Type of knife maker file

Type of knife maker file.

The main knife maker lime types are essentially 4 that I illustrate in this post.

The file is a hand tool that is used in the construction of knives, both for the blade and for the handle.

Depending on the processing there are specific files more suitable to perform specific operations.

The file is a rigid bar of steel tied on which the teeth is obtained through two sets of carvings.

At one end there is a shank as in the knife where the handle is engaged.

The handle is usually made of wood or in the most modern plastic versions.

Classification of limes

There are different types of limes, which can be classified according to the teeth and shape of the section.

In fact, they can be classified according to the thickness of the teeth(cut), which is identified by a numerical digit from 0 to 8 or by the big, bastard, half sweet, sweet, sweet, lime for:

• 
  Roughing: they
  are used to bring the workpiece to size (leaving the necessary supermetal for the finishing phase). They are also called limes from the bunch,by their commercial name. In woodworking, this function is fulfilled by rasp.
• 
  Finish
  : which serve to give the surface the final “smooth” appearance.

or classified by section shape:

• 
  rectangular:
  it is the classic flat file, with cross-cut dentition on wide faces, a one-cut dentition on a narrow face and without teeth on the other narrow face
• 
  triangular:
  it is normally the typical finishing file
• round or semi-round: for the execution of small-range concave surfaces
• 
  square:
  for square holes and grooves
• knife, lozenge, needle and other forms for special uses.

and based on the length expressed in inches (inch) from 4″ to 12″ inches (about 10 cm and about 30 cm)

Using limes

The file is used by grabbing the handle with one hand and resting the palm of the hand, or fingers if the file is narrow, on the other end.

The pressure on the file should not be high, and in any case increasing until the middle of the run of work, decreasing then, and nothing in the return race.

The basic way of filing is to tighten the piece well in the vice,and to file with a direction of about 45 degrees relative to the axis of the vice.

The second pass must be done in the orthogonal direction at the first, and so on.

This allows you to place the file on a wider surface, and to reduce the possibility of oscillations of the file, which would compromise the resulting flatness.

Cleaning the file

The material removed from the file takes the name of filing.

Working materials such as steel, the filing almost always detaches itself from the file, but with other, more tender materials, such as aluminum, the removed material tends to stop between the cutting edges.

This phenomenon makes the file knead, which often needs to be cleaned with a steel brush to maintain its cutting efficiency.

The brushing to clean the file must be performed in the direction of the furlks.

Ps. I’m telling you from experience when I use aluminum to make training knives for short knife fencing.

The limes mainly used for the construction of knives are limes for:

• Metal
• Needles
• Zigrinatura
• Wood

Lime for metal

They are the classic standard limes that you see in many workshops and that have numerous roles.

You can find them in different sections:

• Flat 200 mm H1 or H2
• 200 mm h1 or H2 round
• 200mm H1 or H2 200mm round seeds
• 200 mm square H1 or H2
• 200 mm H1 or H2 triangular

They have a low price!

They are fundamental in the workshop of a knife maker and you can also make a knife all of a file but there is fun.

Filework Lime

They are the files to do the work up inside the blade plate or to perform the file work.

They have a higher price.

Very useful and can not miss in your lab

Lime for thumb zigzagging

These are the files to perform the file work for the thumb.

They are pretty expensive limes.

The size to be taken depends on the type of knives but if you make fixed knives you have to take the measure 00 because the others like 0, 1 and 2 are too small.

Set lime for zigrinature, flat pillar shape, length 6″, section 13 x 4 mm, made in Italy.

Set 2 limes

Composed of cuts:

• 00, 20 lines (rows)/inch
• 0, 30 lines (rows)/inch

Set 4 limes

Composed of cuts:

• 00, 20 lines (rows)/inch
• 0, 30 lines (rows)/inch
• 1, 40 lines (rows)/inch
• 2, 50 lines (rows)/inch

Wood lime

Conclusions

Now it’s not that you have to have all these limes together right away but you can buy them a little at a time.

Prices are low.

Surely the file to make knurling like thump for the thumb you can also wait.

Are you experience?

Andrea