File handles

[Graham Wilson]

I just bought a bunch of metal/sharpening/woodworking files and a couple of nice rasps. Does anyone have a good source for inexpensive file handles?

Thanks.
GW

[Clint Jones]

A lathe and some scrap wood. If you dont have a lathe just cut up an old shovel handle.

[Jim McFarland]

Not sure this is what you want, but I like these from Lee Valley: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=20136&cat=1,42524,50738

[Mike K Wenzloff]

I just bought a bunch of metal/sharpening/woodworking files and a couple of nice rasps. Does anyone have a good source for inexpensive file handles?

Thanks. GW
The less expensive Lutz handles (which is what I use) are a great price at The Best Things:

http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/lutz_file_handles.htm

It isn't worth my time to turn these at that price.

Take care, Mike

[Johnny Kleso]

www.use-enco.com (http://www.use-enco.com) has them for about $1.00
I always have a bag of 10-20 around they are always good for a lot of different shop tools..

[Rob Luter]

I like the little wooden eggs you can get at the craft places. They cost about a buck and are very comfortable in your hand. Here's one I drilled for an old tang style chisel. A file works about the same way.

[glenn bradley]

Lowe's has them for about a buck and a half. Two sizes in wood, two or three in plastic for a little more. I use the wood one's.

[Jim Koepke]

I have used small limbs from my fruit tree trimming.

Just drill a hole in the end and shove the file into the hole.

I have also bought some from the local hardware store.

Some of these were bought from Highland Woodworking dot com at $2.99 and $3.99. They are nice, but they do need a little drilling to get the file to fit. Search for handle rosewood to find them there.

jim

[Joe Meazle]

I have some old handles I got cheap but my favorite quick/cheap/free file handle is a champagne cork. I really like the cork handle for small files especially when sharpening saws.

[Jack Camillo]

Lie Nielson sells several priced from $1.00-1.50.

[Stephen Shepherd]

I bought an old rasp, years ago and it had the most practical and most inexpensive handle I have ever seen on a file or rasp.

It was a corncob.

Stephen

[Jack Camillo]

as my daughter would say, "Eewwwwh!"

[Tom Hamilton]

Fine Woodworking's archives has an article by Mario Rodriquez on turning chisel (file) handles. Sept/Oct 96. If you can't find it PM me and I'll send you a PDF copy.

There are also articles on this subject at wkfinetools.com.

Handles are fun to turn as a learning and design project but for me I'd rather buy them for a buck and spend the turning time on bowls and other shapes. Fleas and yard sales often provide handles for a 25 cents or less.

Best regards, Tom, in Houston, enjoying a cool, overcast July 5th morning.

[John Thompson]

As Stephen Sheppard mentioned.. I have a few file handles out drying in the summer sun now. Should be able to "shuck" the kernels off within a week. My great grand-father.. grand-father.. and dad used them and the tradition goes on at my shop.

Corn-cobs are excellent and if you ever see an old soldering iron most likely you will a corn-cob handle that would not tranfer heat in your hand.

Sarge..

[Mark Singer]

I have a few different ones. The Lutz are good and they feel good

[Michael Faurot]

Over time, I've acquired various tools that needed handles made for one reason or another. I don't own a lathe, so making my own turned handles is not an option. Even without a lathe, it is possible to make your own. Most of mine are hand shaped with planes, the center holes are typically done on a drill press. I don't try to make the handles round, instead I go for square with rounded edges or octagonal.

92017

From left to right


Draw bore pins (2)
Rasp and files (3)
Chisels (2)

[Bob Strawn]

I prefer to make my own file handles, It does not take long, and having a different appearance makes them easier to grab the right one.
http://battlering.com/woodworking/images/Files/File%20Handles2.jpg

I you don't plant to make your own, I have tried the Skroo-Zon File handles, and they are hands down, the best. A less expensive source would be at Tools For Working Wood (http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/indextool.mvc?prodid=EE-FH-297.XX) There is a die built into the handle, that cuts light threads into the file handle, and then grips those threads solidly. You can unscrew and swap between similar sized files quickly with no problems that I have been able to notice.

Bob

[Jeremy Kriewaldt]

Used golf balls - the modern ones don't have the gooey centre (sorry; center) that used to be in them or any of the elastic. Just be careful when you drill.

[Tim Sgrazzutti]

I'm partial to champagne corks myself.........