A woodworker replaces missing handles on Swiss-made flat files with apple-juice bottle corks. Drill a hole in the cork, measure the depth with a dot, hammer it onto the file shank, then label it with the size and date. One cork costs almost nothing and lasts years.
It has been over 3.5 years since I changed my flat file. As it has turned very dull recently, I got two brand new ones through the mail. This kind of file comes with no handle. Different sizes of ready-to-use handles are available in the market. But to fit the size of my hand, I use some apple juice cork as my file handle. Before putting my file on, I first push a hole in the center of the cork. I try to get it as deep as possible. This is a Swiss-made file, number 00. The cutting teeth on this file is the coarsest. Before putting the handle on, I need to measure how deep I want the file to go. If it is too shallow, it will come off easily. If it is too deep, it will destroy the cork. A dot will do. This is my guide. Once the preparation is done, I try to push the cork on as much as I can before hammering it on. In this way, I can hold the file and the handle with just one hand. It will free up my other hand to hold my hammer. Here, I use the Rohai mallet, but actually, any random hammer will do the job. When hammering it on, I keep checking every so often. Because I want the hammer and the file to be aligned. But if you accidentally get it a bit wonky, that's not a big deal. It will still work just fine. The second one I need to put a handle on is a number 0 flat file. This one is slightly smoother than the previous one. This one is still made in Switzerland. I think the Swiss know how to make their tools. As my Rohai hammer is in the garage, I don't bother to go outside. I use a random hammer found lying around this time, but I'm confident this won't break my file. The bottle cork is very soft. It won't take lots of effort to push the file in. You can also use a clamping jaw to hold the file while hammering the handle on. This fits my hand perfectly, so if you happen to have a small hand like mine, a bottle cork is a great choice to use as a file handle. Time to test drive. This new files. Work so much better than my old ones. As the number marks have been fully covered by the handles, I have to make a note on the cork to help me quickly tell which one is which. I also like to put a date on the bottom. This will give me some idea how long my file lasts until I need a new one. To clean the file, I use a brass pen like this. The link is in the description below if you are interested. If you guys use other fun objects around your place as file handles, do let me know in the comments below. I'm interested. I will see you in the next video.
This ring took me 3 hours just for the stones #howitsmade #jewelry #craftsmanship
