Hand files for aluminium

Note:- Bastard files are between coarse files and second cut files. Bastard files are fairly rare these days. Coarse files are an endangered species.

Thanks for all the helpful replies. The Millenicut files sound as if they will do the job. I see that they are available with straight or curved teeth - what would be the advantages of one versus the other?

The files that initially sparked my interest were by Nicholson - see **LINK** which are double cut however these don't seem to be readily available in the UK.

Clive

The curved teeth don't seem to clog as much, and the filed surface is somewhat smoother.

Bob

Pferd car body files look like they function in much the same way as a Trimatool, although the option to flip the handle from plane to file format is missing www.carbodyfiles.co.uk/carbodyfiles/Car_Body_Files.html

(so that is how to show the address in a link)

Must admit I had never thought of using my Dad's old Trimatool on metal, although I much prefer it to using a rasp on the brown stuff as there is far less work to finish.

Brian

I have found that painting the file surface with white spirit helps to reduce the file clogging. I use a wire brush to clear most of the file grooves but I still have to pick out the stubborn bits with a pointed object.

Alan

I find that French chalk a.k.a. talc helps. Cheapest source is Johnson's Baby Powder!

Russell

These latex blocks are just brilliant for declogging belt sanders. I haven't tried it with a file but suspect it may be another effective way to clear teeth, particularly if combined with PTFE spray or WD40.

Murray

Muzzer - the last time I went to the MEX, (at least 10 years ago), the disc sander salesman was demonstrating that the standard super market plastic bag, rolled into a pad, does the same ... and a bit cheaper!

rgds

Bill

Or a bit of plastic garden hose. But a Dreadnought file is the way to go for fast removal of metal(tooth pattern (((((((, for finer work, ordinary files, new and kept for aluminium.

I think Johnson's Baby Powder is starch based nowdays to get away from the ? cancer causing minerals in chalk.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 06/08/2018 12:24:21

Chalk blocks and powdered chalk are still available from tack shops or dog groomers. (or even Amazon at a price)

Brian

Must admit you are quite correct, think it was the demise of the quality tooling over previous decades leaving a few producers calling them bastards when more like a courser second cut.
Last genuine bastards available in bulk must have been around 2002/3, there on after impossible to find a decent cutting file or one that lasts 1/4 as long pre 2002.

Dreadnought

Millenicut

As above millenicut are straight teeth though can be angles like this.

Or like this Millenicut again.

Any file will scratch think about it, even a though proud over the whole file will scratch! They were only working with thin guage materials as well. You wont get even close to 10 thou with a millenicut yet alone file to sub thous!
Think that term millenicut used on aircraft is nonsense, most of the people didnt know how to use a file just learnt as they went on. In this case take a look at the last millenicut, will see the teeth are straight but angled- what that means is to mr average joe blogs is theyre pushing straight ahead right or wrong but the file effectively moves diagonally!
Now a tricked up filer can do that with any file just feeling for whats happening, cant teach that. Also this can and has been used to the filers advantage in clearing debris ie swing right to left in a scraping motion until starts to pick up, then opposite swing may or may not dislodge whilst also taking a cut.