Files and Filing

A file is a tool used to remove fine amounts of material from a workpiece. It is common in woodworking,
metalworking, and other similar trade and hobby tasks. Most are hand tools, made of a case hardened steel
bar of rectangular, square, triangular, or round cross-section, with one or more surfaces cut with sharp,
generally parallel teeth. A narrow, pointed tang is common at one end, to which a handle may be fitted.

File ( The handle and its ferrule excluded for full illustartion)

Types of files
Files come in a wide variety of materials, sizes, shapes, cuts, and tooth configurations. The cross-section of
a file can be flat, round, half-round, triangular, square, knife edge or of a more specialized shape. Steel files
are made from high carbon steel (1.0 to 1.25% carbon) and may be through hardened or case hardened.

Types of files

Note: The Hand File is parallel in width for its entire length and have one safe edge, which suits
them to filing in corners. Flat files taper in both width and thickness and have teeth on edges.
File cut
Cut - The character of the file teeth. The four standard file cuts are: Single-Cut, Double-Cut, Rasp-Cut and
Curved-Cut. Curved-Cut.

Ways of filing
Cross filling Done immediately after cutting, and when there is too much material to be removed
 Draw filling Carried out after cross filling to achieve a smooth finish

Grades of files

Smooth, 2nd cut and bastard files

Grades of files Grades of abrasives

Rough file Coarse
Bastard file Medium
2nd cut Fine
Smooth Extra fine
Dead smooth

Needle files
Needle files are small files that are used in applications where the surface finish takes priority over
metal removal rates but they are most suited for smaller work pieces. They are often sold in sets,
including different shapes.

Needle files
Machine files

Files are produced specifically for use in a filing machine, which is similar in appearance to
a scroll saw with a vertically reciprocating file mounted in the middle of a table. A workpiece is
manipulated around the file's face as the shape requires. A cone point o machine files allows a
file to center itself in its mount. Files with flat mounting surfaces must be secured with set screws.

Filing machines are rarely seen in modern production environments, but may be found in older
toolrooms or diemaking shops as an aid in the manufacture of specialist tooling.

Machine files

Care for files

As you file, the teeth may become clogged with some of the metal filings which can, in turn, scratch he
work you are trying to make smooth. This condition is known as pinning and can be prevented by keeping
the file teeth clean. Rubbing chalk between the teeth will also prevent pinning but the best method is to
clean the file regularly with a file card or brush and brush with a pulling motion holding the card parallel to
the rows of the teeth.

You can also protect file teeth by hanging the files in a rack when they are not in use, or by storing them in
drawers with wooden partitions. Be sure to keep files away from water or moisture and avoid getting them
oily. Oil makes the file slide across the work without much cutting. If you keep files in a tool box, be sure
they’re wrapped in paper or cloth for extra protection.

Safety precautions
 Never use a file without a properly installed handle. If you use a file that doesn’t have a handle and the
file hits something or gets jammed, the tang could easily be driven into your hand or cause some other
injury
 Always secure the work in a proper clamping device - never file material held in your hand.
 Wear safety glasses - don't take the chance of getting filings in your eyes.
 When lathe filing, respect the machinery - use all safety guards and utilize safe operating procedures.
Make sure the work is rotating towards you.
Abrasives

An abrasive is a material, often a mineral, that is used to shape or finish a workpiece through
rubbing which leads to part of the workpiece being worn away by friction. Some common uses for
abrasives include grinding, polishing, buffing, honing, cutting, drilling, sharpening, lapping, and
sanding. Abrading is carried out to smoothen a surface and prepare it for finishing.

Abrasives

Types of abrasives

Bonded abrasives
A bonded abrasive is composed of an abrasive material contained within a matrix, although very fine
aluminium oxide abrasive may comprise sintered material. This matrix is called a binder and is often a clay,
a resin, a glass or a rubber. This mixture of binder and abrasive is typically shaped into blocks, sticks, or
wheels. The most common abrasive used is aluminium oxide. Also common are silicon carbide, tungsten
carbide and garnet. Artificial sharpening stones are often a bonded abrasive and are readily available as a
two sided block, each side being a different grade of grit.
Bonded grinding wheel Bonded precision grinding stone set

Coated abrasives
A coated abrasive comprises an abrasive fixed to a backing material such as paper, cloth, rubber, resin,
polyester or even metal, many of which are flexible. Sandpaper is a very common coated abrasive. Coated
abrasives are most commonly the same minerals as are used for bonded abrasives. A bonding agent (often
some sort of adhesive or resin) is applied to the backing to provide a flat surface to which the grit is then
subsequently adhered. A woven backing may also use a filler agent (again, often a resin) to provide
additional resilience.

Coated abrasives may be shaped for use in rotary and orbital sanders, for wrapping around sanding blocks,
as handpads, as closed loops for use on belt grinders, as striking surfaces on matchboxes, on diamond plates
and diamond steels. Diamond tools, though for cutting, are often abrasive in nature.

Sand/glass paper (for wood only) Wet and dry paper (for metal and plastic)
Emery cloth (For metal and plastic)

Other abrasives
Other abrasives are steel wool, scrappers, liquid or powder compounds. Sand, glass beads, metal pellets
copper slag and dry ice may all be used for a process called sandblasting (or similar, such as the use of glass
beads which is "bead blasting"). Dry ice will sublimate leaving behind no residual abrasive.

Cutting compound used on automotive paint is an example of an abrasive suspended in a liquid, paste or
wax, as are some polishing liquids for silverware and optical media. The liquid, paste or wax acts as a binding
agent that keeps the abrasive attached to the cloth which is used as a backing to move the abrasive across
the work piece. On cars in particular, wax may serve as both a protective agent by preventing exposure of
the paint of metal to air and also act as an optical filler to make scratches less noticeable. Toothpaste
contains calcium carbonate or silica as a "polishing agent" to remove plaque and other matter from teeth
as the hardness of calcium carbonate is less than that of tooth enamel but more than that of the
contaminating agent.

Abrading
Abrading can be carried out manually or with machines. Bonded grits in motor controlled machines can
abrade, as in grinding wheels. Also, coated abrasives like sand papers can be attached to spinning wheels
and abrade. Manually, the sanding paper is wrapped on a block or is fitted in a sanding block.
Sanding block Sandpaper wrapped around a block

Most projects include sanding challenges that go beyond flat surfaces. Getting into tight corners and
sanding edge profiles are the obvious places where some hand sanding is necessary. And that’s where a
few proven techniques and sanding aids can make the difference between a flawless surface and one that’s
marked by dips, ridges, and swirl marks. (Remember to change the grades of abrasive papers as per the
job at hand, as explained at the grades of files)

Mechanised abrading (Orbital sanding)

The orbital sander has a vibrating bottom plate where a sand paper is attached and is used for sanding large
areas.

Sanding with orbital sander Sanding mouse

Belt and disk sander