Choosing a good brand of file for metal

[woodfast]

:? I have been looking to replace some of my worn out files most are a german brand and wiltshire I have had for a long time some belong to my father what is resonable brand these days most are made in the land of rice bowl even so are any of them any good or just rubbish can any one suggest brands to look for. David

[Big Shed]

I have some Bahco files and a set of 5 Toolmaster second cut files.

All are quite good files, but I can't vouch for where they were made.

[Ueee]

Hi David,
If you pm a member called fencefurniture, he is arranging a group buy of liogier files and rasps. Google liogier and you should find their website.

Ewan

[morrisman]

A friend gave a set of new Bahco's in a roll up orange plastic wallet . They have been excellent . Instead of struggling with old worn out files, these new things remove metal with ease MIKE

[Ueee]

I'm not sure if you know, I only found this out about a month ago, but you can also give the old files a bath in acid to bring back some of their life. There is a thread called file 101 or something like that with lots of info and tests. I would find it and give you a link but I'm on my phone.

Ewan

[FenceFurniture]

Metal Files 101 (http://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/metal-files-101-a-141639/) is the thread. There is also some preliminary info on the Liogier Files (French), in post #185.

The acid bath info is a little scattered, but gets more to the point at PeteF's findings, from about post #168. I should point out that Pete (like me) was a sceptic until he tried it himself. As I recall, there is still no empirical proof that there files were actually sharpened, rather than just thoroughly cleaned, but Pete certainly found a performance improvement.

As far as the Liogier Files GB is concerned, the sample files are towards the end of the testing circuit, and all indications are that they represent very good value for money, consistently scoring either 4 or 5 out of 5 in all categories (sharpness, material removal, finish left, ease of cleaning etc). I will be publishing the summarised results after the next two testers have finished.

[Machtool]

As well as the Bahco’s, Take a look at Pferd. Pferd have a branch in Perth. If you were to give them a call, (08) 9455 6055, they should be able to put you onto a stockist in Perth near you.

http://www.pferd.com/au-en/236_ENA_HTML.htm (http://www.pferd.com/au-en/236_ENA_HTML.htm)

Phil.

[Anorak Bob]

I use English Stubbs, Australian Wiltshire, American Nicholson and Swiss Vallorbe, Grobet and Favorite files. The Favorite needle files I've had for thirty years and are still wonderful to use. You can find Swiss files on Ebay for not a lot of money. Just make sure they are Swiss. Some Grobet files are sub continental.:no:

I would not buy an Indian or Chinese file. A good quality file will last for years if looked after.

BT

[Gringo]

Nicholson files from Bunnings are good

Ken

[snowyskiesau]

I had read on a metalworking forum (http://www.woodworkforums.com/bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=52784), that the quality of Nicholson files depends on where they were made. Apparently some of the Mexican made ones were poorly heat treated and quite soft.
I have a couple made in Brazil and both are fine.

[woodfast]

The pferd brand are a very good, I 've some for years still sharp as the day I bought them I will ring them tomorrow PFERD here in perth thankyou all for your help David PS Pferd are they Germam made

[Kidbee]

I bought Pferd wire brush that attaches to an angle grinder recently and it was made in the USA.

[jack620]

Unfortunately Pferd are not necessarily (if at all) German made. They are a German company that has factories all around the world, including India. I am almost 100% certain their files aren't made in Germany. The ones I have aren't.

I have a heap of Aussie made Wiltshires which are nice.

[Sam]

Apparently some of the Mexican made ones were poorly heat treated and quite soft.


:doh: Just ordered hand saw files from Lee Valley that say made in USA or Mexico...fingers crossed I get the USA ones !

[China]

Why not have the old ones sharpened

[Machtool]

Unfortunately Pferd are not necessarily (if at all) German made. They are a German company that has factories all around the world, including India. I am almost 100% certain their files aren't made in Germany. The ones I have aren't.
I’m not buying that India thing. The most obscure manufacturing plant they have is in Johannesburg South Africa.

http://www.pferd.com/images/Company_Profile_150dpi_en_2012.pdf (http://www.pferd.com/images/Company_Profile_150dpi_en_2012.pdf)

They have Germany, Vitoria Spain, Milwaukee US and South Africa.



I have a heap of Aussie made Wiltshires which are nice.
What decade were they made in? It must be several / triple that you could buy an Australian made file.

Phil.

[jack620]

You might be right about India. My point was that I don't believe their files are made in Germany. I have a selection that have no country of origin marked on them.

I have a few boxes of new (still in wax paper) Wiltshire files stamped "Melbourne", so I assume they were made at the Wiltshire File Co in Tottenham before it shut down (in the 70s or 80s I think). I found them in a dark corner of a little tool shop overseas.

[Garry 3]

All of my Pferd are German, even the ones I bought in the US. Grobet definately have a plant in India.

The Indian Grobets are good files, it's only when you tackle the hard steel that they fall down(or should that be the teeth fall off) when compared to the Swiss Grobet.

Used to be you could get US made Nicholsons on ebay well priced but that seems to drying up lately.

Garry

[woodfast]

Rang Pferd here in Perth problem is nobody stocks their files they assure me that their files are made in Germany as my Pferd are marked made in germany too they did try having made in other countries but went back German made as the others were not much good David

[Anorak Bob]

Rang Pferd here in Perth problem is nobody stocks their files they assure me that their files are made in Germany as my Pferd are marked made in germany too they did try having made in other countries but went back German made as the others were not much good David

Good chance these are of German origin David. Cheap too ( at the moment).

6 PFERD German Key File Set 265 K with Wooden Handles | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-PFERD-German-Key-File-Set-265-K-with-Wooden-Handles-/170835845578?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27c69c21ca)

BT

[cba_melbourne]

My very best files are Swiss made Vallorbe and Grobet and Honauer brands. Can be found on eBay occasionally at reasonable price. But larger files are heavy and become expensive to post. These files are extremely "sharp" when new, and If well looked after will in my experience outlast most other brands several times over. Chris

[jack620]

I see Pferd have a special lathe file. The teeth are angled to push the file away from the chuck for safety. Has anyone used this type of file before?

[Machtool]

I see Pferd have a special lathe file. The teeth are angled to push the file away from the chuck for safety.
I have a Nicholson like that I keep on the lathe, its good for knocking a burr off. The joy of them are they are single cut, so it wants to drift one way, away from the chuck. The Nicholson also has a safety handle. No tang, just a big rounded end.

I had the Pferd rep here in the factory, a few weeks before the scraping class. I asked him about that file, because I was chasing single cut, so you can draw file to clean up the scraping burrs.

I was told they didn’t carry them here, and minimum order would be a box of 10.

Phil.

[Log]

I see Pferd have a special lathe file. The teeth are angled to push the file away from the chuck for safety. Has anyone used this type of file before?

Yes, though not Pferd, but Wiltshire. I have been using them for many years. The grade on the Wiltshire ones reads "Mill Long Angle Lathe" Luckily I still have a couple of brand new ones in stock, they'll last me out. Mine are 12 inch(300mm) but I think they were available in 10 inch and 14 inch or so, maybe other lengths also. You'll see whats available in the Pferd catalogue.

Nicholson also make em, Blackwoods have Nicholson files, the lathe files in 300 and 350mm, just checked their catlogue.

For a small lathe the short one's the way to go else you hit the back splash guard with a long one. If short ones aren't available I suppose one could shorten a longer one.

They are good for taking a thou or two off OD of job when you can't get a good finish with a tool etc, also good for rounding the edge of the job.

Cheers.

[wbleeker]

If you want good files and don't want to pay a fortune for them try Victor Machinery Exchange in the States Files for Metalworking - American Pattern, Needle Files, Handles (http://www.victornet.com/departments/Files/310.html)
I have dealt with them and am a happy customer.
Will

[Michael G]

I've got a 10" Nicholson Lathe file. Cost around $15 from memory and works nicely - they also have a safely edge on them which I appreciate.
It would depend a bit on price, but if the minimum order for Pferd lathe files is 10, is it worth a group buy? I'd probably get one for a spare, sounds like Phil might like to try one out - that's 2 of 10.
Phil - are you willing / able to get a price from your rep on a box of files?

Michael

[FenceFurniture]

FWIW the price of a Liogier 10" Single cut (call it a Dead Smooth, but actually classified as a saw sharpening file) will be about $26.50 including freight, but not postage, and subject to Euro exchange rate. Same price for quantities, i.e. you can buy a single file at the bulk rate.

Edit: that includes a Euro Beech handle

[jack620]

Thanks fellas, I'll try and track down one or two lathe files in my travels.

[simonl]

Perhaps a delayed response to this thread but I just had a look through my files and I have some Wiltshire and Nicholson and both are made in Australia. They would be over 40 years old though. I know this doesn't help but what the hell!

Cheers,

Simon