mystery file

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

what’s it for?

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

This used to be my Dad's and I've had it for years, but never knew what it was for. Some one on here will probably know. It's the same on both sides and has one safe edge. The writing at the top looks like "Dreadnought". Sorry for the poor quality photos.

[john brown 17Participant @johnbrown17]

I have a a few like that ,use mine on car body work filler and when using lead to take it down a bit ,hope this helps.

john

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

That will be a Mill tooth / curved cut file. Used for fast cutting softer materials like aluminium alloy and commonly used for shaping body filler.

Robert G8RPI.

[RMAParticipant @rma]

Yes agree with John Brown 17. I used mine on car bodywork many years ago when lead loading.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I thought" Millen" cut files had the straight teeth and Dreadnought the curved ones

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

It's certainly what Dad called a Dreadnought file.

George B.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Also known to be used by farriers / blacksmiths when re-shoeing horses.

George.

[Adam MaraParticipant @adammara]

Very likely an Aven Trimmatool blade, a Surform rival from the 50's and 60's, as far as I can remember!, sold a few in my time.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

We used to use them on aircraft aluminium panels. They used to slice your fingers when your hand continued pushing, but the file stopped moving. We also used Millenicut files. These has straight teeth in sets of 5 , 4 teeth were normal and the 5th was serrated.

Dreadnaughts were a very coarse file, followed by bastards, straight cut and second cut. File cards were used to remove swarf from the file and chalk rubbed onto the file to a) stop swarf sticking to the file and b) make the cut finer for finishing.

Re-cut files had been acid dipped to "sharpen" used files.

[John BaronParticipant @johnbaron31275]

Posted by Speedy Builder5 on 15/02/2020 19:01:38:

We used to use them on aircraft aluminium panels. They used to slice your fingers when your hand continued pushing, but the file stopped moving. We also used Millenicut files. These has straight teeth in sets of 5 , 4 teeth were normal and the 5th was serrated.

Dreadnaughts were a very coarse file, followed by bastards, straight cut and second cut. File cards were used to remove swarf from the file and chalk rubbed onto the file to a) stop swarf sticking to the file and b) make the cut finer for finishing.

Re-cut files had been acid dipped to "sharpen" used files.

+1

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

As well as soft alloys, they work on wood, I have flat and half round. I used to have a double sided flat with a different coarseness each side.

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

I used em years ago on lead loaded car bodies, they were known as dreadnoughts but not sure if that's a reference to the make or type. As mentioned, they do make a mess of your fingers if the file stops quickly and you don't.

[brickyParticipant @bricky]

I have a flat blade of steel the lengthe of the file and it has a file handle,there are holes at both ends to which two flat dreadnought blades are attached with small bolts.One of the blades is flat and the other is half round which bolt on one at a time.I have used these blades on steel and if there is a lot to remove and shape they are great.

Frank

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

Thank you everyone who replied.

[Author]

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