What's this tool?

Re: What's this tool?

J. Zawlocki

>Not sure of the two with the wooden handles. However, the bottom two are actually auto body metal files. They were used to file off lead that was applied to bare metal before the advent of plastic autobody filler.

They are very aggessive files with wide teeth to shave off large arounds of lead or actually be used to shave off and smoothen metal fenders. These were tools used probably up until the '60s. The blades were screwed onto metal or wooden holders. My dad was an auto repair man who had many of these files. I have many of them myself. One unusual fine he had was aluminum with a turnbuckle on it that when turned actually bent the file to convex or concave.

I'm guessing but the wooden handled files could be a finer file that was used in auto body repair.

Interesting.....

HC Sakman @ Victoria, BC

>Interesting indeed. They were with bunch of woodworking rasps and files as well as some bastard files. Handles are new, they had no handles. Flat and convex files are very rigid. They are hardly used if used at all. They look new.

Bottomline: If it's good for lead, it's good enough for wood. ;-)

Thank you.

Chico...

Vixen

Tom Sontag - St. Louis

>I am far from an expert but I have seen this style called Vixen files. Maybe that is the manufacturer, I don't know. It looks like American Saw just calls them curved tooth files:

another picture

Tom Sontag - St. Louis

>Thsi shows one with "Vixen" stamped where the other says"flat bastard", suggesting to me it is a file type. Hope the knowledgable ones can set us straight.

Re: Interesting.....

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I have a couple of those left over from my days as a mechanic.They were part of a lineman's tool kit for shaving lead.At one time I stripped out retired utility vehicles.Usually found tools under and behind the portable generator when I removed it.I still have wire-ties and other hardware left over from those days.

I use mine occasionally for wood shaping.---Jack

Simonds Vixen Files *LINK*

Patrick Gibbons, Houston

>Here's info on the files, which are still made by Simonds.


http://bandsawblade.com/SimondsFiles/autobody.htm

Re: another picture

HC Sakman @ Victoria, BC

>I can't make out the brand of the handles ones, but the other two are clearly marked and made by Nicholson.

Chico...

Re: another picture

Joel Oswald

>Those curved tooth files are for shaping aluminum, such as in rough casting form.