I can hang them up instead of laying on a tray. Thank you a bunch of times. Larry


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## hman (Aug 25, 2013)

As promised (and especially for Bob in Oregon) here are my results with several more files.

1.  The slot in the putty knife/scraper handles is kinda narrow, and I had trouble getting the file tangs to start.  Tried grinding small bevels on the ends of the tangs, and had no problem inserting the files into the handles.  Holding the files horizontally in the vise and using a soft hammer on the handle seemed to give the best control/straightness.

2.  Tried a largish rasp, about 1/4" thick, and (more or less as expected) it split the handle at the end of the slot.  Heated the file tang with a propane torch and hand-pressed on the handle.  Easy!  The yellow plastic of these handles is pretty low melting, so you don't need a huge amount of heat.  Would probably work just as well with thinner files.

- John Herrmann


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## donthack (Oct 1, 2013)

Have a bucket of old files from my grandfather, most have come back since I started file carding them.  This my free my favorities and make nice wall decorations!  Hello dollar store.


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## gcd48 (Oct 7, 2013)

Great Idea


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