Files & Rasps

HALF-ROUND
For concave surfaces and edges, holes

ROUND OR RAT-TAIL
For round holes

FLAT, MILL, AND HAND
For flat surfaces, straight edges. Traditionally, a flat file tapers in width and thickness from the middle of the belly, a mill file tapers in width and thickness throughout, and a hand file tapers only in thickness — the point is square (called a blunt).

TAPER (a.k.a. THREESQUARE OR TRIANGULAR)
For handsaw teeth, squared holes.

CHAIN SAW
For chain-saw teeth

SINGLE-CUT
Teeth arranged in parallel grooves. Best for sharpening, deburring, or smoothing metal and plastic.

DOUBLE-CUT
Crisscrossed teeth. Best for shaping or derusting metal and smoothing wood

CURVED
Teeth arranged in parallel arcs. Best for shaping and smoothing decorative plaster, fiberglass, and auto-body putty

RASP
Coarse, pyramidlike teeth. Best for shaping wood

Nicholson ergonomic file handle with inserts, from Cooper Tools, $4

If You Need To:
Smooth wood or work thick metal, as when removing heavy rust from a lawn mower blade or sharpening a shovel.

Choose a:
MILL BASTARD

Shown here:
Craftsman 10-inch mill file, from Sears, $8

If You Need To:
Sharpen a fine blade, as on an axe or lawn mower; flatten wood or metal.

Choose a:
FLAT DOUBLE-CUT

Shown here:
Craftsman 10-inch flat Multi-Kut file, from Sears, $6

If You Need To:
Deburr plastic or metal, remove the scratches from a flattened surface, file a metal part to a precise fit.

Choose a:
FLAT or HAND SINGLE-CUT

Shown here:
8-inch All-Purpose Black Maxi, from Simonds International, $8.50

If You Need To:
Rapidly rough out a wooden handle or part.

Choose a:
HALF-ROUND CABINENT'S RASP

Shown here:
Nicholson 10-inch Pattern Maker cabinet rasp, from Cooper Tools, $40

If You Need To:
Sharpen a tool with teeth or crevices, such as a handsaw or steel (not carbide) drill bit.

Choose a:
SMALL SLIM TAPER

Shown here:
Snap-on triangular slim taper miniature file, $5.50

If You Need To:
Enlarge a wood hole, deburr the inside of a pipe.

Choose a:
RAT-TAIL

Shown here:
Nicholson round bastard, from Cooper Tools, $6

If You Need To:
Outfit a tool kit with a general-purpose file that has both file and rasp teeth and curved and flat sides.

Choose a:
FOUR-IN-HAND FILE (SHOE RASP)

Shown here:
Collar 8-inch shoe rasp/four-in-hand, from AngloAmerican Tools, $7.50

If You Need To:
Clean sawdust and metal shavings out of file teeth.

Choose a:
FILE CARD

Shown here:
Nicholson 10-inch file card and brush, from Cooper Tools, $16