Walmart slapping file ?

[Chuck McB]

Is it worth buying? Are there better ones out there? What do you guys use?

 

[Monkey Milk]

Me first -nicholson files

 

[Steinmetz]

Me first -nicholson files

Amen.

 

[FMC]

we always looked for old machinist files in fine cut, the coarse ones really chew up metal unless you grind them out a bit, we never oil quenched them just heat, bend and air cool

 

[jeffmoss26]

What is a slapping file?

 

[FMC]

its for raising low spots in sheet metal, a dolly is held under the panel and the ******* is used like a hammer, when it "rings" and not thuds you have found the sweet spot, the larger area of the ******* makes it easy to raise a series of small areas and smooths the ridges around the low, not a brute force tool its for finishing not roughing

 

[AndyA]

summitracing.com has martin light spoons for cheaper prices than the slapping files I found on walmart.com. Do you really want a file with teeth, or a smooth spoon? I've always used smooth faced tools for moving metal and files for removing metal.

 

[ZRX61]

Do you really want a file with teeth, or a smooth spoon?

Both.

 

[ZRX61]

What is a slapping file?

http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/slapping-files-p-12265.aspx

 

[beatcad]

a slapping file is not a harry homeowner or beginner bodyman tool.
do they sell body hammers & dollies at wally world now?

 

[FMC]

summitracing.com has martin light spoons for cheaper prices than the slapping files I found on walmart.com. Do you really want a file with teeth, or a smooth spoon? I've always used smooth faced tools for moving metal and files for removing metal.

smooth flippers are a must for alloy, for mild steel a fine tooth leaves a little mark on the surface, the marks are a guide to where you have already worked on a low spot and the body file will remove this easily

 

[sloppy]

a slapping file is not a harry homeowner or beginner bodyman tool.
do they sell body hammers & dollies at wally world now?

They sell caskets at wally world now.. So I am guessing the sky is the limit..

 

[theknurl]

and then you learn about rolling sheet metal.......

and not filing anything, then you can build the Northrup A-4 Alpha
http://airandspace.si.edu/webimages/highres/80-2100h.jpg

Jack Northrup didn't allow filing, sanding or grinding on the sheet metal
NC11Y is the plane hanging in the Smithsonian....

this is what it looked like originally;
http://www.airminded.net/alpha/alpha2_flt.jpg

my Father gave me the original photograph......his buddy is the test pilot......this is a stolen copy......the one in Air and Space (the Smithsonian magazine has been copied so many time you can't see the back ground)

it's missing;
it's original fuel tanks that my Father built
and it's ID tag......I have a blank one....and a letter from TWA requesting it

PSST.....those wing root fillets are one piece of metal as are the empannage fillets....

trust me he didn't use an English wheel....on a 30' long piece of aluminum