File recommendation please

[Guest]

I have a set of Tamiya modeling files which are lovely for plastic but much too fine for wood.  Can someone recommend a set which is small yet coarse enough to shape wood?

 

Thanks.

[cog]

It all depends on what you want to accomplish. I use home made sticks. A long piece of wouud with sanding paper glued to it. I can choose the coarseness of the grid for the work at hand. When the grain deteriorates, I rip the sandpaper of and glue a new strip on it. If you make the wood strip wedge shaped you can get into small recesses too ...

 

If you want the metal stuff ... I hardly ever use it on wood

[bluenose2]

Hello Les here. I use rifflers for rough shaping. You can purchase them online from corradishop.com. They have several selections for the wood worker or sculptor. Second is from, leevalley.com. Item # 62w28.20. As with cog I will pre shape a stick of wood then wrap it with flexi grit sand paper.

[tlevine]

Files are a lot like clamps...you can never have enough of them.  My selection ranges in size from round and flat files with the word Craftsman on them all the way down to various shapes of Grobet jeweler's files.  Until you develop your preferences and decide how fine or coarse a file you want (and how much you want to spend), it is hard to beat various shapes and grits of sanding sticks.  If you use a repositionable glue stick, the sandpaper is easily replaced when it is worn.

[Modeler12]

My soldiers.

An accumulation of files I have used over the years.

Actually, a couple have never been used they show rust

[src]

I like a combination of sand paper glued to sticks or cork. I also like these sanding sticks, they are available in most hobby stores I go in:

http://shop.excelblades.com/p/sanding-stick-w-extra-belt

That being said, I dont think you can beat a good Swiss file for finish quality. Sand paper scratches the wood, a good file cuts the wood and with a #4 cut Swiss file you start to get an almost polished finish. I like the Tell and Grobet brand files but expect to pay for them. I also have some no name files that I reach for as well as some Gyros files that are very good and were very affordable.

Just my 2 cents.

Sam

[mtaylor]

I go cheap on the sanding sticks.  I get the fingernail files (disposable type) from a local (Sally's -- a chain store) beauty supply house.  They run usually less than a dollar apiece and come in various grits.

 

I also make my own using sticky back sandpaper or just glue the paper to some scrap wood with the needed shape and size.

Edited September 23, 2016 by mtaylor

[Thunder]

​After reading the Keith Julier books I purchased some permagrit files on blocks, I since purchased a set of needle files by the same company and a set of larger files of various shapes and grit. Unless I need something more flexible these are all I need.

 

Hi, Below is the website:

 

http://www.permagrit.com/index.php

 

They do more than when I last took a look so will be looking at getting some more myself. I have had some for many years now and have used the blocks for Kitchen fitting and DIY as well and am still on my first set. The only thing I would say is that the flexible sheets are not that flexible, unless they have improved them.

Edited September 23, 2016 by Thunder

[Bob Blarney]

I often use psa sandpaper on chisels or flexible rulers, and also on square x-section steel bar in 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch by 6-12 inch lengths.  For files, I visit a jeweler's supply.