DIY varies from very small jobs to massive projects. One of my neighbours built a complete ocean going yacht. Today I want to talk about a very small job. Files should have handles, because without handles they can be very dangerous. A big file without handle will be gripped in such a way that the tang can spear your wrist seriously enough to cause death by loss of blood. I am guilty of having used a 300mm bastard file for many years without a handle. This week I planned a job that would need a lot of filing with that particular file, but something in my head said "don't do it without a handle." So I went to a local hardware store BUCO to buy one. When they said "don't have" and directed me to Apple Hardware at other end of town, I thought "hey, aren't I the guy who makes things?" and headed off to my workshop to make one. A few months back I made a 110mm long x 30mm diameter dowel from scrap meranti to repair a nice old standard lamp. I got the diameter slightly small and had to make another. The scrap one was still lying at the back of my bench. It had an 8mm hole through it to pass the electric cable. I filed down one end to about 15mm long x a diameter to suit a big hex nut (24mm across flats) I found in the scrap bin, screwed on the nut and hammered the handle onto the file tang. The hex nut makes a perfect ferrule, the handle is very comfortable and I have done several hours work with that file this week. Sure its a lot of work for a small saving and would have been a lot more work if the dowel hadn't been made earlier, but its one more thing that the DIYer can do for himself and next to no cost.