Nicholson Swiss Made Precision Files

[Brian Holcombe]

I decided to finally replace my set of junk files with something good and I wanted to report that these are fantastic.

I'm doing some brass work this week and these in 00 cut faster than my double cut coarse files.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/A4FF481C-6569-427B-82E2-DAC19B39D4FE_zpska7drvn8.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/C896D45C-BDB1-415A-A642-EB3C7036F42F_zpshttcivpf.jpg

[Paul Saffold]

That's good to hear, Brian. Were you able to buy individual files? The first 2 sources I found are for 12.

[Brian Holcombe]

I was able to through McMaster Carr, but one came through as a Grobet American made so I'm not certain if it's by random chance or if certain grades are filled with Nicholson and others with Grobet.

[george wilson]

Are they new OLD stock? I am not aware that Nicholsons were being made in Switzerland. if they are,it is good news!

Are you aware that files used for cutting brass will not be as sharp if used for steel,then back to brass again? I recommend painting brass file's tangs gold,and steel files with silver tangs,if you are particular about how well they cut. I am a file nut myself,having relied on files so much for fine work myself. I had no other means of removing metal when I was young,and removed cubic inches of steel with an 8" Nicholson bastard file(about the only one I had access to at home),many times over. That file was used for everything from lawn mower blades to scissors. We had no grinder,or even a 1/4" electric(or eggbeater)drill.

Clamp metal close to your vise jaws,and don't let metal screech.

[Patrick Chase]

I was able to through McMaster Carr, but one came through as a Grobet American made so I'm not certain if it's by random chance or if certain grades are filled with Nicholson and others with Grobet.


Are they new OLD stock? I am not aware that Nicholsons were being made in Switzerland. if they are,it is good news!

If McMaster is selling them then they aren't NOS.

I've posted about a related topic before - the Nicholson needle files are indeed made in Switzerland, and have identical shape, toothing, and knurling patterns to Grobet Swiss needle files. It would appear from Brian's post that they've expanded their partnership to cover other files as well.

Interestingly Grobet USA no longer sells Swiss-made files. Their taper files come from Mexico, and their needle files from Italy (I think they're rebranded Corradi). It seems that Apex/Nicholson is now the US distributor for Grobet Swiss...

[Brian Holcombe]

Are they new OLD stock? I am not aware that Nicholsons were being made in Switzerland. if they are,it is good news!

Are you aware that files used for cutting brass will not be as sharp if used for steel,then back to brass again? I recommend painting brass file's tangs gold,and steel files with silver tangs,if you are particular about how well they cut. I am a file nut myself,having relied on files so much for fine work myself. I had no other means of removing metal when I was young,and removed cubic inches of steel with an 8" Nicholson bastard file(about the only one I had access to at home),many times over. That file was used for everything from lawn mower blades to scissors. We had no grinder,or even a 1/4" electric(or eggbeater)drill.

Clamp metal close to your vise jaws,and don't let metal screech.

Brand new, and I took a closer look at my order the American made Grobet was a standard file, not a 'precision' file, so there is a good chance that the precision files are all nicholson swiss made.

Thanks for the tips, I will paint these to ensure that they do not get used for steel then back to brass. I like to file, it's handy especially for milling operations which are not critical but yet require a good amount of setup.

I've been working on some hardware for my Butler's desk, I milled this from bar stock then did the angle cuts and round over with a saw then files.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/93878A95-D70C-4662-BFD9-1ABFC50061A3_zpsksj7vaie.jpg

[Trevor Goodwin]

Neanderthals didn't have brass! :D

[Brian Holcombe]

Or Bridgeport mills :D

[george wilson]

Good Work,Brian! BTW,I didn't know you were a machinist,too! Good to know. What mill and lathe do you have?

[Stewie Simpson]

Brian; can you tell us what the exact words are that are stamped on your files. I ask because Swiss can just refer to the cutting pattern of the file.


Grobet Files

Grobet USA has a strong history of over 140 years distributing files for the jewelry industry. The Grobet brand name is synonymous with jewelry files in the United States. Starting in 2014 the Grobet File Company of America has partnered with an Italian firm to manufacture Grobet Swiss pattern files for distribution in the USA. http://www.ottofrei.com/Grobet-Files/



http://www.nicholsontool.com/MagentoShare/media/documents/nicholson-guide-to-filing-2014.pdf

Precision filing

For filing such as that employed by the instrument industry, there is a range of Swiss Pattern files. The delicate precision work calls for these files be made to exacting measurements and finer cuts.
The flat Precision file should be used with a slow smooth stroke moving the file laterally along the work on the forward stroke. In using Round or Half Round types, the filing should be clockwise to ensure a deeper cut and a smoother finish.


Stewie;

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks George! My father has the mill so I travel out to his place in order to use it, the mill is a Bridgeport 3 axis with DRO. The machine was originally bought by a manufacturer of special parts that barely used it and my father picked it up pretty cheaply when the company shut the facility that housed it. I don't have a lathe, so turned parts I bring to the machinist I worked for.

I do have a rotary table for the mill, but that is usually more trouble in setup that most operations call for.

Stewie, These do say 'Swiss made' on them. They were also priced in a similar way as good Swiss or Italian files would be, not a bargain but they cut very nicely.

[lowell holmes]

Amazon sells Grobet files. I've bought them from Amazon. They have them listed now.

[george wilson]

I think what Stewie means is that the shape of Swiss PATTERN files is different from American. Swiss files have sharp points on files like half round ,round,triangular and some other shapes. American pattern files have the front ends chopped off. I wish they DIDN'T!!!

The designations of European files' cuts are also different from USA made files. German and Swiss cuts are different from each other,too.

[Stewie Simpson]

The cut of the file refers to how fine its teeth are. They are defined as (from roughest to smoothest): rough, middle, bastard, second cut, smooth, and dead smooth. A single-cut file has one set of parallel teeth while a cross-cut or double-cut file has a second set of cuts forming diamond shaped cutting surfaces.[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_(tool)#cite_note-lye_12-1) In Swiss-pattern files the teeth are cut at a shallower angle, and are graded by number, with a number 1 file being coarser than a number 2, etc. Most files have teeth on all faces, but some specialty flat files have teeth on only one face or one edge, so that the user can come right up to another edge without damaging the finish on it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_(tool)