Where to buy saw files by the box?

[Charles McKinley]

Hi All,

I would like to buy tapered filles to sharpen hand saws. The Nicholsons I purchased didn't seem to hold up well. I am looking to purchase Bahco / Sandivic, or another good brand, files buy the box to get a price break.

I just bought a box of Swiss made 13/64" chain saw files fo less than a dollar a piece so I'm having a hard time swallowing $5 to $9 each for triangel taper files.

If I can't find a place I'll probably end up with a sampler from Vintagesaws.com. Six files for $37 + $8 shipping and handling (regaurdless of order size)

I have 20 saws to touch up. I just started doing this and have enjoyed rehabing the saws.

Thanks in advance.

[Bob Smalser]

If the Nicholson's didn't hold up, likely neither will the others. In spite of what you hear on videos shilling file brands, there ain't that much difference. Make sure you are chalking your files, cleaning often and lifting the file completely on the pull stroke. The other big gotcha is saws with blades so hard, sharpening is costly in files with any brand. Hardness is much cheaper than tensioning when manufacturing saws, and you'll find those saws often. Compare side by side with an old Disston 7 or 8 to be sure your problem is the file, and not the steel.


The best method of acquiring expendables is to establish a commercial account like I have with Tacoma Screw, and order by the box from their catalogs at the jobber price. I think you'll find few suppliers will demand a business liscense to set up an account...they just want to insure you pay your monthly bills. The money you'll save with a business account will vary by store, and sometimes how much you buy, but I average around 30% off retail in the 5 accounts I have currently.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Not a huge savings. For files below 6" files, consider Shore International. Scroll down the page at the link to find the taper saw files. By the dozen only, Swiss made and hold up pretty well--even on modern saw blades...

http://shorinternational.com/FileHablis.htm

For 6" files, the Simonds are available from Moon's Saw Shop:
http://www.moonssawandtool.com/browse.cfm/2,57.html

The single cut are perhaps longer lasting than the supposedly better Black Maxis.

Take care, Mike

[Charles McKinley]

Thanks Bob and Mike,

The saws I have are all 50 + years old. I got about a saw per edge when just sharpening but it was when I tried to fix a saw with really mishapen teeth that ate up the file. The really sad part is the teeth still aren't right.

Thank you both for sharing your knowledge. I read some more of your articles and will try to reshape them again. I will start with the flattest one after joinning this time and save the used up files to start marking the new teeth on a couple of backsaws that need retoothed.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi again, Chuck,

Nicholsons are not bad files for maintenance. Very few new files are good for cutting in new teeth. So purchase the cheapest you can and assume you will ruin one cutting in and shaping the new teeth. Don't use undo pressure even on the forward stroke.

Make sure your vise holds just below the toothline very well. Any chatter/vibration will shorten the life of a file.

Take care, Mike

[Alan Turner]

You might want to check pricing with Boggs. They quoted me saw files at what seemed like very good prices. But, it was awhile ago, and I can't recall the specifics.

[Mark Sweigart]

Make sure you are chalking your files

This isn't a term I'm familiar with. What does it mean?

mark

[tod evans]

This isn't a term I'm familiar with. What does it mean?

mark

chalk will help the file shed the metal burrs created during metal removal..02 tod

[Mark Sweigart]

So do you rub the chalk on the file, then use it to sharpen the teeth?

Is there a particular direction you should run the chalk?

mark

[tod evans]

So do you rub the chalk on the file, then use it to sharpen the teeth?

Is there a particular direction you should run the chalk?

mark

mark, i was shown to use a blackboard erraser to chalk files in highschool..nowadays i use a brass filecard and pitch the files when they get dull, no chalk.....i`m sure they last longer when chalked it`s just not really high on my list of priorities to remember at this time:) , i`m sure anyway you can get chalk onto the file will work...02 tod

[Bob Smalser]

This isn't a term I'm familiar with. What does it mean?

mark


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=7784&highlight=finishing+metal

[Mark Sweigart]

Apply with an eraser. Perfect. :)

My wife made me a box with a chalkboard on top, so I can write down stuff I want to remember when I'm in the shop. Of course, it came with chalk and an eraser :)

Bob, in the article you linked to you mentioned to break in the file using brass or bronze before using on steel. What about wood?

mark

[Chuck Nickerson]

No one's mentioned it yet. Boggs Tool ( www.boggstool.com (http://www.boggstool.com) ) Resharpens file, which leaves them better than new. Don't be deterred by the website prices, check first. My last baych of files, 38 of them, cost $82 to resharpen.