By User:LPNalini @timeAndDate(1274301648)
Swiss pattern files are the best recommended files for precision and fine-finish work. They also, unfortunately, tend to be the most expensive type of file you can buy. Count on those Swiss to make something precise but expensive every time. Common uses of Swiss pattern files are in jewelry making, in the manufacture of delicate musical instruments, such as violins, in machining to manufacture precise parts with very smooth finishes, and in most any other application where a high degree of detail, precision, and finish are required. Generally speaking, a Swiss pattern file will have closer tolerance, a narrower tip, and a finer cut than a comparable American pattern file.
Swiss pattern files are given a number which rates their coarsenessand a #6 cut is usually the finest Swiss pattern file you can obtain. Most experienced users agree that the #00 through #2 cuts are best used for woodworking, while higher grade cuts are best used for metalworking, with a #6 cut delivering the finest finish most any file can deliver.
Common Types of Swiss Pattern Files
Swiss Pattern Files are available in a variety of cross sections, each one with a particular application best suited to it. Almost all files are available as American cut files also, so consider before buying whether you need the high degree of precision and finish provided by a Swiss pattern file. Remember that the high degree also relates to the price tag. Below, we'll discuss some of the most common types of swiss pattern files used:
* Half-Round Ring Files
** With a tapering, semi-circle cross section these files are smooth on the flat side and used for filing the inside of rings and annuli.
* Barrete Files
** Tapering in width and thickness with only one flat side bearing the cut, these files come to a rounded end and are used for flat work.
* Pippin Files
** A teardrop cross section come to a sharp point and tapering in width and thickness down the length, these files are used to file in the junction between two curved surfaces or in V-shaped notches.
* Three-Square File
** An isosceles triangle as a cross section and used for filing in angles.
* Round Files
** Circular cross section tapering towards the end, used for filing the inside of curved surfaces.
* Pillar Files
** As the name implies, these files are straight as a pillar and used for evenly filing across flat surfaces.
* Needle Files
** Needle files do not bear a particular cross section but are usually sold as a set containing a variety of different cross-section files. Needle files are very small, delicate, and precise and used for very detailed work.
* Riffler Files
** Again, riffler files do not bear one particular cross section but are sold as a set with a variety of cross sections. Riffler files have very odd shapes and angles and are used for filing parts with their own odd shapes and angles. Many particular professions have riffler file sets specific to their own particular needs, such as Jeweler's Riffler Files or Silversmith's Riffler Files.
Top Sellers
Here are some of the top selling Swiss pattern files on the market today.
