Grinding metal products is not always done with power tools. Often, craftsmen use different types of files for such work. They are much safer than electrical equipment. It remains for the worker to choose from a wide variety of tools appropriate for the material being processed. It is not difficult to deal with this if you know the intricacies of work, all types of files and their purpose.
What is a file?
This tool is a two part product:
- Steel bar. Notches are applied to its surface according to special patterns. They may have multiple options. The most common types of file cuts are rectangular, triangular and round.
- Wooden or plastic handle. With the help of a clamping ring that prevents it from cracking, it is mounted on a tapered shank. Designed for ease of use of the file. If the handle breaks, it is easy to replace it. For the production of the part, beech, birch and pressed paper are used. Its length must be one and a half times longer than the file shank.
The tool may have different sizes. Standard lengths are 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 cm. Diameter: 12, 16, 20, 23, 25 and 28 mm.
Operation principle
All types of files belong to cutting tools. They are used to create the desired dimensions and shapes in machined products. Files work by layer-by-layer grinding of surfaces.
Materials
This tool uses very hard, high quality tool steel:
- Brands ШХ15 or 13Х. This is alloy chromium steel.
- U10A or U13A. These grades are improved unalloyed.
Files are processed by hardening, resulting in a hardness of 54-58 HRC. These grades are used for the production of files designed to work with metal products. For wood and other materials, tools are taken, the steel of which is softer.
Single cut tool
This notch (also called simple) is found in special files. The purpose of such a tool is to remove an insignificant layer of metal during filing. Special files are used for processing narrow surfaces. They are great for sharpening wood saws. These products are designed to work with soft metals, wood and plastics.
Cross section products
Double cut filesare general purpose tools. On the surface of these products, in addition to the main section, there is an additional one. The main section is intended for removing particles from the workpiece, and the auxiliary section is for grinding them into chips. Files with a double (auxiliary) notch are used when working with hard metals and alloys.
Files for metal. Species
GOST 1465-59 are the standards that are used in the production of bench files. Depending on the size of the notches and their number per 10 mm surface, the following tools are distinguished:
- Baston. Tools with a large notch. There are up to 5-12 pieces per 10 mm file surface. The smaller the number of notches, the larger the teeth. Consequently, more particles are removed when filing the product.
- Personal. Represented by products with a medium notch. The number of teeth is up to 25 pieces.
- Velvet. These are the finest cut instruments. There are 80 teeth per 10 mm surface.
For convenience, when choosing the necessary tool, the types of files have their own numbers: bastard - No. 1, personal - No. 2, velvet - No. 3-6.
Classification of tools by shape
Working parts have different shapes. For efficient work with such products, appropriate types of files are provided. They differ from each other in the shape of the profile (cross section). There are the following types of files:
- flat;
- square;
- trihedral;
- round;
- semicircular;
- special;
- knife or hacksaw;
- diamond-shaped;
- oval file.
What types of tools are, briefly outlined above. What are they for?
Destination
The flat file is used to work with convex and flat outer or inner surfaces. Square is used to work with square and rectangular holes and grooves. Such a tool is also called a bar. Its length is 35-50 cm. It is effective in cases where it is necessary to remove a metal layer exceeding 1 mm. A triangular file is used when working with internal corners, grooves, holes and grooves. Round is necessary for filing concave surfaces. Used for round and oval holes.
Special files are used for processing corners, inclined and jagged surfaces. This type of tool produces a selection of narrow grooves and grooves. Bastard tools are equipped with the largest teeth and are designed for initial surface treatment, as they allow you to quickly remove a large layer from it (0.05-0.1 mm). At the same time, these files have low accuracy. As a result, the working surface is treated roughly. Personal files are used for fine filing. In this case, a layer with a thickness of 0.02-0.06 mm is removed. Velvet are used in the final phase of grinding. The thinnest layer (0.01-0.03 mm) is removed from the surface of the sawn product. These files have high machining accuracy, which is 0.01-0.005mm.
Rasp
In addition to metalwork files, rasps are used for processing metal and other surfaces, which are distinguished by their notches. Their teeth are large and have the shape of pyramids, behind which there are special grooves. The section on this tool is placed in rows, perpendicular to the axis. Rasps are used when processing soft materials: aluminum and duralumin. Made from steel grades U7A, U10A. Their hardness is 35-40 HRC. Standard length of instruments: from 25 to 35 cm. There are four types of rasps: blunt-nosed flat, sharp-nosed flat, round, semi-circular. The scope of the tool is medicine and the production of tin products.
Needle files
Needle files are the smallest files. Designed for very precise work. For the production of these tools, steel grades U12 and U12A with a hardness of 54-60 HRC are used. Depending on the shape of the cross section, the needle files are:
- flat (blunt and pointed);
- square;
- trihedral;
- round and half round;
- oval;
- diamond-shaped;
- groove and hacksaw.
It is not necessary for a home craftsman to have all kinds of files. It is enough to have three main ones - flat, triangular and round. It is also desirable to have a set of needle files and several rasps. With these tools, you can easily handle any metal grinding task.
