The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-05-28
HANDMADE FILES.
AN INTERESTING DESCRIPTION or A
DELICATE PROCESS.

Could Go % II They Became Blind-Me-
chanies Hsid It 70 Be IN Art In Which
Machinery Could Not Compete.
Rasps and files in tho hands OF q first
class mechanic rise to the dignity OF tools
of the first order in q machine shop. 10
fills square, Is o test OF skill which has
caused many braggart to lower his crest,
and an A I wise hand is treasure In
shop where finishing IL done on the bench.
To file square means 70 flo true; to finish
the face Of the work without marring It
with scratches and rounding surfaces, and
TO do this a. o regular everyday thing, ID
nm art TO be won only through practice
and long experience. Files ruin thousands
OF dollars worth OF work, and files hid
thousands Of dollars TO the value OF manu-
facturcd product.
In some OF the manhine shops OF Chica.
20 arc gray haired mechanics who have
worn overalis for 40 years and more. They
remember well the time when machine
made files were held up to ridicule and
scorn and when oil first class, we'll known
makes Of files were cut by hand. Some ri
these old fellows still insist that machine
made iles are not and never can be as
good as the files which arc cut by hand.
and they carry this prejudice to such mn
extent that .hey declare they cannot do
good work with the machine cut dles.
1t would bet ut for them to tel! tho
difference bots. Il She two makes OF hles,
for within comparatively few years ma.
chimes have been making files that cannot
be approached by the most expert file out
ters Of Sheffield. Files, and many OF them,
arc still cus BY hand, and file cutter u
probably tho most expert user OF ham
mer and cold chisel In the industrial world.
Files and fasps are made Of steel which
varies from tho '.blistered" steel for the
poorer quality of files to the best crucible,
or least cast" steel, for the higher grades.
The blanks arc prepared for the hle cutter
BY forging the "tang." or tapered point
Tor the handle, and shaping tho stool to
the proper form under die or press. The
blanks arc thoroughly annealed or soften
ed, and are perfectly clean and froe from
scale when laid ON the bench Of the work.
man who cuts the teeth.
A file cutter generally works on tho
same kind Of "cut" year In and year
out. This gives him mechanical perfeo-
tion which cannot be secured In any Other
way, and it is said that . workmun's
hand becomes 50 accustomed to the spac-
ing that wero he 70 become bind he could
cut just as we'll. -.
Files aro made of many forms to suit
the greet variety of work which they are
called upon to do, but tho "cuts' which
Give coarseness and hneness to files are
comparatively few. They arc known -
"rouph, ""bastard, ''smooth" and dead
smooth" These arc the common "cuts. I"
Floats" arc single cut files, and double
out files arc made by crossing the first
ont with o second cut, thus changing the
parallel, unbroken cutting edges OF the
floats into numerous points.
When o face, or ono or more edges on .
file, Is left uncut, IL is said TO DO 'safe. Z"
No matter what tho form OF the hle is
whether fat, square, round, half round,
rat tail, three square or knife edged, the
cutting Is dono tho same way. A short,
light, steel cold chisel, with o broad,
straight cutting edge, Is used. Tho ham.
mer is curious looking affair, for IL u
curved somewhat, and tho handle Ii In.
serted we'll toward the smaller end. The
hammer weighs from one to SIX pounds.
In striking the workman gives peculiar
pulling blow which raises the bur" and
gives tho particular cut characteristic OF
files, and It was this cut that for nearly
900 years prevented inventors from design
Ing machinery which would cut o die
equal to the hand cut article.
The workman sits on low bench which
comes out from long wide bench. Before
him Is his anvil, usually stone block or
slab of iron. The blanks arc held In
place by straps which pass over tho tang
and point, and then form loop or stirfup
under the anvil. The workman puts his
foot In the loop, and thus holds the blank
secure while no Is cutting It, He holds the
shisel between the finger and thumb OF
the left hand, and after each cut moves the
blank slightly for the next cut. He does
this by lifting the ohisel over the bur and
then pressing tho point Of tho tool against
tho raised edge just out, at the same time
loosening the strap so that the blank can
be moved.
In cutting small fles or smooth or dead
smooth files tho hammer blows, movement
Of tho chisel, loosoning tho straps, moving
tho blank, tightening the strap and strik.
ing the next blow are done 30 rapidly that
Sthey are nearly simultaneous. The float
cut Is made first, and then tho second cut
is made. In making the second cut the
workman strikes the chlsel with less force,
thus making o shallower cut. II the Tile Is
to be cut on the other side, tho cut side Ia
laid upon q plate of lead or pewter to pro-
tect the cutting edges. II the fle Is other
than q fat shape, the lead Or pewter ID
grooved or followed out to ft the shape.
After cutting. the files gro hardened, for
the annealing makes the steel SO soft that
the first use Of the flo would bond tho cut
ting edges. Some fles arc curved before
being tempered. This Is done by heating
tho cut files to dull rod and bending
them to tho required curve over o wooden
block with q wooden mallet. The files to
bo hardened arc first covered with . mix.
ture of salt and some sort OF carbonaceous
substance. This covering serves o twoloid
purpose-it prevents tho teeth from oxida-
tion and from losing tho carbon In the
steel, and by fuslng indicates the proper
heat for tempering. IL also serves to pre-
vent cracking when the fle is sudden.y y
plunged into tho cooling liquid which
gives the file the temper.
Naturally o heated flle suddenly cooled
will warp moro or less according to Its
form. This IL prevented by giving the dle
set" In the other direction before 1t Is
tempered, % that the tendency to warp
actually straightsps the ale. When the
steel has reached the proper heat, tho file