Some File Questions

[Mark J]

OK, I've heard talk here about people spending real money on files.  What I have is a 3 piece set I got new for 20 bucks, so at the outset let me confess ignorance.  

So first question:  What I wish i had is a file that cuts on the pull stroke rather than the push stroke, as in a Japanese saw.  Is there such a thing?  If so what's it called?  Google got me nowhere.

Second question:  Is it my imagination or do cheap files dull quickly--as in during the first project?  Would a better uality file stay sharp?

Third:  Is there some way to sharpen a file?

If i were going to buy some quality files what brands would I be looking at?

[Dave H]

If you want it to cut on the pull stroke flip it around. You can't sharpen a file that I know of but you can clean the file with a file card it's like a brush for cleaning the smutz that builds up. I just use Nicholson files you can find them anywhere HD, Ace or, Lowes I've never used another brand that I can remember if you keep them clean and keep them from clanging up against other files they should last a long time. 

[drzaius]

First: can't help you

Second: No, and yes

Third: I've heard of using acid to sharpen rasps, but I've never tried it & I don't know if it works on files. Something to google anyway.

[Tom King]

For regular flat files, Simonds red tails are pretty good.

There are a couple of places that sharpen files, but you need a bunch to be worth the shipping cost, back and forth.

Acid will sharpen one, but it leaves the teeth irregular heights, so it never works as good as a new one.  I sharpened one unintentionally once, using a rusty one to stir iron parts in an acid bath for derusting.  It took all the rust off the file, and it would even cut again, but not very smoothly.

[gee-dub]

I agree that a pull stroke file would just be a decent length file flipped around.

Like quite a few other (but not all) things, your first experience with a quality file or rasp is a bit of an eye opener.  If you have ever run a $20 Skill or black and Decker "jig saw" and then operated something like a Bosch 1590 you know of what I speak.  Quality files and rasps cut better and last longer than their low end cousins.  The good news is that you don't have to go all the way to the big dollar players to get a good file or rasp but, they will be a bit more than $20 for a set.

I have had good service out of a Mercer half round cabinet rasp that was under $30.  I also have more expensive files but, also have some hand-me-down Simonds that just won't quit; they seem to laugh at wood.  There is a short learning curve but, the Milled Tooth (Iwasaki) Files from Lee Valley are a joy to use.

As mentioned, store you files carefully.  don't just toss 'em in a tool box ;-)

When it comes to sharpening, there are places that do it.  For woodworking files and rasps I would not go through the effort unless I had something really special to start with that I just couldn't replace.  That's just me.  For other fields that just eat files for lunch, a sharpening service probably makes more sense.

[Tom King]

I looked for a chart with the different types of files, and found this.   My most used flat files are all single cut smooth files-8" used the most, occasionally 6", and rarely 4".   I used a 4" today to sharpen a long 5/8" drill bit.   The smaller the file, the finer the teeth.

A lot of people use an 8" for jointing a hand saw.  I almost never use an 8" for that, but mostly a 6", and for small saws, like dovetail saws a 4".

https://www.mscdirect.com/basicsof/hand-files

[davewyo]

You might try rubbing some chalk on the file before use. It supposedly stops them from loading up thus making them cut more consistently.

A rasp may be the ticket if your file seems to be too fine of a cut.

If you're looking to get a really nice file/rasp, Grobet makes some excellent files and rasps that are a little cheaper than the Auriou (which is generally considered top-of-the-line).

[Tom King]

For wood files, the Iwasaki ones are amazing.  The extreme fines can take off a third of a hair, and leave the surface shiny smooth.

https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/iwasaki-carving-files.aspx

[wdwerker]

Nicholson is ok. I use "Plasticut " files for laminate work.  Just spin the file end for end,voila Japanese pull cut !  The angle you hold the file at, the speed of your stroke and the amount of pressure you apply greatly affect the quality of the cut. Cheap files aren't worth the effort. Acid to sharpen works but not well. I tried it 20+ years ago and it wasn't worth the cost, time and effort. 

I use Bostick " Bladecote" teflon type spray on my laminate files to reduce loading of the contact cement & dust in the teeth.  The spray cans aren't cheap but when you file about 1/2 mile of edges inside a 2 week period every little bit helps. 

[Mark J]

So here's what I've come up with.  Diamond rifflers and tungsten carbide rasp, both work omnidirectionally.

Unfortunately Klingspor sent the wrong rasp (coarse instead of fine), so that's got to be exchanged and I'm still waiting for some additional rifflers on back order.  But these should be easier to maneuver in tight spaces.

[Minnesota Steve]

Interesting.   I have a couple of Tungsten-Carbide rasps that my father had.   They were made by General.  They don't look quite as nice, and I haven't tried them... I believe they're from the 1980s and I was curious why I'd never seen anything else like it since.

[SawDustB]

I've also got a couple of these Japanese files, fine I think. I think they're fantastic for certain tasks, like fine tuning joinery or rounding tenons. They cut quickly, but if you work with the grain it's actually a very smooth cut.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=63451&cat=1,42524