File Handles

**Dick** · 11-11-2022, 18:42

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.

**ady** · 12-11-2022, 09:05

There is something very fulfilling and satisfying when you take a piece of scrap and repurpose it into something useful. Don't take the time into consideration or the saving you made.

You had a project and honed a skill. Hands on skills are becoming less and less in our consumer culture.

**oafpatroll** · 12-11-2022, 15:27

Couldn't agree more on the potential for leakage when using files without handles. I put the tang of a big rough cut file deep into he palm of my hand. The doctor that sorted it out in casualty said that the hands are very 'busy' and that sticking something like that into them carries a very high risk of buggering up something important like a tendon, nerve or blood vessel and the rest.

Over and above the reduction in leakage potential handles make files much better tools. You can use them more accurately and they cause less fatigue.

All of my larger files and rasps have commercial plastic handles on them and for the needle files I have a few hard rubber bouncing balls with holes drilled in them. The round tangs are pushed into them and the rubber is grippy enough that they stay put.

**Dick** · 12-11-2022, 15:50

I should have added a couple of things. 30mm Diameter is very comfortable for a 300mm file, but I'd recommend smaller for smaller files. Mine is 110mm long because that was the material already made, but a lot of use this week suggests that 125mm would be more comfortable, and rounding the tail end hemispherical will improve comfort. Once upon a time ferrules were brass. Don't see that these days, but of course ferrules are not needed for plastic handles. Hex nuts work well for big handles as I described, but won't work as well for smaller handles (hole too small relative to the AF dimension). Steel or copper tube works well for all.

**Vaal** · 12-11-2022, 19:42

Originally Posted by oafpatroll

All of my larger files and rasps have commercial plastic handles on them and for the needle files I have a few hard rubber bouncing balls with holes drilled in them. The round tangs are pushed into them and the rubber is grippy enough that they stay put.

I like this idea, would a golf ball work? I think a old squash ball wil be too soft and flimsy.
For a ferrule I think a piece of ½ or ¾ copper water pipe would work nicely

**oafpatroll** · 12-11-2022, 20:11

Originally Posted by Vaal

I like this idea, would a golf ball work? I think a old squash ball wil be too soft and flimsy.
For a ferrule I think a piece of ½ or ¾ copper water pipe would work nicely

I have used golf balls before on medium-ish sized files and they were ok. Would be a bit big for needle files though I think. Not sure why but they don't seem to grab the tang as well as the bouncy balls. Guess it's a harder material.

**Ds J** · 12-11-2022, 23:15

Take a broom handle, cut off a suitable piece, drill a hole in the front and put it over the file handle. I use shorter pieces of wood of thinner broom handle for smaller files, and longer pieces of thicker broom handles for larger files.

**oafpatroll** · 13-11-2022, 10:13

Originally Posted by Ds J

Take a broom handle, cut off a suitable piece, drill a hole in the front and put it over the file handle. I use shorter pieces of wood of thinner broom handle for smaller files, and longer pieces of thicker broom handles for larger files.

Nice idea that. Broomsticks are a fraction of the price of dowels but are the same thing with a thread cut in one end. Did a quick check on current pricing at builders and a 25 x 1820 dowel is R125 and a 25 - 1200 broomstick is R24.20.

**A-R** · 13-11-2022, 17:10

I use a piece of broomstick (around 30mm diameter) with a short (20mm) piece of 22mm Copper water pipe as a ferrule around the turned down forward end. Rear end of handle is rounded. This may not be pretty, but is is functional enough for me. This is for large files.

Small files get a 16mm dowel with 15mm copper tubing.

**Ds J** · 13-11-2022, 17:30

Originally Posted by oafpatroll

Nice idea that. Broomsticks are a fraction of the price of dowels but are the same thing with a thread cut in one end. Did a quick check on current pricing at builders and a 25 x 1820 dowel is R125 and a 25 - 1200 broomstick is R24.20.

Correct, and I also believe that they are made from better wood. Dowls tend to split and crack more easily.