Files

[roscoedoh]

Gentlemen,

 

I need a clarification - could someone please tell me the differences between , Second Cut, and Smooth files are?

 

Also, I see that there are different patterns available. What's the difference between an American pattern flat file and a non-American pattern?

 

I need to order some files I that I can't get locally and the catalog has more options than I expected. I'm thinking I can get by with two of each of what I need - one to hog things out and one to smooth things up?

 

Which should I purchase?

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

[Horsefly]

Jason,I'll take a poke at it until someone can give you the correct answer.A will cut in one direction,second cut will cut in both directions,on a forward stroke and on the back stroke,and a smooth file,I think won't cut on the outside edges,just on the face,like filing on a barrel and letting the file go up against the reciever,and the thin edge won't cut the reciever but the wide face of the file will cut the barrel.Most everyone that uses files much will have some flat bastards with an edge taken off on a belt sander instead of buying them.Maybe some of these old farts will wake up and give you the real answer.Jerry

[FC]

Nicholson file info page

[MorgansBoss]

FC

 

Looks like you found what you need but a cut is a double cut file (lines crossing in a vee shape) while a smooth cut is (as the name implies) a finer cut file. As you might expect, a second cut is in the middle. I like mill cut files for draw filing. BTW - most files will do some damage both ways but if you get in the habit of lifting your file on the back stroke it wont load up as fast. If you don't already have one invest in a file card - a wooden paddle shaped gizmo with very short angled wires - it will save a lot of frustration when your files do get pinned.

[carzngunz]

On the subject of files:

At one of the schools I went to, we used a flat file with a bump in the center of the file. As we were told,"...you can not get this surface perfectly flat with a flat file because the flat file isn't flat enough...". You didn't want to get caught using any part of that file other than the bump!

[WoodyP]

I thought that a file was the record room at the home for unwed mothers. Anyway, there's also the rat-tail file, so if you combined them, you could have a rat-.

Woody