The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-03-19
HANDMADE FILES.
AN INTERESTING DESCRIPTION or A
DELICATE PROCESS.

DELICATE PROCESS.
Workmen Become So Accurate That mag
Could Go On II Thsy Became Biind-As-
chsnjes Held Il 70 Bs IN Art In whish
Machinery Gould Not Compsss.
Rusps and files In the hands OF 6rst
GLASS mechanic rise 20 tho dignity OF tools
Of the first order In . machine shop. To
''file SQUARE" II test Of skill whtch has
caused many q brnggart to lowef his crest,
and nm A I wise hand is o treasure In
shop where finishing is done on tho bench.
To file square means TO flle truo; 70 finish
the fsce Of the work without marEing u
with scratches and rounding surfaces, and
to do this a. o regular everyday thing, 10
an art to be won only through practices
and long experience. Files ruin Thousands
Of dollars worth Of work, and files add
thousands Of dollars TO the value OF manu-
factured product.
In some Of the manhine shops Of Chica-
60 arc gray haired mechanics who have
worn overalls for 40 years and mo7s. They
remember well the time whom machine
made files were held up 10 ridicule and
scorn and when all first class, well known
makes Of hles were cut by hand. Some af
these old fellows still insist that machine
made files arc not and never can bo AZ
good rs the files which are cut by hand.
and they carry this prejudice TO such an
extent that they declare they cannos do
good work with tho machine cut flles. 2,
Il would be difficult for them 10 toll the
difference between the two makes Of dles,
for within comparatively few years ma
chimes have bcen making nics that canuos
be approached BY the most expert fie ont
ters Of Sheflsld. Files, and many OF them,
are stu out ~ hand, ana Q me cusscf is
probably tho most expers user o. . nam- .
ner and cold chhea IN the inoustflal Wc9io.
Files and fasps are made OF sseei wnicn
varies from the "blistered" sfcei tor tne
p0oror quality OF dles 70 the pest crucao'a
or "cast cast" steal, for tho higher gEaoes-
The blanks are prepared for the fie cutter
By forging tho "tang," or tapered potne
Tor the haDdla and shaping ths steel 70
the proper form under dio or psess. The
blanks arc thoroughly annealed or scfsen-
ed, and are perfectly clean and free from
scale whom laid on tho bench OF tho work
man who cuts the teeth.
A fle cutter generally works on tho
same kind cf "cut" year IN and year
out. This gives him mechanical perfcc-
tion which cannot be secured In any Other
way, and Il is said that o workman's
hand becomes 60 accustomed to the spac-
Ing that were he to become blind he could
cut Just 40 well.
Files arc made OF many forms 70 su,s
Il kha GREAT vaFiotv Of work which they arc
called upon TO DO out tho cuts Wnion
give ooarsoness ana nnencss 70 NE aEs
comparatively lew: Tney a,e kncwn
trough, "" bastard, smootn" ana oeau
smooth" These arc sne common
Floats" aro single Gus nies, ana ooupio
cot files are inado BY crossing tne nrss
cut with second cut, thus changing tno
parallel, unbroken cutting edges OF tbo
aoats into numerous points. a.
When face, or ono or more edges Oh 2
2le, Is left uncut, ID u sasd 70 'pe "sa1e
No matter what tho form OF tho NE q
whether fat, square, round, hall rouna,
rat tail, three square OK kniie eueo ~
cutting Is cone sne sa%e Wy Wy a s.aS @
lent' seeei oo'o eh w" =.
straight cutting cage - usea. Ins n ~ =.
mer ts o curious LOOKING anail t9 ~
curved somewhat, ana tne nano'e
serted well toward tne smaller eno. -.
hammer weighs tfvm one - A N N..is..
In st1xine tne wo,AnSa a. - -
pulling oiow wnicn 1a.ses zig p.r sS -
gives the pafticuia. cus r.a -. - .s. -
Mes ana u We tnls Guy saos s -. $3.50,
200 years prevente9 invensos s ,fn @ IN.
Ing machinery WHICH wCu" ous ~
equal 70 tne nano cus ai''.'o .s,.a
The WORKMAN sits On 2 sow uoI0n 80 go
comes out rom long wioe penon; Do.e
him is bis anvil, usually stone oic0A y.
o slab Of iron. Ths blanks are neio ~
place BY straps which pass ovef soe sans
and point ana tnen torm looP oE s.IS ~
under the anvil Inc workman pus, -
foot In tho loop ana tnus noi1s tnc S..H -.
secure whiio ne ID oustin8 H. no Ioaus
shisei between tns nnseI enu s saa. -. -
tho left hand, ano atter oaon cus "Uvos -
blank slightly ior tne ns1s GUY; Ie S 80
this py hitinS tne oniset o.sl .no 49, -
then pressing tne point Oh 1nS w. es.. 49,
the raised edge JUST ous, - tno salny s.1.0
lcosening tho strap % tnas sne oiaDA On"
be moved: s..s
In cutting smau nloa os sno.. s.,s =. s
smooth nies tne nanmes uio~s' .no,s. .s."
OF the chisei, ioosening tne straps, .uosts
tho blank, tlghtenin8 tne stfap anu ss,'N
ing the next blow arc done 30 rapidly 80
they arc nearly simuitaneous. Inc noes
cut is made first, and tnen tho seoona cus
Is made. In making tho second cus tno
workman strikes tho chisei WHO iess Loeoc.
thus making shnllower cut. Ii tne NE =
to be cut on the other sioe, tne cus s'oo y
laid upon o plate Of lead or pewter 70 pro