Files, the worker's CNC machine

[JCKelly]

Files were a serious manufacturing tool during my Grandfather’s day (your Great-Great-Grampa’s). Now even though we make 18th century weapons for pleasure, some hobbyists use advanced machine tools for what formerly was a manual skill. I shudder to see videos of people using files like Wife shapes her nails.

You may find it useful to read what Nicholson File had to say, “back in the day” (1928).

https://ia801302.us.archive.org/30/items/NicholsonFilePhilosophy1928/Nicholson%20File%20Philosophy%201928.pdf


One point -

In point of economy, the pressure on the file should be relieved during the back stroke; this will be apparent to anyone who will examine the formation of the points of the teeth, when it will be seen that the file can only cut during the ordinary or advancing stroke and that equal pressure during the back stroke must be very damaging to the points of the teeth.

Ya cuts on the forward stroke; keeping pressure on during the back stroke only dulls the teeth!

[deepcreekdale]

Great information. My grandfather always told me, a file is a cutting tool, not an abrasive. He said to compare it more to a plane and not sandpaper. I have seen folks over the years that go at a piece of metal like the file is a sanding block and wonder why it goes dull in a short time and end up with a rough, uneven surface.

[WadePatton]

Don't judge too harshly on videos.  I've made one of me filing (and I know me) and seen a few true professionals (pals) use a file on video and in all three cases it sounds like we're bearing down on the back stroke. Trust me, none of us are, maybe it's an auditory illusion.

Anyone who cannot feel the file cut into the metal on the cutting stroke, and skidding on the back stroke needs lessons or a sharp file no doubt.

Also note that some of us will flip the file end to end and cut on the pull in order to avoid re-positioning the work or our body, just an efficiency thing. Much of the time I'm doing it to reduce/eliminate chatter. If you don't note the file orientation one would think I was running it wrong way 'round.

The resource listed is a good one, I've been through that a time or two, fun to learn from every source available, but you'll never learn proper filing if you cannot feel the file working the material. 

Love my hand tools because of the feedback and their general lack of deafening noise and choking dust.  Of course files are a little bit noisy but they're not 3-phase noisy.

[Curtis]

Happiness is a good, sharp file!   

Curtis

[Jeff Durnell]

I used to put on bow making seminars and initially left my best tools available for folks to use. It didn't take me long to realize folks needed told, some repeatedly, that files and rasps are cutting tools like drawknives and scrapers, and that none of their cutting edges should carelessly contact one another. If someone simply refused to do as I asked, the good tools were hidden away and they struggled with old dull ones.

I like quality, sharp cutting tools, and some tools like files and rasps aren't readily sharpened. They also aren't cheap, but some folks don't seem to care when they didn't pay for them. Heck some don't care when they DO pay for them. Lol. Actually, I think the vast majority of folks out there nowadays don't use hand tools like we do, so they just don't know how to properly care for them. I bet for many, the only files they ever saw were like my dad's, sorry rusty things thrown in a metal tool box, underneath wrenches, sockets, and screwdrivers.

[Tim Crosby]

Happiness is a good, sharp file!   

Curtis

 If anybody can say it, it's you

  Tim

[Elnathan]

I spent most of 2018 doing temp work around town, some of which I spent in places like a machine shop and a couple car manufacturing facilities. One thing I noticed was that at the machine shop, while there were files around the place, virtually none of them had a handle. At one of the car places, casting aluminum parts, they had us trying to deburr the inside of square holes with round files, and I (arming myself with a triangular file) was the only person who wasn't just scrubbing around in the holes.

I think that even basic knowledge of how to use a file is really, really rare these days.