The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-26
HANDMADE FILES.
AN INTERESTING DESCRIPTION; cr A
DELICATE PROCESS.

DELICATE PROCESS.
Worlsmcn Become So Accurate That They
Could Go on IL They became Blind--AIe-
ohanics Held It to 10 an Art In Which
Machinery Could Not Compete.
Rasps and files in tho hands Of first
class mechanic riso to the dignity OF tools
OF che 1irse order In machine shop. To
lille square" Is test of skill which has
caused many braggart to lower his crest,
and an A yiso hand Ia q treasure in a
shop where finishing is done on tho bonoh.
10 flo square means TO flo true; to finish
tho fnce of tho work without narring IL
with scratches and rounding surfaces, and
to do this rs regular everyday thing, is
nh art to DO won only through practice
and long experience. Filos ruin thousands
OF dollars worth of work, and fllos add
thousands of dollars to the value of manu-
facturod product.
In some of tho machine shops of Chioa-
go are gray haired mechanics who have
worn overalls for 40ycars and moro. They
remember we'll tho tlmo whom machine
mado files wore hold up to ridicule and
Ecorn and when all first class, we'll known
makes of files were cut by hand. Some of
these old follows still insist that machine
mado files aro not and never can be rs
good as tho files which arc cut by hand,
ana thoy carry this prejudice to such an
extent that they declare they cannot do
good work with tho machine cut files.
1t would DO difficult for them TO tell tho
difference between tho two makes of files
for within comparatively few years ma
chimes have boon making files that cannot
bp approached by tho most expert flo cut
tors OF Sheffield. Files, and many Of them,
arc still cut by hand, and flo cutter is
probably tho most expert user of ham
mer and cold chisel in tho industrial world
Files and rnsps arc mado of stcel which
varies from tho "blistorod" steel for tho
poorer quality of files to tho best oruciblc
or ''cast cast" stool, for tho higher grades.
Tho blanks arc prepared for tho file cutter
by forging tho tang or tapercd point
for the handle, and shaping tho steel to
tho proper form under dio or press Tho
blanks aro thoroughly annoalod or soften
cd, and arc perfectly clean ana FREQ from
scale when laid on tho bench Of the work
man who cuts tho teeth
n flo cutter generally works on the
Same kind of "cut' year in and year
out This gives him mechanical perfco-
ton which cannot be secured in any other
way, and 1t is said that workman's
Si''HN 'SNoliiSo oo tiOOuStOlIlCl Id Ul0 SD0C-
ing that were he to become blind he could
cut just rs we'll
Files arc made Of many forms to suit
tho great variety of work which they are
called upon to do, but tho cuts which
give coarscness and fincness to files arc
comparatively fow. They are known rs
rough, bastard, - Smooth" and dead
smooth" Those arc the common ''cuts -,
Floats" arc single cut 1llos and double
cut files nro made by crossing tho first
cut with second cut, thus changing the
parallel, unbrokcn cutting edges OF tho
floats into numerous points,
When face, or ono or moro edges on q
file, Is loft uncut, it Is said to be 'safe."
No matter what tho form Of tho file u.s.
whether fat, square, round half round
mt tail, three square or knife edged, the
cutting is done the Same way a short
light, steel cold chisol, with broad
straight cutting edge, is used. The ham
mer is curious looking affair, for it is
curved somewhat, and tho handle is in
serted we'll toward tho smaller end. The
hammer weighs from ono to six pounds
In striking tho workman gives peculiar
pulling blow which raises tho 'bur'' and
gives tho particular cut characteristic of
files, and it was this cut that for nearly
200 years prevented inventors from design
ing machinery which would cut file
equal to tho hand cut article
Tho workman sits on low bench which
comes out from long wido bonch. Before
him Is his anvil, usually stono block or
slab of iron. Tho blanks arc held in
place by straps which pass over tho tang
and point, and then form u loop or stirrup
under tho anvil Tho workman puts his
foot in tho loop, and thus holds the blank
secure while no is cutting it. He holds the
chisol between the finger and thumb of
the left hand, and after each cut moves the
blank slightly for tho next cut. Ho does
this by lifting tho chisel over tho bur and
then pressing tho point of tho tool against
tho raised cdgo just OUT ut the samo time
loosoning tho strap SO that the blank can
DO moved
In cutting small files or smooth or dead
smooth files tho hammer blows, movement
of the chiscl, loosoning tho straps, moving
the blank, Tightening tho strap and stri1-
ing the next blow arc done so rapidly that
they arc nearly simultaneous. The float
cut is made first, and then tho second cut
Is made. In making tho second cut the
workman strikes tho chisol with less force,
thus making n shallowcr cut. If tho flo is
to BIO cut on the other side, tho cut side is
laid upon plato of lead or pewter to pro-
tcct tho cutting odgos. II tho flo is other
than flat shape, the lead or pewter Is
grooved or followed out to fit tho shape.
Aftor cutting, the flies are hardened, for
The annealing makes tho steel so soft that
the first uso Of tho flo would bend the cut
ting edges. Some flies are curved before
being tempered. This is done by heating
tho cut files to dull red and bonding
Thorn to the required curve over wooden
block with wooden mallot. The files to
BIO hardened are first covered with mix
turc of salt and somo sort of carbonaceous
substance. This covering serves a twofold
purpose-it prevents tho teeth from oxida-