Lil Sharpy Numbers 5200 & 5600

[safariknut]

While cruising through the antique shop today looking for knives I came across these two little gems. Called a "Lil Sharpy" one is a 2" by 5/8ths inch single cut file mounted on a bent rod with a handle on one end and a knob on the other. Designed to file into areas not normally accessible it also will adjust about 15 degrees to either side to permit even better access.
The other is a 6" single cut file on both sides designed more for flat filing on an accessible surface.Paid $5 for both of them and both blades are in excellent shape. Looks like it says made by the "Mil. File Co. Mil." whatever that means. May have to research these a bit. Anyone ever see anything like this before?

 

[turbowoodworker]

Mil=Milwaukee I bet. Nice find.

 

[Carla]

I'd suspect those to be of late '40's/early-mid '50's vintage, and advertised to automotive body-shop workers, who did the then-standard procedure of 'lead-loading', or 'leading-in' on car body repairs. This made a much higher quality repair than does the use of 'plastic filler' aka 'bondo' so commonly used later, but was a more costly technique, requiring more time and a higher quality of skill.

Once the rough area of a body repair was filled with body lead (actually a lead/tin solder), it would be finished by filing, before sanding. Filing the lead fill in areas around reveals and beading on the bodies would be easier with such small files. The same firm likely offered radius files of several sizes, as well, for curved surfaces.

cheers

Carla

 

[moparfreak]

I just discovered a set of these from my grandfather's tools. These are sanders and I think I have one of the files somewhere as well. They seem to be quite rare (not that this means they're valuable, lol). The foam pad backing is degraded on mine but I hope to find something to replace it and be able to restore these to usefulness.



Adam

 

[RTM]

Nice thread resurrection there, bring in new information as well.

I'd suspect those to be of late '40's/early-mid '50's vintage, and advertised to automotive body-shop workers

Searching for Milwaukee File Co in Google books finds them in 1954 PopSci. & PopMech. Shown working wood in the ad. Also in Hardware Buyers Directory in 1969

 

[crguy]

I'd suspect those to be of late '40's/early-mid '50's vintage, and advertised to automotive body-shop workers, who did the then-standard procedure of 'lead-loading', or 'leading-in' on car body repairs. This made a much higher quality repair than does the use of 'plastic filler' aka 'bondo' so commonly used later, but was a more costly technique, requiring more time and a higher quality of skill.

Once the rough area of a body repair was filled with body lead (actually a lead/tin solder), it would be finished by filing, before sanding. Filing the lead fill in areas around reveals and beading on the bodies would be easier with such small files. The same firm likely offered radius files of several sizes, as well, for curved surfaces.

cheers

Carla

Don't think those would work with lead. The lead would immediately clog them up. Body files for lead were extremely coarse, and they still clogged easily.