File and rasp storage.

[brino]

At the risk of hijacking this thread, Brino your photos showing loose handles remind me how crappy all of the handles I've purchased. They all seem imprecise--either too loose or too tight. What's the secret to finding Goldilocks handles that fit just right?

I like the wooden ones with the hardened threaded insert.
They screw on to the file soft shank, stay put during use, but are still removable/swap-able.
Also, they come in numbered sizes, so you need different ones for different size file tangs.

-brino

 

[pontiac428]

At the risk of hijacking this thread, Brino your photos showing loose handles remind me how crappy all of the handles I've purchased. They all seem imprecise--either too loose or too tight. What's the secret to finding Goldilocks handles that fit just right?

I recently bought a bunch of file handles, and the instructions said to heat the tang of the file with a torch and drive it in with a mallet. I'd never done the part with the torch, maybe that's the trick...?

 

[ACHiPo]

I like the wooden ones with the hardened threaded insert.
They screw on to the file soft shank, stay put during use, but are still removable/swap-able.
Also, they come in numbered sizes, so you need different ones for different size file tangs.

-brino

Brino,
Thanks. I've seen those, but balked at the price. Do they go on straight? (Another pet peeve of mine is crooked file handles).

Pontiac,
I have not burned handles on. It should work--it's how a lot of Japanese knives are handled--maybe I'll give it a shot.

Evan

 

[TRX]

File handle prices seem to go from "higher and I expected" to "you gotta be kidding!" Somewhere I saw a picture of some files with golf balls for handles. I bought a box of "recycled" golf balls from eBay. It took a bit to get used to the spherical handles, but after that I like them.

 

[hman]

I go to the dollar store and buy putty knives. Pull out the blades. Then use a center drill to give a start point in the middle of the "smile" on the putty knife handle. Heat the file tang with a torch and push it on.

As for storage ... no brilliant solutions that I've been able to come up with

 

[finsruskw]

Well, Gentlemen, here's what I came up with thanks to the ideas offered here and a suggestion from the DW.
They pretty much fill up the drawer.
Now it's on to the punch, chisel & pry bar drawer!

 

[pontiac428]

You're job's not done. Where do the riffler files go? No file drawer is complete without those.

Edit: No thread files, either. You'll need them eventually on farm equipment.

 

[finsruskw]

I give up, what is a riffler file??

 

[pontiac428]

Ah, not knowing is a valid explanation as to why they're not accompanying your needle file set. They're the diemaker's file for doing slow, precise detail work. They can be a lifesaver, or they can gather dust. Mostly I'm just teasing you about bells and whistles you don't need... or do you?

 

[brino]

here's what I came up with

Nice and clean.
Good solution!
-brino