Recommendation? - Hand Files

I've got a role of brown packing paper I could wrap them in. Would that be acidic and damage them somehow? The files might wear out before I saw any affects from the wrapping, right?
 
Late to the party, picked up a 12" Nicholson single cut mill bastard file at Home Depot, cuts very poorly compared to my rusted out old 8" Heller.
 
got a sweet pfred, course 12" its huge and really moves the material

pfred next to the nicholson. nicholson isnt bad, but man the pferd is just way better.

 
I found a great local source for small files. My wife works at a local business that sells Stihl chainsaws. The Stihl flat (6") and round sharpening files are excellent, and I get them at cost, about $2.25 each. They are Swiss made, and work as well as my better files I paid a fortune for. Just make sure you get th Stihl brand, not the Oregon brand hanging on the wall.
 
What is everybody's favorite hand tool for working the plunges? I can get a square plunge with the tools I have, but I'd like to try putting a radius on the plunges to reduces the stress riser there. I am thinking a of buying a good set of diamond files, maybe 120 or 150 grit. Any suggestions?
 
For radius plunges, I like chainsaw sharpening files. They're not tapered like a round file. Do you mind if I ask which Pferd that is? A model number would be even more helpful. I don't think that "1-B" mark is the model....something else.
 
samuraistuart said:
For radius plunges, I like chainsaw sharpening files. They're not tapered like a round file. Do you mind if I ask which Pferd that is? A model number would be even more helpful. I don't think that "1-B" mark is the model....something else.
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I've heard on BF that Stihl chainsaw files are very high quality. I am looking for something with a smaller radius, though. Thanks for the recommendation.
 
Stewart,
I am not actually the one who posted the Pfred file. That was mjderstine, so I can't really comment on Pferd files.
I do, however, use a similar file from Simonds, that I really love. It's a 12" multikut model. It hasn't lost any teeth and is still going strong. With this file I can profile a 1/4" thick 7" overall length blade and cut the bevels in one evening (after work) after I hacksaw the rough outline. And that's not really going full tilt, either. That's filing, taking a break, eating dinner, filing, taking a break, and so on. I could probably go nuts and do three blades in one evening if I had to.

I bought mine through Amazon (super saver shipping is awesome - free on orders over $25).

Here is the exact file I bought: $15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050ECLYY/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And here is Simmonds website:
http://www.simondsinternational.com/files/amp-multikut.php?menu=mnuPFiles

I'll probably be getting the 14" model some day.

Cheers!

Philipp Richter


That was in response to Samurai Stewart's Pm, but I posted it here in case he didn't get my reply.
I may retract my earlier statement about buying another Simonds and look for a 14" Pferd just for the sake of comparison.
 
My appologies, Phillip. I indeed meant to direct my inquiry to mjderstine. Is that a Pferd chip breaker? Or is that a Pferd double cut bastard? Thanks!!!
 
samuraistuart said:
My appologies, Phillip. I indeed meant to direct my inquiry to mjderstine. Is that a Pferd chip breaker? Or is that a Pferd double cut bastard? Thanks!!!
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It's neither the Chip Breaker nor double cut bastard. The Pferd Chip Breaker (I have one) would look virtually identical to the Simonds Multi-Kut. The double cut bastard would have teeth finer than the Chip Breaker. The Pferd pictured in mjderstine's post looks like their version of a vixen file, but with chip breaking grooves cut in to prevent the teeth getting clogged.

Mjderstine, where did you buy that Pferd, if I may ask.
 
When I went of Pferd's website, they have a file called a "babbit" file. The teeth in that black and white rendering look exactly like the teeth on mjderstines picture. Very aggressive looking teeth. You're right, grapevine, the Pferd chipbreakers look very similar to the Simmonds multicut....with that diamond pattern thing. And Pferd's double cut bastard doesn't look as aggressive as this pic shows. Hence my question.....which Pferd file is pictured next to that Nicholson.....and a model number would be most helpful. Me want one!
 
What they call the Babbit file is a milled tooth file, of which the vixen files are a subcategory of. The vixen files tend to have curved teeth and are sometimes called curve milled tooth file. Nicholson and some other manufacturers also have a version of the vixen but with offset curve that they call Super Shear. The milled tooth files tend to be used in the auto industry on softer metals for body work, or in woodworking for really rapid but smooth removal. I've wondered how well they would do on annealed steel, so it's good to hear that mjderstine had good results doing that.
 
Here is a picture of the side of the file that I'm wondering about. The aggressive teeth caught my attention, but after closer examination, it looks like a few of those teeth have been knocked off completely. Hmmmmmmm...... I'm REALLY curious now as to what that file is.
pferd_zpscd7c2abe.jpg
I would definitely think that this file is indeed a babbit file, or a vixen type as mentioned by Grapevine. I'm not familiar with either, hence the curiosity. Looking at the side profile, I could see how this would be a "curve milled tooth file".

OK, after sleeping on this, I think I'm wrong in that last statement. The photo above is not a curved mill tooth file. A curved mill tooth file's rows of teeth are actually arranged in an arc shape, instead of straight lines. I was thinking "curved mill tooth", and looking at the side profile of the picture, and thinking, "those look like the teeth of a shark.....curved". Like Grapevine said, a curved tooth mill file is like a vixen, which the above file is not.

However, back to the "babbit file"....this is what Pferd's website shows as being a babbit file, and it's teeth are most certainly not curved. This black and white looks exactly like what mjderstine has.
babbit_zpsd0bd1644.jpg


After MORE research, I think I've found the culprit. Model number 13003. Amazon.com $29.87. It is Pferd's babbitt file part number, listed in Amazon as a chip breaker. Can be used for softer metals, and annealed tool steels. By the looks of those broken teeth, I would say annealed tool steel is pushing it a bit, I don't know. I ordered one from Amazon as well, should be here middle of next week. I'm anxious to try it out.
 
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Are all of the Warrensville and Mercer files made in India? I am specifically interested in their Double Cut Bastard files. Can you recommend a vendor for the Indian made JK file and tool as well as Jain bastard files? Anyone?? Thanks.
 
As an update to the Pferd chipbreaker.......I HIGHLY recommend this beast to anyone wishing to use a file to remove steel fast. There is nothing else like it!!!! The teeth are indeed huge, but they are sharp...and these germans must know their heat treat!!! That file has been through many bevels already....still shaving steel off like no body's business. Highly highly recommended for knife makers!!!! Makes magi cut and multi kut look like smooth cut files!!!
 
samuraistuart said:
As an update to the Pferd chipbreaker.......I HIGHLY recommend this beast to anyone wishing to use a file to remove steel fast. There is nothing else like it!!!! The teeth are indeed huge, but they are sharp...and these germans must know their heat treat!!! That file has been through many bevels already....still shaving steel off like no body's business. Highly highly recommended for knife makers!!!! Makes magi cut and multi kut look like smooth cut files!!!
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Where do you buy yours?
 
Thanks for all the info, guys. You've given me some new things to explore, and I might be picking up a few things that have been mentioned.

I have an antique set of Grobet needle files (Swiss made) that are amazing. I save them for soft metals only since I don't want to dull them.

A while back, dad brought me a set of files from an auction. They're foreign made, so I wasn't expecting much, but they've become some of my favorites for fast steel removal. They're big (12", I think) Cummins branded files sold by Harbor Freight, but I think their Pittsburgh branded files look the same. They're actually pretty sharp, and their cut seems like just the right amount of aggressiveness. They take off steel faster than my old 6" bench grinder, and are only a couple bucks.

For big chunks of softer non ferrous metals, the most aggressive tool I've used is an old farrier's rasp. Wow does it chew through brass and aluminum- twice as fast as my big angle grinder with a coarse disc. I have to wrap a rag around the end to keep it from chewing up my left hand. It's a very coarse one, kinda like the one pictured on the left here:
rasps_Dscn0257_400-300x231.jpg

It's too rough for wood, unless you have like an inch of material to remove, since it tears out the fibers so aggressively.
 
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