doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Making files

When you stack gauge blocks to check a micrometer you �wring�, or, wipe the surface with your finger to clean it of dust and deposit a thin coat of skin oil, which statically holds the two gauge blocks together.
The only guys I ever knew who could get a surface that precise were the guys on the surface grinders.

Best,
Ted

Another friend from my days in Germany was Gerold Pheffer, who was a barrel fitter for Heym, but did "side jobs" in Walter Grass' shop. He could get that type finish, and when polishing the work used a very finecut file, loaded it with chalk, and put oil on the chalk.
Mike

So can these finecut files be resharpened or were they replaced, even when they were made by hand?

Great story, thanks for sharing. Did Helmut say whether he had to make files during his apprenticeship like his grandfather did?
Many of the specialized files I see on benches these days are modified (by the gunmaker) , commercially available files.

Hal,
Files, including finecut files were generally replaced, not resharpened, by the time I was there( 1970s). On the other hand, I can't say they were never resharpened, I just never heard anyway say they did it.

Le Fusil, Helmut didn't mention having made files. I guess by the 1930s, machine made files were the "norm".
Mike

In the days back when I was an apprentice fifty plus it was my job to re sharpen Magneto and pivot files. Battery strength Sulphuric Acid was used, usually left in the acid for about four hours. Also there where a number of companies at that time who would re furbish files, they did a good job of it to, I still have a couple though they would only refurbish branded files like "Stubs"& other top makers.

Damascus;

Thank you for that information. I did not know that there were firms resharpening files at that late of a date. Did these firms come around to the shops to pick up the old files?

I am sure the small companies who did this work amongst other things they did like re grinding milling cutters. Where left over from WW2 because over here until the late sixties the words "Make do and mend" did mean something also tools where still very expensive. Being a rather inquisitive young individual I did ask what they did with the files, this was what I was told. The worn files where heated to bright red destroying the temper then rolled between two pattern mill rollers applying the new file pattern on the file, the original manufactures name on the file was obliterated in the process. Then the file was re hardened for use.

Thank you all for the informative replies. I have lots of old files that my dad had when he built guns. Guess they are all just junk now.

There is a place in CA, Boggs Tool and File Sharpening that is supposed to do really good work . I haven't used them but intend to try.