Files, Rasps & Rifflers - Basics & Tricks Of The Trades / How to

Filing basics for carpenters, machinists, mechanics, welder / fabricators, tool and die makers, hobbyists and more. #tools #woodworking #steelfabrication
Transcript provided for the hearing impaired:
Alright so today on Repairs101 I’m going to go over some of the basic things you need to know about files, rasps and rifflers for wood, metal, plastic and stone.
A file is a sophisticated rasp and a riffler is a specialized rasp with ends curved and profiles varied to follow shapes and contours and create detail.
Always use a handle so your hand or wrist doesn’t get impaled by the file’s tang.
Protect your files by storing them so they don’t contact each other or other metal objects.
Keep the teeth from clogging with debris by using ordinary chalk.
Keep your files clean using a file card or failing that a wire brush.
Rasps and rifflers are great for wood, plastic and softer stones.
Files are used on wood, plastics, metals, as well as other materials.
They come in single or straight cut … and double or cross cut and have different shapes.
Cross cuts are far more aggressive.
Diamond files are good for metals and stones.
Keep the surface wet with Windex or soapy water to float away cutting debris.
Vary your cutting pattern by using a figure eight motion.
See how no two figure eights are exactly the same?
Rotary files are used with a pneumatic die grinder.
So, the thing about cutting faces is – the longer the file the bigger the teeth and therefore the coarser the cut.
So even though two files may be classified as having the same face the smaller one will deliver a finer cut.
Alright, thanks for watching and don’t forget to subscribe!

[joecoffee]

Hats off to you sir! For delivering an incredible amount of information in under 3 minutes.

[fieonshakespearenut]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. My six-year old's vocabulary word--"rasp"--confused me because it had a picture of a metal file. Now we know that a file is a type of a rasp. Thank you! 👍

[OldSneelock]

Well done.
Good explanation of the basics.

[goodtobehandy]

I'll put this information in my file.

[jkgkjgkijk]

I have an MDF torsion box work bench mounted on a lift table. I have to baby it but I like the look and it is holding up since I mostly do hand tool woodworking. Its interesting, I might add, to see how the methods you and Paul sellers use differ. Both of you are my teachers through you tube. Thank you from long island, ny

[scuzzbecuzz]

Good video...subs are growing, that's good!

[CleaveMountaineering]

Files have been made by hand since antiquity. They have only been manufactured on machinery since the Industrial Revolution. Files are capable of very accurate work in the hand of a skilled craftsman.

[steveporritt]

You should keep files used for non-ferrous materials separate from ferrous ones, once you have used a file on steel or iron don't use it again for brass, copper aluminium etc.

[menyamyaitambu]

mate i thank you for the info much appreciated, could you tell me how the flat bustards files are made i know how the rasps are made i couldn't find how the normal file information can you help? i would be grateful. Alex from Australia

[novageddon]

This is the fastest video I have ever seen. You maybe good with files, but your editing techniques needs some filing.

[VitalityMassage]

I'm having trouble getting wood out of my nice Nickerson rasps. I've tried the card file with only limited success...

[enzorocha]

What's with the rush? Wish you took a few more seconds to linger on those file examples after you identify them.

[ahmedbasuony]

Dear Sir, Please Heeeelp, Where can i find online a good rifflers for carving at blue foam board with a reasonable price, thanks

[dmitryponyatov]

Very informative video.

Do you have some video for precision metal forming using filing, scraping and using some cheap guages-like items like rulers, bearing balls/rings, caliper/micrometer and so on ?

I'm searching on methods and handcranked rigs to do rarely eventualy works traditionally done by machining (I have no one, but I'm thinking about some cheap metal cutting shaper-like hand rig)

[TINMAN]

I'm 15 and really enjoy wood working, is there a difference between wood and metal files ? I want to start a collection from flea markets in my area, what differences should i be looking for and thanks.

[woozhi]

Not just only smoothing out surface it removes material this is what you can use without machine tool.

[Phtbug]

Just a curious question you have prob. Been asked a 1000 times but I just found your channel... Your logo... You part of any groups out there? :)

[menyamyaitambu]

what is the %carbon in metal files? please

[dmitryponyatov]

Can you recommend some technique in using rotary files to prevent lot of very thin short metal needly chips flying everywhere all around ?

[jukeboxhero]

Clearly this is Russian propaganda! Anyone else see it!?