ART
BEAUTY & WELLNESS
CRAFT
CULTURE & HISTORY
ENTERTAINMENT
ENVIRONMENT
FOOD & DRINKS
REVERSE ENGINEERING
SCIENCES
SPORTS
TECHNOLOGY
WEARABLES
Saw File: Three-Square, Forged in a Boss, Cut by Hand and Hardened (Ure, 1839)
Forge

Created by

Forge

4. November 2026NO
1
0
0
0
0

Saw File: Three-Square, Forged in a Boss, Cut by Hand and Hardened (Ure, 1839)

The file for sharpening saw teeth as Sheffield made it by hand: a three-square (triangular) bar of cast steel, not tapering, forged in a V-shaped boss, its teeth cut one by one with a chisel and hammer, then hardened under a coat of animal carbon and salt and quenched in cold spring water. Ure says saw files in particular should be hardened with the carbon mixture, so they will cut iron and steel. Not given: sizes and teeth per inch. Source: A. Ure, Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines (1839), File. Picture: our drawing.
Advanced
Unknown

Instructions

1

Forge the blank

Draw cast steel out square at the forge, then lay it with one angle down in a boss whose recess has two sides meeting at an angle, so the hammer forms one side and the boss the other two. Keep it the same size along its length (saw files are not tapered).

Materials for this step:

Crucible SteelCrucible Steel1 cast steel bar
Unknown DimensionsUnknown Dimensions1 piece

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
Forge TongsForge Tongs
Bottom SwageBottom Swage
HammerHammer
SledgehammerSledgehammer
2

Cut the teeth

On an anvil with a flat, even face, hold the file down with a leather strap over each end, the workman's feet in the straps like stirrups. Cut the teeth with a chisel a little broader than the file, sharpened to about 20 degrees, struck with a hammer of 1 to 6 lb. For single cut, run a fine file lightly over the teeth to take off the roughness; for double cut, cut a second set nearly at right angles to the first.

Tools needed:

Steel AnvilSteel Anvil
Leather StrapLeather Strap
Cold ChiselCold Chisel
HammerHammer
Metal FileMetal File
3

Cut the other sides

To cut the next side, lay the file in a piece of lead-tin alloy with an angular groove, so the teeth already cut are not spoiled on the anvil.

Tools needed:

Tin-Lead SolderTin-Lead Solder
Steel AnvilSteel Anvil
Cold ChiselCold Chisel
HammerHammer
4

Coat for hardening

Distil shoemakers' and curriers' leather refuse in an iron still and powder the bright coal left. Grind about equal parts by bulk of this carbon and salt to the consistence of cream with water and cover the file with it.

Tools needed:

Iron RetortIron Retort
SaltSalt
WaterWater
5

Harden

Hold the file by the tang in a fire of very small cokes, drawing it out often, until it is an even cherry red from tang to point. Plunge it straight down, quickly, into clear spring water as cold as possible.

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
Metallurgical CokeMetallurgical Coke
Forge TongsForge Tongs
WaterWater
6

Clean and oil

Brush the file with water and powdered cokes until clean and metallic, wash it in two or three waters to take off all the salt, dip it in lime-water, dry it quickly before the fire and oil it while warm with olive oil containing a little oil of turpentine.

Tools needed:

Metallurgical CokeMetallurgical Coke
WaterWater
Lime WaterLime Water
Olive OilOlive Oil
TurpentineTurpentine

Materials

2

Tools Required

17

This blueprint makes

Thumbnail
Placeholder

Saw File

Free

137
0
1

CC0 Public Domain

This blueprint is released under CC0. You are free to copy, modify, distribute, and use this work for any purpose, without asking permission.

Support the Maker by purchasing products through their Blueprint where they earn a Maker Commission set by Vendors, or create a new iteration of this Blueprint and include it as a connection in your own Blueprint to share revenue.

Discussion

(0)

Log in to join the discussion

Loading comments...