Metal working files - some advice please
- Thread starter The Wood Butcher
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I'm considering (actually I lie, I am going to) upgrading my metalworking files. I have settled on getting Bahco branded tools as I am impressed by the quality. To me it's like cutters and pliers and I don't even look at anything other than Knipex for them. I'm just not sure whether to get 14" length files or 12". When I worked in the metal fabricating business all of our files were 14" and they felt right. The ones I have currently are something like JCB brand??? and much shorter than those I remember. The JCB ones are pretty rubbish even though I've looked after them. So, any ideas please?
Cheers.
Kevan
Cheers.
Kevan
AES
Established Member
Sorry, I've never even heard of the JCB brand so I can't help you there.
Re lengths, as a very general rule, I find "the longer the better" works for me, but in reality, as you'll see from the photo of my files storage above, I have a good mix, including the odd one or two at 4 inches, quite a few 6 inches, a few 8 inches, some 10 inches, and quite a few 12 and 14 inches. An awful lot depends on what work you're going to be doing, but basically, I think you can't have too many files if you do a lot of metal fabrication and don't have a milling machine.
And don't forget the "little" Swiss and warding files too.
HTH
AES
Re lengths, as a very general rule, I find "the longer the better" works for me, but in reality, as you'll see from the photo of my files storage above, I have a good mix, including the odd one or two at 4 inches, quite a few 6 inches, a few 8 inches, some 10 inches, and quite a few 12 and 14 inches. An awful lot depends on what work you're going to be doing, but basically, I think you can't have too many files if you do a lot of metal fabrication and don't have a milling machine.
And don't forget the "little" Swiss and warding files too.
HTH
AES
AES
Established Member
@ woodpig:
Yeah, I got some small rasps a while ago, they were pretty cheap and seem pretty good. But I've no idea where they came from (no name on them).
The only rasps I own actually, though I do have (and sometimes use) two of those 1980's DIY Surform "files", one more or less file shaped and about 10 or 12 inches long, and a little one with a curved base.
AES
Yeah, I got some small rasps a while ago, they were pretty cheap and seem pretty good. But I've no idea where they came from (no name on them).
The only rasps I own actually, though I do have (and sometimes use) two of those 1980's DIY Surform "files", one more or less file shaped and about 10 or 12 inches long, and a little one with a curved base.
AES
AES":3pwwrgfv said:
Branded as JCB (JC Bamford) the digger excavator company based up the road from me in Leek, Staffordshire. Presumably because JCB are a proven company offering quality machinery somebody in the marketing department thought it would be good to have their name put on a set of files. To be fair they are not 'that' bad. It's just that they are not as good as ones I used in industry or even when I was at school and those were well worn out :shock:
Kevan
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