>I've ordered new files to sharpen my saws with. Since I have a lathe, I didn't want to buy the handles also. Will nearly any hardwood work as a handle? Can you use hard copper pipe cuttings as ferules? Any other suggestions?
The stores apparently sell the handles sized to the length of the files. I have very large hands, larger now that arthritis has shown up. Any reason why one size handle would be a mistake? By that, I don't mean that I'm only going to turn one handle.
>When I first started turning, I made handles for all of my files from maple firewood and copper pipe as ferruls. I made different sizes of handles depending upon the size of the file, but always of a size to fit my hand nicely.
One of the most important parts is the fitting of the tang into the handle. If it doesn't fit well the handle will shift position as you file and will be a pain to use. I found that by drilling a hole the tang would enter in the handle, wrapping the file in a wet rag, clamping the file in the vice with the tang up, heating the tang, and the driving the handle on gave the best fit. Get the tang too hot and you'll burn the hole larger than you want, too cool and you may split the handle. So this take a little trial and error. I used some scraps to practice on.
You don't need to apply a finish, but if you want one, try boiled linseed oil or walnut oil.
>I make file handles out of various hardwood scraps. They don't really need ferrules but copper ones would work fine. I prefer to taper mine with sort of a blunt taper toward the file and forget the ferrules. I don't even chuck them in the lathe. I just chop off a chunk about the right size and then shape it up with a 60 grit sanding disc in my 4 1/2" grinder. I leave the rough surface unfinished for a superior grip and drill for the tang with a tapered twist drill (mine is made for drilling pilot holes for screws, I think the miller dowel bits would also work well). Then I tap the handle onto the tang and file. Total time to make a handle and insert the file is about three minutes if I have the sanding disc ready to go in the grinder. I make varied sizes to suit the files. Oak, elm, and hackberry, are favorites but I use whatever is handy.