Needle File with a safe edge?

[Brian T]

Hello,

I'm looking for a supplier that sells flat needle files with a safe edge; a last resort would be to grind one edge smooth but that runs the risk of the edge not being truly flat and square.
Does anyone know of a source please?
Thanks
Brian

[Tim V]

I did grind one smooth, no problems with it not being square. It was only the teeth after all.

[Daddyman]

Hello,

I'm looking for a supplier that sells flat needle files with a safe edge; a last resort would be to grind one edge smooth but that runs the risk of the edge not being truly flat and square.
Does anyone know of a source please?
Thanks
Brian

Sorry I don't know of any supplier, but why not deliberately grind it un-square, so that the blind side slopes away from the thing you don't want to file? I have a triangular file with a ground off side. It might help if we knew what you wanted to do with it.

[martin goodall]

Both of my flat needle files are armed on all four sides, but I also have a couple of 'knife-edge' needle files, i.e. files with two faces that are armed, and which join on one edge, with a third narrow side (back) which is not armed.

Although it is not ideal, I sometimes use the knife-edge file with the unarmed back inwards, using just one armed side to abrade one surface of the workpiece. It's not too difficult to hold the cutting face square to the surface of the workpiece that is to be attacked. It gets round the problem of not having a flat needle file with a smooth side.

[Will L]

Hello,

I'm looking for a supplier that sells flat needle files with a safe edge; a last resort would be to grind one edge smooth but that runs the risk of the edge not being truly flat and square.
Does anyone know of a source please?
Thanks
Brian

A standard knife needle file like Vallorbe Midget Needle File - Knife 155mm.. Follow the link for one supplier but I think others make and supply the same thing. This is sort of triangular, has two useful wide flat surfaces, with a narrow safe edge on one side and and a very handy sharp filling edge on the other. Unless you really need a file which is strait edged and with two parallel filling surfaces back to back, a knife file will do the job. My favourite file which gets used more than any other.

[davebradwell]

Just a caution, I find it takes great concentration to get a level result with a tapered knife file although I suspect it would be the normal solution. Can you not use a narrow flat ordinary file? I have some just over 11 mm wide with 2 safe edges but I've no idea what they are called. I suspect we sometimes use expensive Swiss files when we could be wading in with something more robust.

There are actually a large number of strange shaped needle files available from specialists - one of the blokes in our workshop had an impressive collection from previous employment with a maker of mould tools. Probably expensive, though, and I've never come across them anywhere else.

DaveB

[Martin Wynne]

I'm looking for a supplier that sells flat needle files with a safe edge; a last resort would be to grind one edge smooth but that runs the risk of the edge not being truly flat and square.

Hi Brian,

Try searching for "Magneto Files". Readily available here:

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/files/5416905

but in packs of 5 at £2 for each one.

Martin.

[billb]

I would use a barrette file https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/barrette-2411-safety-back

[Brian T]

Many thanks for all the replies, ideas and links.
I've discovered the following seller of Tome needle files -the profiles of some having safe edges; sadly it seems that no-one appears to produce a flat needle file with a safe edge (though there is a profile where the larger sides are safe, and the edges have teeth).

https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/catalogu ... rch=needle

Martin: Many thanks for the link to Magneto Files (a Google Search seems that RS is about the only seller - a search on Ebay results in a huge number of Superhero's from Marvel Comics.....). This actually reminded me that I had such a file from probably 30+ years ago (mine actually has 0.015" and 0.025" feeler gauges rivetted to the handle!) ; I actually managed to find it this morning as well (along with various other tools I never knew I had/forgotten I had).

One general question as regards Needle Files - if you were going to buy just one example of a particular profile then what Cut Number would you normally choose?

Many thanks,
Brian

[Daddyman]

This has been staring me in the face all the time - flat and blind on one side. Actually recommended by someone on here. Not sure how you'd google it though!

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[Brian T]

I found it without too much trouble (I Googled "Mine tec+file").
Just one problem.....

$595

[Daddyman]

I found it without too much trouble (I Googled "Mine tec+file").
Just one problem.....

$595

Nooo! It was expensive (£15-20) but not that expensive!

[David B]

This has been staring me in the face all the time - flat and blind on one side.

Metal Clay Ltd: https://www.metalclay.co.uk/ultra-thin-file-extra-fine-flat/ It isn't cheap (£22) but it is a good file.

[Will L]

...One general question as regards Needle Files - if you were going to buy just one example of a particular profile then what Cut Number would you normally choose?

For needle files 2s for rough work and 4s for delicate stuff. I use bigger files when I wanted a coarser cut than that..

[Winander]

One general question as regards Needle Files - if you were going to buy just one example of a particular profile then what Cut Number would you normally choose?

Cut 6 for me, but they are Vallorbe files which I find cut better. I have some larger Bahco files if I really want to scare a piece of metal.

[davebradwell]

Surely the choice of cut number depends on how much material you need to remove, whether material is soft, and whether the result is visible on the finished job. It would be normal to run through different cuts but that may not be an option here.

Large files are available in smooth cut too.

DaveB

[Brian T]

This has been staring me in the face all the time - flat and blind on one side.

Metal Clay Ltd: https://www.metalclay.co.uk/ultra-thin-file-extra-fine-flat/ It isn't cheap (£22) but it is a good file.

Many thanks David - and also for those who responsed to my question regarding File Cut - many thanks.

Brian

[Winander]

Not sure how you'd google it though

The manufacturer is Mineshema Tool quite a range of tools, here's a fairly extensive list https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/list/2397/5/2
Files on page two and three.
The one at metalclay is advertise as "super-fine" finish on the Japanese site, whereas daddyman's is "Middle".