Diy file handle suggestions? What am I doing wrong?

[AceofSpad3s]

Hello, I have about 10 files and rasps that have no handles, I have a stanley plastic handle that I have misplace the inserts for in my shop. I first started out with 2 golf balls that I drilled into and coated with some liquid nails from a 4oz tube (possible failure point since it is old) and then pressed the nut into the golf ball in my vise. The first one was ugly but the second one turned out pretty nice. But then when I got to use them tonight, the nuts ended up getting loose and spun freely in the balls and the files would not thread into them tightly like the day before. So, I tried to use a screwdriver handle and heat up the handle and press a nut into that to try to use it as a handle but the file was loose again and was not very secure. These failures are starting to make me feel like an ******** shithead and are really really annoying since I want to sharpen my new (to me) machete since the blade has some big chips in it. I am thinking about taking some scrap pine I got laying around and just whittle some handles for them and glue the files into them. Any suggestions or ideas?

 

[sailah]

I bought a bunch of files at auction that had corn cobs as handles. I kid you not. And they actually work great, little weird ok haha

 

[AceofSpad3s]

I bought a bunch of files at auction that had corn cobs as handles. I kid you not. And they actually work great, little weird ok haha

I have heard of those in a couple threads while I was looking up file handles, seems like a cool idea, never saw any pictures of them though.

 

[slip knot]

Why did you put a nut in the golf balls? I just drill a small hole and drive the file into the hole.

 

[scooternut]

Skip the nut. Get some old screwdriver handles, tap the file into the handles and the taper will hold them tight. End of story.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

I've see the yellow handle Stanley's at Menards, and last time I looked at them they were on sale for a couple bucks.. so I grabbed them all up. I also watch for them at the hardware / farm store.. Got some different sizes at Rural King a couple of weeks ago.. Seem like 5 of them for $15.. hardwood handles and metal ferrules.. I could hand make them I suppose but for the cost, fit/finish, and classic look.. I went with the purchase. I suspect you can find them at a jobber like McMaster Carr too.

Dennis

 

[1950mercury]

i dont understand the nut part. ive seen people jb weld into golf balls.

You can buy Nicholson wood handles for just over 1 dollar. Sound lik you would have been ahead of the game to just buy some

 

[AceofSpad3s]

Why did you put a nut in the golf balls? I just drill a small hole and drive the file into the hole.

I saw a video on youtube, the nut seemed to work well for the guy in the video. The tail of the file would screw into the nut and the nut would hold it solid.

 

[mdbeck1]

I've put screwdriver handles on a few things. Put the handle in the vice, heat up the metal part, pull the metal part, heat the thing that you want to put in, slide it in, let cool.

 

[Gmonkee]

The modern two color plastic screwdriver handles work great.
Get them cheap with damaged tips and yank the shafts. Tap the handle onto the tang of the file. I've even used them to rehandle damaged wood chisels.

 

[benjamintmiller]

Try making a wooden handle and drilling a hole smaller than the file tang. Heat up the file tang with a torch (it's already not hardened), and press it into the wood. You'll get a whole ton of smoke and the file will be securely locked to the handle.

You probably want to drill a separate, smaller hole into the wood for steam to exit as you press the file in.

Here is a good video of this technique.

 

[woody 73]

 

[Adam.C]

That guy needs a lathe. Bad.

 

[old_biker]

every file I own has a corn cob for a handle, its cheap & works well, some have been on for over a dozen years. I learned that from my elders when I was young

 

[404]

That guy needs a lathe. Bad.

He keeps banging the files together.

 

[RonnieC]

I use champagne corks for handles on smaller files.

 

[twertsy]

A dozen vintage file handles: 10 Bucks on eBay

 

[uart]

Try making a wooden handle and drilling a hole smaller than the file tang. Heat up the file tang with a torch (it's already not hardened), and press it into the wood. You'll get a whole ton of smoke and the file will be securely locked to the handle.

You probably want to drill a separate, smaller hole into the wood for steam to exit as you press the file in.

Here is a good video of this technique.

+1. That's what I do.

I take piece of hardwood that's about the right thickness and cut off a strip so that it has got roughly a square section. Then I just round off the edges and roughly shape it with a rasp. Nothing too fancy.

I drill a hole for the tang so that it's a little bit too tight for it to fit, and then use the heating method to burn it into place.

The problem with just trying to bash it into place is that without the metal ferrules you're likely to split the wood. Using the burn method seems to seat them nice and tight without so much risk of splitting.

BTW. I'm always careful to only heat the tang and not let the cutting part get very hot. It doesn't seem to be a problem if you only heat it from the tip of the tang.

 

[David Paul]

I've put screwdriver handles on a few things. Put the handle in the vice, heat up the metal part, pull the metal part, heat the thing that you want to put in, slide it in, let cool.

This is the second no cost, great idea, I've learned from this site today

 

[rshadd]

Corn cobs... Sounds crazy but they work well and are more comfortable then you might think.

 

[CGarcia]

I bought a bunch of files at auction that had corn cobs as handles. I kid you not. And they actually work great, little weird ok haha

I grew up in Mexico, and that is big over there. Works great.

 

[rshadd]

These Nicholson handles were only $2/ea. and are very comfortable.

 

[lilredex]

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-File-Handles-Without-a-Lathe/

http://www.leevalley.com/newsletters/Woodworking/1/2/article2.htm

 

[Kevin54]

If you use a nut, it has to be a very hard nut to screw onto the file handle. At least a Grade 8 nut. But usually you can take a piece of round dowel rod, drill a hole in the end, and tap the file into it, or if you use a plastic screwdriver handle, you will have to add something like a two part epoxy or JB Weld to take up the excess area in the hole. You can even make a file handle out of a round piece of aluminum, drill a round hole in the end, then tap the file in. The four corners of the file are what holes it, it really it isn't going anywhere unless you use it to try and turn the end of the piece of stock down round. The main reason for a file handle is not to have something to hold onto, but it is to keep from driving the tank of the file through the palm of your hand. That is a nasty accident.

 

[uart]

Corn cobs... Sounds crazy but they work well and are more comfortable then you might think.

Thanks for the pic. A few people had mentioned corn cobs, but I'd never heard of that trick before. It was interesting to see what they look like on a file.

Hmm, I've got a few cobs of corn here that need eating, I might give that a try. What's the technique? I'm guessing that you have to dry them out or something.

 

[Kevin54]

Thanks for the pic. A few people had mentioned corn cobs, but I'd never heard of that trick before. It was interesting to see what they look like on a file.

Hmm, I've got a few cobs of corn here that need eating, I might give that a try. What's the technique? I'm guessing that you have to dry them out or something.

You don't want the corn on them unless the corn is dry and you like the feel

 

[uart]

You don't want the corn on them unless the corn is dry and you like the feel

Hehe Kevin. If I left the corn on them I'd probably have rats and mice trying to eat my tools. I've got a bit of a rodent problem here at the moment.

 

[AceofSpad3s]

Try making a wooden handle and drilling a hole smaller than the file tang. Heat up the file tang with a torch (it's already not hardened), and press it into the wood. You'll get a whole ton of smoke and the file will be securely locked to the handle.

You probably want to drill a separate, smaller hole into the wood for steam to exit as you press the file in.

Here is a good video of this technique.

I just got a propane torch in a lot I got last week, I tried to use it and it seems like it **** the bed (it is an auto light and won't spark, or light manually) and I cannot use it. Any other way to do it besides a propane torch?

 

[R.Anderson]

These are the handles I make for my files. Oak handle with copper ferrule and hot fit the file to the handle.

I just got a propane torch in a lot I got last week, I tried to use it and it seems like it **** the bed (it is an auto light and won't spark, or light manually) and I cannot use it. Any other way to do it besides a propane torch?

Gota gas stove it will smoke up the house. Induction, if you have a power supply to do it.

 

[AceofSpad3s]

These are the handles I make for my files. Oak handle with copper ferrule and hot fit the file to the handle.




Gota gas stove it will smoke up the house. Induction, if you have a power supply to do it.

I just tried just dry fitting a file into a wood handle I made, ended up being really secure, might not need to add anything else. The handle looks like **** but it will work, just hacked at 4 inch section of 2x2 with a utility knife, hand held belt sander, chisel and a rasp. If I can find my mora I could make an octogon and make it into a circle from there for the next ones I make.

 

[pendragon1998]

This would work well for files too.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HGAthmy0FXA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... My Grandad was a Sawyer by trade, 'n hand filed carpenter's saws durin' his retirement years though the 60s,....

Every single one of his many files had a handle he'd made out of a cut-off piece of ole broom handles,...
'bout a 4" piece, center drilled, 'n tapped onto the file's shank,....
If it loosened up, a couple taps on the bench tightens it right back up,....

 

[AceofSpad3s]

Ayuh,.... My Grandad was a Sawyer by trade, 'n hand filed carpenter's saws durin' his retirement years though the 60s,....

Every single one of his many files had a handle he'd made out of a cut-off piece of ole broom handles,...
'bout a 4" piece, center drilled, 'n tapped onto the file's shank,....
If it loosened up, a couple taps on the bench tightens it right back up,....

I think I will try to find a broom handle somewhere cheap for the smaller files. It will make handling all the tiny ones a breeze.

 

[metaldad]

here's a few i did.

 

[ttpete]

I get mine from MSC. They're inexpensive and are made of hardwood with steel ferrules. They're available in different sizes.

 

[bubinga]

here's a few i did.

Did you heat the tangs?

 

[uart]

I just tried just dry fitting a file into a wood handle I made, ended up being really secure, might not need to add anything else. The handle looks like **** but it will work, just hacked at 4 inch section of 2x2 with a utility knife, hand held belt sander, chisel and a rasp. If I can find my mora I could make an octogon and make it into a circle from there for the next ones I make.

Yeah, just tapping them in without using anything else can work ok. It's just that without the metal ferules it's fairly easy to split the handles. Heating the tang just lets you seat it securely with less applied force.

Broom handles work ok too. But I actually prefer the feel of the not quite round section that I get by just rounding off the edges of a square section with a rasp.

If you don't have a propane torch then a gas stove or a small camp stove will do at a pinch. You really want something that allows you to heat only the tang part though, as you don't want to mess with the temper of the business end.

 

[metaldad]

Did you heat the tangs?

no. simply tapped in. a coupla others, tapped and epoxied

 

[LLave]

Corn cobs... Sounds crazy but they work well and are more comfortable then you might think.

Please corn cob all of your files. I would love to see a really nicely organized drawer full of shiny new files, all with corn cob handles. Awesome.

 

[AceofSpad3s]

Yeah, just tapping them in without using anything else can work ok. It's just that without the metal ferules it's fairly easy to split the handles. Heating the tang just lets you seat it securely with less applied force.

Broom handles work ok too. But I actually prefer the feel of the not quite round section that I get by just rounding off the edges of a square section with a rasp.

If you don't have a propane torch then a gas stove or a small camp stove will do at a pinch. You really want something that allows you to heat only the tang part though, as you don't want to mess with the temper of the business end.

Just hit an estate sale today and there was a plain jane nozzel that I can use for the propane torch, so I will do the tang heating on the rest of the files now.