Ideas for storing files

[Arthur P. Bloom]

I would stay away from using magnets around files. They will become magnetized and retain filings in the teeth, even when cleaned with a file card, making them difficult to use.

Here's more info than you probably need to know...

https://www.kmstools.com/blog/hand-file-identification/

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Most of my larger files with or w/o handles - some came with and some came w/o - are in a drawer under the wood lathe.

Smaller files - modeling sizes - are in a small rack on my bench - metal block with holes in it to hold them upright

BTW, wood lathe -- make yo own handles - you buy handles but probably not what you want or really need. Tangs should have barbs on them to anchor them into the wood. When you make your own, make sure to have a bit of brass tubing to slip over the end to prevent splitting

[jlong]

Files are commonly sold w/o handles so you can chuck an assortment of teeth patterns in a single handle much like chucking bits in a drill. I like the magnetic strip idea. It's what I use for my go to flat wrench sets. Weight is an issue however and I can picture some of those files clinging on for life. Humidity is an issue with files so I store mine in a drawer with a non slip weave pattern tool chest liner which you can get at Sears. The liner absorbs moisture and keeps the files from sliding around. Sprayed the back side with WD-40 for extra measure. The Harbor Freight liners are tempting but A: They smell up your shop. B. If you lube your files the cheapo rubber compound they use can leach into your file teeth.

[ScaleCraft]

Mine are BIG. Automotive and woodworking. Not one came with handles new.

Interesting. The larger files I bought fairly recently came from Pep Boys. They all had handles.

And probably PRC sourced so they can make, ship and sell them with cheap handles for less money than US made with no handles. But that's just a guess.
My experience with handles is, when I find old files with handles, the only ones that stay put seem to be the ones with metal spring inserts that spin onto the tang. Push on, suddenly you have a file in one hand, handle in the other, and no connection between the two.
Bang, Bang, works for 2-3 minutes and falls off again.

[webenda]

Ahh! OK. Any hints, tips, or tricks in either making or buying handles?

Thank you.

George

First find a virgin ash tree in an untouched ancient burial ground, cut it down and apologize to mother earth for the act, after which you must don hair shirt and roll around in a gravel pit as an act of contrition, in absence of a suitable hair shirt and said gravel pit, self flagellation with a bicycle chain will do.

Cut a section of trunk of a suitable length and rive the handle blank from it with maul, axe and froe. Rough shape the blank with drawknife and spoke shave on the shave horse. Air dry for one year. Mount the blank on the lathe and turn the handle to the required dimensions. Drill the minor hole for the tang, using chisels and plane floats, carefully carve and with the aid of carbon paper fit by trial and error the tapered tang, this usually requires a minimum of three days. After the handle is complete, gather a quantity of walnut husks and steep in warm water for 24 hours. While the walnut stain is steeping, prepare a wash coat of half Yak sperm and half rain water collected in a hand thrown ceramic pot. After applying the wash coat, stain the handle. Allow the stain to cure for 8 hours and then apply a minimum of 12 coats of boiled linseed oil, allowing at least a day for each to dry. Your handle is now ready for installation.



Or.... you can go to the hardware store, buy a handle for $3 and shove the file into it.....
--*

http://www.vintagesaws.com/catalog/inde ... Path=13_15

http://www2.woodcraft.com/pdf/77A02.pdf

Important:
1) Hole in handle must be deeper than tang is long.
2) Tang should fit about halfway into the handle with just pushing in on by hand.
3) Seat the handle with a mallet.

* Plagerized from robscaffe

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Ahh! OK. Any hints, tips, or tricks in either making or buying handles?

Thank you.

George

First find a virgin ash tree in an untouched ancient burial ground, cut it down and apologize to mother earth for the act, after which you must don hair shirt and roll around in a gravel pit as an act of contrition, in absence of a suitable hair shirt and said gravel pit, self flagellation with a bicycle chain will do.

Doom is upon you!

You forgot the painting of the body blue and dancing widdershins about the sacred grove, the sacrificing of the chicken, and the invoking of Chthulhu's blessing upon the handle (helps with the grip).

[webenda]

Doom is upon you!

You forgot the painting of the body blue and dancing widdershins about the sacred grove, the sacrificing of the chicken, and the invoking of Chthulhu's blessing upon the handle (helps with the grip).

I haven't made a file handle in so long I forgot those important steps, Rufus, thank you for the reminder.

George, add the steps in Rufus' post to making a file handle.

[robert.]

Cut the lid off a 2 litter soda bottle. Then use kerosene soaked rice to fill up your bottle. Not really soaked to the bone. A little kerosene will go a long way. Place files into bottle of rice mixture. This will keep them from rusting and banging together. If you want to store them like a pro buy a canvas roll up file holder. something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canvas-Roll-Up- ... 1443513649

[G3750]

Wow.

With you guys, every night is Saturday night, isn't it?

[rogruth]

Wow.

With you guys, every night is Saturday night, isn't it?

George,
What does this mean?

[CWBurfle]

Regarding handles: I purchased a number of boxes of file (12 to a box) from a retired gunsmith. He had something like a 3 x 4 shelf unit filled with all sorts of files from 4 inch up past 12 inches. All old stock, made in USA brands like Nicholson and Johnson and Foote. All sorts of shapes and tooth patterns.

None of the files came with handles.

I use wooden handles. They have a ferrule on the outside. The inside is just wood. To get the handles to say on I put the tang in the handle as far as it will go and rap the end of the file with a soft mallet while placing the end of the handle on my workbench. (That's what I was taught to do in shop class eons ago). The handles rarely come off on their own. It usually takes a few taps with the mallet to get the handle off.
if the tang goes all the way to the bottom of the hole in the handle, then the hole is too large. Use a handle with a smaller hole or wrap the tang with tape before inserting it.

I was also taught never to use a file without a handle to avoid injury.

As I posted on the other board. I store most of my files without the handle. I just carefully place them in a dedicated drawer. The files touch, and are even stacked on top of each other. So far, none have been damaged after doing this for years.

My needle point files are in a block. I don't bother with handles for these.

[G3750]

Wow.

With you guys, every night is Saturday night, isn't it?

George,
What does this mean?

Basically, it means that this group (I'm not naming names, Rufus, has a penchant for going off the rails (thread) at the first opportunity.).

[G3750]

Regarding handles: I purchased a number of boxes of file (12 to a box) from a retired gunsmith. He had something like a 3 x 4 shelf unit filled with all sorts of files from 4 inch up past 12 inches. All old stock, made in USA brands like Nicholson and Johnson and Foote. All sorts of shapes and tooth patterns.

None of the files came with handles.

I use wooden handles. They have a ferrule on the outside. The inside is just wood. To get the handles to say on I put the tang in the handle as far as it will go and rap the end of the file with a soft mallet while placing the end of the handle on my workbench. (That's what I was taught to do in shop class eons ago). The handles rarely come off on their own. It usually takes a few taps with the mallet to get the handle off.
if the tang goes all the way to the bottom of the hole in the handle, then the hole is too large. Use a handle with a smaller hole or wrap the tang with tape before inserting it.

I was also taught never to use a file without a handle to avoid injury.

As I posted on the other board. I store most of my files without the handle. I just carefully place them in a dedicated drawer. The files touch, and are even stacked on top of each other. So far, none have been damaged after doing this for years.

My needle point files are in a block. I don't bother with handles for these.

Thank you. That was informative and useful. I learned some things.

George

[G3750]

Files are commonly sold w/o handles so you can chuck an assortment of teeth patterns in a single handle much like chucking bits in a drill. I like the magnetic strip idea. It's what I use for my go to flat wrench sets. Weight is an issue however and I can picture some of those files clinging on for life. Humidity is an issue with files so I store mine in a drawer with a non slip weave pattern tool chest liner which you can get at Sears. The liner absorbs moisture and keeps the files from sliding around. Sprayed the back side with WD-40 for extra measure. The Harbor Freight liners are tempting but A: They smell up your shop. B. If you lube your files the cheapo rubber compound they use can leach into your file teeth.

Thank you, John!!

[rogruth]

Are you saying that some posters on this forum sometimes drift off topic?
C'mon now. Everybody needs to know about Caucasian Chalk Circles doncha know?