By User:LPNalini @timeAndDate(1272247469)
toolbox should be without at least a few good hand files. Depending on what you do, you may need a variety of different styles of files to adapt to specific situations. Various types of files are manufactured for use in very specific situations, such as the inside of a ring or annulus, on a curved surface, or in the mating spaces between two different surfaces. Most files have teeth on all surfaces, but some files are only toothed on one surface so you can work on one side, without worrying about contact against the others.
Hand File Coarseness
Files are usually given numbers to indicate the coarseness of their teeth. Lower numbers indicate coarser files; so a number two file will have finer teeth than a number one file. Coarser files are more useful for removing material while finer files are more useful for polishing and finishing. Get a number 2 file for polishing metal, but a number 0 file to cut grooves into metal.
Alternately, files may be rated from roughest to smoothest accordingly:
* Rough
* Middle
* Bastard
* Second cut
* Smooth
Hand File Styles
However, the best way to shop for files is by considering the type of file you'll need for the specific application you're involved with. Jewelers and masons both need files, but of very different types. Similarly, a metalworker may use one type of file on a curved pipe and another type of file on a solid cube. Consider the various types of files listed below:
*Top Sellers
Here are some of the top selling hand files on the market today.
