[Jewelry making - Article 00707] - Re: [Orchid] The mechanics of files

[Trevor F]

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>     Can anyone expalin me the cutting action of files. Why is the
>     orientation of the teeth zigzag (in most cases) How are files
>     manufactured? 

Hello Rahul,

    You might be interested in this article which briefly discussed file
    making in the UK in the late 1900s 

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/work/england/south_yorkshire/user_1_article_1.shtml).

    To make a long story short the filemaker of old would use chisels to
    cut each 'tooth' or cut in the file. In "double" or "cross-cut" files
    there are criss-crossed cuts in the file to increase the
    aggressiveness of the cutting action. "Single" cut files cut slower
    and are generally used for finishing work. Needless to say (almost)
    all of this is done by machine these days. 

    One exception to machine made is fine quality rasps --the teeth on a
    rasp are cut with a punch whereas file teeth are cut with a chisel--
    which are used in woodwork, stone sculpture and patternmaking. I have
    two of these hand made rasps and they are MUCH superior tools to
    their machine-made counterparts in almost every way but of course they
    cost 10 times as much. I don't know if the same would apply to
    hand-made files but I suspect not. 

    You asked another question elsewhere about workbenches. Suffice it to
    say that there is a LOT of tradition surrounding jewellers benches
    and that tends to dictate how they appear and are used. I've seen a
    number of non-traditional benches --for instance, my own bench is
    collapsible and portable-- and the bottom line seems to be that if a
    particular bench style works well for you then it is "a good bench".
    The Western habit of assuming that the way we do it is better is often
    misguided and that's especially true in this case. Different cultures
    have different tools, different work methods and, no surprise,
    different workbenches to accommodate them. The best advice anyone can
    follow with things like this is "try it" and if it's better for you
    then it is better. If not ... there you go. 

    One thing I will say about home made workbenches is that they are
    usually quite easy to modify and because they are often made from
    inexpensive materials one need not hesitate (much) in changing them to
    suit your own purposes. I've chopped my bench down, repositioned the
    legs, drilled big holes in it to accommodate specific tools, etc. My
    bench is quite possibly the ugliest jeweller's bench there ever was
    but it works well for me, the work I do and the way I do it.  In the
    end that's what really matters. 

Cheers, 
Trevor F. 
in The City of Light

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