Fig. 2243.
If the pins have lodged too firmly in the teeth to be removed, the scorer shown in [Fig. 2243] is employed. This scorer is a piece of copper or brass wire flattened out thin at the end e, which end is pressed firmly to the file teeth and pushed across the width of the file. By this means the thin edge becomes serrated, and the points of the teeth forming the serrations pass down the bottoms of the rows of file teeth and force out the pins. Here it may be remarked that pinning takes place in cross-filing as well as in draw-filing, and is at all times destructive to either good or quick work.
Oil is sometimes used to prevent pinning and produce a dead finish, which will hide scratches, but it is much more dirty than chalk and no more effective. Neither of these substances, however, is employed upon cast iron, brass, copper, or other than the fibrous metals.
In removing the cross-file marks it will be found that the file will cut more freely if it be slightly canted so that it cuts most at and near the edge, as shown in [Fig. 2244], the edge a b meeting the work, the file stroke having progressed from c as shown. This is especially advantageous if the metal be somewhat hard or have a hard skin upon it, or in case of a hard spot, because it will enable the file to bite when, if pressed flat upon the work, it would slip over it.
Fig. 2244.
When draw-filing is resorted to, to obtain a very fine surface, to be finished with emery paper and crocus cloth, it is best to reverse the direction of the file strokes so as to cause the file marks to cross and recross as shown in [Fig. 2244], where the marks c cross those previously made, which will not only produce smoother work, but it will partly prevent the file from pinning. It will also be found that the draw-filing will be smoother and pinning less liable to occur when the file strokes cross the fibres or grain of the metal than when they are parallel to that grain; hence when the finishing marks are to be left in a line with the grain and a very smooth surface is required, the draw-filing marks should, just before the final finishing, be across the grain, the final finishing being with the grain simply to reverse the direction of the marks.
Half-round files should be well curved in their lengths on the half-round side, so that when applied to the work any part of the file’s length may be brought to bear upon the required spot on the work, as was explained for the flat file, and shown in [Fig. 2238]. If the flat side is straight or hollow in its length it is of little consequence, because it can be used upon convex or upon narrow surfaces. The sweep or curve of the file should in its cross-section always be less than the curve of the work it is to operate upon, and the teeth should be brought up sharp on the edges, and over the whole area of the half-round side, which is in inferior files not always the case, because the rows of chisel cuts are too far apart in the width of the file; hence, there is along the length of the file between the rows of full teeth, rows that are not brought fully up, which impair the cutting qualifications of the file.