Files

Flat File

Hand File

Half Round File

Round File

Square File

Three Square File

Warding File

File Shapes Files are available in a wide range of shapes, section and cut.

The term cut refers to the size and shape of the files teeth.

Rough cut Bastard cut

Second cut

Smooth cut

Section

In AHS each work station is equipped 4 files

1 Rough cut Rectangular File

1 Smooth cut Rectangular file

1 Half Round File

1 Round File

One edge of the file has no teeth. This is called the Safe Edge

Remember never use a file with a broken or missing handle.

Files

The part of the file inside the handle is called the Tang

Files are made from High Carbon Steel

Hand Files

Section

Safe Edge

Hand files are rectangular in section and have one edge with no teeth. This is called the safe edge.

Flat Files

Section

Flat files have a slightly tapered blade and no safe edge.

Half Round Files

Section

Half Round files are curved on one side and flat on the other

Round Files

Section

Smaller round files are sometimes called Rat Tail Files

Square Files

Section

Triangular Files

Triangular files are sometimes called Three Square Files

Section

Needle Files

Sections

Needle files are very small, they are available in a wide variety of sections and are normally used for piercing work and other fine metalwork

Dreadnought Files

Dreadnought files have coarse single cut teeth and are used to cut soft metals like aluminium

Section

Cross filing involves holding the file at almost 90˚ to the work piece and filing across. This is the most basic filing technique and great care must be taken to keep the file as level as possible.

Cross Filing

Draw Filing produces a finer finish. Hold the file at right angles to the work and carefully move the file back and forth along the edge of the material

Draw Filing

File CardWhen filing any metal

a file has a tendency to clog up. This is called Pinning. To avoid this you can rub chalk on the file before you use it. This fills up the pores and reduces pinning

Occasionally you have to use a file card to clean the file. This is accomplished by rubbing the brush along the line of the teeth as shown above.

Never store files in a tray. Rubbing the blades together like this will only cause the teeth to break.

File Storage

The End