Tips for filing

tomtyper

Howdy all


Im a newbie to the world of engineering and metalwork.


Anywas just started in fas doing benchfitting and metwalwork.

Im struggling to come to grasps with using files and in particular filing something straight so that it forms a right angle with one already machined side. And just filing true and straight in general.


Im working with relatively small pieces of mild stell (I think) around 8-12-mm thick an about 70x 70mm



Anybody any tips on how to stand properly? or any videos etc. I could watch to help me? Its really wrecking my head not being able to grasp it

mawk

get your instructor to show you a proper stance. There is a proper way to stand and hold your body. It'd be hard to describe in text but the instructor SHOULD be intending to demonstrate it anyway. Its something he really should cover on day one.

My tip is to rub a bit of chalk on the edge youre filing so that you can tell if you have the tip of the file held up or down. If the back side files clean the lower the handle a bit, if the front side cleans, raise the handle side. It should of course be dead even. File needs to be parallel to the ground.
You can also 'draw file' periodically to see the same thing as it will leave a scratch on the high side.
Oh and when youre going to draw file sit the file on the piece offset to compensate for the handle's weight, the draw filing spot on the file is the center of the files gravity. Balancing it helps keep the file on an even keel

Best tip i can really give though is just saw close to the mark and file as little as possible. Filing is so so tedious. Oh and i'd be shocked if they made you file 12mm steel that'd be huge altogether. Its almost certainly 3mm for practice


Edit..
Jesus but i said the word file a lot.

tomtyper

mawk wrote: »

get your instructor to show you a proper stance. There is a proper way to stand and hold your body. It'd be hard to describe in text but the instructor SHOULD be intending to demonstrate it anyway. Its something he really should cover on day one.

My tip is to rub a bit of chalk on the edge youre filing so that you can tell if you have the tip of the file held up or down. If the back side files clean the lower the handle a bit, if the front side cleans, raise the handle side. It should of course be dead even. File needs to be parallel to the ground.
You can also 'draw file' periodically to see the same thing as it will leave a scratch on the high side.
Oh and when youre going to draw file sit the file on the piece offset to compensate for the handle's weight, the draw filing spot on the file is the center of the files gravity. Balancing it helps keep the file on an even keel

Best tip i can really give though is just saw close to the mark and file as little as possible. Filing is so so tedious. Oh and i'd be shocked if they made you file 12mm steel that'd be huge altogether. Its almost certainly 3mm for practice


Edit..
Jesus but i said the word file a lot.

Yeah, in hindisght it isn't 12mm at all lol, just me thinking weirdly and in my head thinking its huuuge.



He just told me to stand with my feet shoulder width apart in front of the piece.


Thats my problem is that I cant seem to get the file to stay parallel to the ground:o I always seem to end up putting too much pressure on the handle end or filing off at an angle.

Il ask the instructor to show me how to draw file in the morning and hopefully that will help me.


Another quick question, If im filing across the piece say the 3mm width as I have a notch cut out of a corner. And I want the notch to be straight and right angled. I cant seem to get it straight.... again I seem to have the file tiwsted either way to have it cut mor on one side and produce a slope.


If you can understand that any tips to help avoid it?

mawk

well i find it quite hard to file standing parallel to the piece. try standing with your left hip to the bench, and your body about 45 degrees off parallel to the piece, feet apart and shoulders back. kind of like a boxing stance.so when you push your arms straight the file crosses both forewards and naturally left to right, gives a nice even cut

and when your holding the file; hold the handle with your thumb, baby and ring finger. put your index and middle fingers on top of the file and on the tip of the file just use the index and middle fingers of your left hand. itl feel like you can apply more pressure using your palm but 1, you dont need that pressure and 2, you WILL end up cutting your fingertips.

im not sure what you mean by the notch cut in it, draw it out in ms paint and embed it, it can be a very rough drawing dont worry. show how it starts out and what happens when youre finished.

as a general rule, if you need a right angle, use an engineers square from the machined edge, and scribe a line across. once you cut and file to being fairly correct, take the piece out of the vice, put the straight edge of the engineers square upside down along the filed edge and hold it all up to a window or light. youll see some light shining through between the piece and the square. any points along where the light doesnt shine through are the high points that you missed, so mark or memorize where they were and file just those bits. repeat, checking often. when its all done right you wont see any light shining through as the edge is then perfectly straight

oh and to get a smooth finish:
rough file
rough draw file
fine file
fine draw file
emmery paper
old emmery paper
steel wool
polish

its tedious but you can get a great looking mirror finish, dont forget to oil the work pieces youre putting away for later too as they will rust in your locker/bag

Cheeble

mawk wrote: »

.... try standing with your left hip to the bench...

....if you're right handed.

Try turning slightly either way, and use whichever feels comfortable for the job you're doing at the time.

Follow Mawk's advice, and practice, practice, practice.

Cheeble-eers

powerfarmer

Take the above advice, and take consistent even strokes using nearly the full length of the file, not just the 6 inches in the middle. Take your time, don't try going at it like a fiddlers elbow.:D

mawk

Cheeble wrote: »

....if you're right handed.

A caveat i did mean to mention..