Article: It is important to secure your work with a vise or other clamp to keep it from moving around while you are filing. Mount the vise so that the stationary jaw extends slightly beyond the edge of your workbench, and be sure to place bolts in all the holes on the base of the vise and secure them with locking washers. Then, place the workpiece in the vise so that it is supported by the full clamping surface. You don’t want to use a back and forth motion with your file, as this will damage the file and likely your workpiece as well. Instead, only apply pressure on the forward stroke and lift the file away from the workpiece on the return stroke. For heavy cross filing, grab the handle of the file with the dominant hand and place the palm of the other hand on the end of the file. Angle the file diagonally to the work and press down firmly so that the file digs in and cuts the metal. Make long, slow strokes away from your body. Lift the file away from the surface on the return stroke to prevent dulling the file. For straight filing, use a small file rather than a large one. Grab the handle of the file with the dominant hand and place the fingers of the other hand on the end of the file. Point the file away from you and press it down firmly on your workpiece. Make long, slow strokes away from your body, and only file in one direction, rather than back and forth. For draw filing, place your hands on either side of the file with a gap slightly larger than your workpiece. Hold the file horizontally and make long, slow strokes away from your body with a firm pressure. Remember to only apply pressure on the forward stroke, and to remove the file on the backward stroke.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Secure your work. File in only one direction. Cross file to remove material. Straight file for detail work. Draw file to finish a surface.