The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-04-02
HANDMADE FILES.
AN INTERESTING DESCRIPTION OF A
DELICATE PROCESS.
workmen Become So Accurate That They
Could Go On II They Became Blind-Me.
chauics Held It to Be an Art In Which
Machinery Could Not Compete.

chanics Held Il to He An Art In which
Machinery Could Not Compete.
Rasps and files In the hands of first
GLASS mechanic rise to the dignity OF tools
Of the first order in machine shop. To
''file square" Is a test of skill which has
caused many q braggart to lower his crest,
and an A vise hand IL q treasure In n
shop where finishing Is done on the bench.
To flle square means 10 file true; to finish
the face Of the work without marring 1t
with scratches and rounding surfaces, and
to do this ss regular everyday thing, 10
an a-t to DO won only through practice
and long experience. Files ruin thousands
Of dollars WORTH of work, and files add
thousands Of iollara to the value OF manu-
factured product.
In some Of tho machine shops Of Chica
go arc gray haired mechanics who have
worn overalls for 40 years and more. They
romembcr we'll the time when machine
made files were hold up to ridiculo and
scorn and when all first class, we'll known
makes of files were cut by hand. Some nf
these old fellows still insist that machine
made files are not and never can be rs
good Ms tho files which arc cut by hand.
and they carry this prejudice to such an
extent that they declare they cannot do
good work with the machine cut files.
It would be difficult for them to tell the
difference between the two makes Of files,
for within comparatively few years ma.
chimes have been making files that cannot
be approached BY the most expert file cut.
tsrs of Shefi1eld. Files, and many OF them,
arc still cut BY hand, and file cutter Ia
probably tho most expert user OF ham.
mer and cold ohisel In the industrial world.
Files and fasps are made Of steel whic
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 file cutter
By forging the "tang," or tapered point
Tor the handle, and shaping tho steel to
the proper form under dio or press. The
blanks are thoroughly annealed or soften
ed, and are perfectly clean and free from
scale when laid on the bench Of the work
man who cuts the teeth.
A file cutter generally works on the
Same kind Of "cut" year In and year
ont. This gives him a mechanical perfec-
tion which cannot be secured In any other
way, and it Is said that a workman's
hand becomes so accustomed to the spac-
ing that were he to become blind he could
cut just rs we'll.
Files are made Of many forms to suit
the great variety Of work which they are
called upon to do, but tho ''cuts" which
give coarsenoss and flnGness to flles arc
comparatively few. They are known ~
trough, ""bastard, 'smooth" and dead
smooth" These are tho common "cuts."
"Floats'' are single cut files, and double
cot files are made by crossing tho first
cut with O second cut, thus changing the
parallel, unbroken cutting edges OF the
loats into numerous points.
When o facs, or ono or more edges ON o
file, Is left uncut, 1t Is said to be safe"
No matter what tho form Of the file Is,
whether fat, square, round, half round,
rat tail, three square or knife edged, the
cutting Is done the Same way. A short,
light, steel cold chisel, with broad,
strnight cutting edge, Is used. The ham.
mer Is curious looking affair, for 1t Ii
curved somewhat, and the handle is In.
serted well toward the smaller end. The
hammer weighs from ono to six pounds.
In striking the workman gives peculiar
pulling blow which raises tho bur" and
gives the particular cut characteristic OF
files, and it was this cut that for nearly
200 years prevented inventors from design
Ing machinery which would cut o file
equal to the hand cut article.
The workman sits on o low bench which
comes out from q long wide bcnch. Before
him Is his anvil, usually stone block or
q slab Of iron. Tho blanks arc held In
place by straps which pass over the tang
and point, and then form loop or stirrup
under the anvil. The workman puts his
foot In the loop, and thus holds the blank
secure while he Is cutting 1t. He holds the
shisel between the finger and thumb OF
the loft hand, and after each cut moves tho
blank slightly for tho next cut. Ho does
this by lifting the ohisel over the bur and
then pressing the point Of the tool against
tho raised cdgo just out, at the same time
loosening the strap SO that the blank can
be moved.
In cutting small flles or smooth or dead
smooth files the hammer blows, movement
of the chisel, loosening tho straps, moving
the blank, tightening the strap and strik.
ing tho next blow are done so rapidly that
they nre nearly simultaneous. The float
cut Is made first, and then the second cut
Ia made. In making the second cut the
workman strikes the chisel with less force,
thus making q shallower cut. II the file Is
to be cut on tho other side, the out side Is
laid upon plate Of lead or pewter to pro-
tect the cutting edges. II the fle Is other
than q hat shape tho lead or pewter Is
Rrooved or followed out to 1t tie shape.
After cutting, tho files are hardened, for
the anneallng makes the steel 80 soft that
the first uss Of the flle would bend the out
ting edges. Some files are curved before
being tempered. This Is done by heating
tho cut files to o dull red and bending
them to the required curve over . woodsn
block with o wooden mallet. The files TO-
be hardened arc first covered with mix
ture OF salt and some sort Of carbonaceous
substance. This covering serves twofold
purpose-it prevents the teeth from oxida-
tion and from losing tho carbon In the
steel, and by fusing indicates tho proper
heat for tsmpering. It also serves to pre-
vent cracking when the fle Is suddenly
plunged into the cooling liquid which
gives tho file the temper.
Naturally o heated file suddenly cooled
will warp moro or less according to Its
form. This 10 prevented by giving the file
set" In the other direction before 1t Is
tempered, 90 that the tendency to warp
actually straightsns the Hle. When the
steel has reached the proper heat, the flo
IL lifted from the fire by the tang and sud.
denly Immersed In cold water, and before
1t has grown cold It is withdrawn and put
In q screw clamp. which keeps 1t from
curving or bending. The tang Is then sof
toned by sticking it In melted lead, AID then