what kind of files....

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by CaptJeff Saylor on January 5, 2010 at 17:07

here are some links that i found for files.

http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product.asp?pf_id=01.087.75&dept...

Permalink Reply by CaptJeff Saylor on January 5, 2010 at 17:47

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/japanese5featherfile.aspx

Permalink Reply by thomas c stratton on January 5, 2010 at 19:12

Capt,
If you do much filework you will have lots of files.I use diamond burrs,carbide burrs and lots of different needle files 3 corners gives you three files, and there is a file called the Japanese Feather file that is useful at times. I have some basic patterns that I am always changing ever so slightly but lots of people like the vine pattern and it is a good one to start with and get good with it, then go one to something else.Hardened steel is tough to work with and I use a dremel and that's another world as it is hard to control.Brownell's sells some nice files,good quality.

Permalink Reply by CaptJeff Saylor on January 5, 2010 at 21:16

thanks for the info Tom! i looked at the Brownells website. it looks like they have files with different cuts. they call these cut #1 and cut #3. can you give me more informaion on these, and what kind you use?

Permalink Reply by CaptJeff Saylor on January 6, 2010 at 7:15

http://lawn-and-garden.hardwarestore.com/78-487-chainsaw-files-and-tools.aspx

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/icat/file-sets/

http://www.jackssmallengines.com/chaintoolfile.cfm

Permalink Reply by Paul J Granger on January 6, 2010 at 10:23

Here's a link to a useful file for file work. It is called a knife file.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=20539565&PMT4NO=772...

If you look at the end, it is a long slender triangle. It is sorta like one half of a feather file. The knife file can be found in lengths of 4" to 8". A good place to find them is MSC Industrial supply. Google them to find them, if you are not familiar with them. They have many useful things for knifemakers, from torx screws to glass beads and metal lathes to bridgeport mills.

The feather file and the knife file are useful in fileworking because they bite into the steel very easily being such a sharp angle (perhaps 15 degrees or so). And when you wear out your knife file, it is very easy to make it into a knife! I've took a 4" one once and drew it in the oven in the kitchen until it got to 58 rc and sharpened it and handled it. I used it around the shop for 3 or 4 years. It made a nice knife.

Permalink Reply by Paul J Granger on January 6, 2010 at 10:33

Knife files in more sizes. And a filing tip.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/N2DRVSH?PACACHE=000000121839139

P.S. If you don't use files much or at all, and you're thinking of trying them more...
I would strongly encourage you to buy some files with the coarseness grade of DEAD SMOOTH .
Even with single cut mill files it can be easy to put deep scratches in steel if you are drawfiling unless you have a good bit of experience. If you drawfile, keep your file clean with chalk and/or a file card. To find dead smooth files, you may need to look for german or swiss files instead of american.

Permalink Reply by Paul J Granger on January 6, 2010 at 10:55

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/icat/file-sets/

on this site they had a brand name I never heard of.
I would stick with name brand files. They really don't cost much more. And life's too short to frustrate yourself trying to work with files that may not be properly hardened. And like I mentioned, If you buy a good quality file, there is a good knife waiting inside to be brought out after the file is used to the point that it is dull. Some cheaper files are only case-hardened. So 2 or 3 thousandths below the surface, there's junk metal.

Permalink Reply by Daniel Howland on February 20, 2010 at 17:47

If your interested in filework I would highly recoment renting this video by Dwayne Dushane.
It tought me a lot he even tell you what files to use and where to get them.

http://smartflix.com/store/video/347/Fileworking