Nice hand file set for some 1911 work?

[KDTS]

So, I finally decided to go for it and bought an Ed Brown beavertail safety and jig to work on my own Springfield mil-spec. I don't have a lot of tools sitting around (yet), so I was wondering if anyone could suggest a good set of hand files? Preferably reasonably priced.

[Brandon04GT]

The Nicholson set at Home Depot is a pretty good buy.

[kcstott]

Nicholson, & Simmons are the ones you will find that are going to be good quality, readily available, and reasonably priced.
You didn't ask about cut. Get a single and double cut should be all you need in a pillar shape but a flat will do the trick too. Get a bastard while you're at it but leave that for the very roughest of work. The single and double cut should be all you need. 6" to 10" should be fine.

I'd also recommend some polishing stones from Gesswien. Blue EDM stones soaked in kerosine work great or get Gesswien's stoning oil.

[Brandon04GT]

Don't forget chalk and a file card. They are supposed to be almost as important as the files themselves.

[Manolito]

Read up on case hardening and how thick it is. Most people that get a hone and file don't think about the hardness of the part and how it is applied. Case hardening does not harden the entire piece it is a process where the part is heated to a specific degree and placed in a carbon environment of some type and allowed to cool slowly. This hardness is very thin and can be destroyed with very little effort on your part.

Read up and learn before you remove metal of any kind on a pistol or rifle. Practice filing processes by starting with draw filing and practice until you can remove the same amount of metal from one end of the practice piece to the other checking your accuracy with a micrometer or dial caliper digital if you must. Then buy some prussian blue and find the low and high spots on your practice piece. When you have this completed move on. There is a lot of satisfaction in hand work when done properly. A good set of jewelers files is a great investment. Learn the different surface profiles by buying a guage and then practice until you can replicate those finishes. A lot of patience and trial and error will get you what you want a better performing firearm.

Bill

[Bug Splat]

I love to use Alumina Oxide and Ceramic knife sharpening stones in place of files. They take longer to do the job because they remove less but they allow you to get a very precise fit. I never use metal files anymore unless I'm trying to take a lot of material off. I also like the stones because they don't flex, they stay flat and true BUT the lower grit stones do wear so you have to watch how much you use them. Another benefit is you can use them dry or wet depending on how smooth you want the part. Wet will remove more and give a rougher finish but if you run dry the dust will actually polish the parts to a finer finish. This is beneficial if you want a nice shine between a brushed look and buffed look.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I like buying the Lanksy kits and remove the plastic grip molding on the back. This lets me get right on the stone to feel what its doing and get into smaller places.

http://lansky.com/index.php/products/dlx-5-stone-system/

[KDTS]

Hm, the stones might help me buff out the ugly "made in brazil" on the dust cover. I bought Simonds double cut and single cut files and a file card. I'll definitely do some research on technique and try out some test pieces to gauge my progress. I did also get some Dykem blue (I assume that's what you were talking about, Bill (Prussian blue to check wear spots). It'll be a new experience, but I'm excited to learn more about metalwork and gunsmithing in particular. A side question: I've replaced most of the internals with Wilson Combat (seemingly drop-in) replacements, and everything functions fine, but are there any particular places to check fitment? This is probably a far more complex answer, but if anyone is willing to even point me to some good resources, that would be helpful.

[jfifer]

Manolito had an awesome answer. Ive been surface grinding all week. .002 is a vacation!

[Gunsmith Dan]

Yes anyone can go in and file metal away but you really need to practice proper filing technique. If you don't practice it would be very easy to round over corners or make flat surfaces either at a angle or with high/low spots.

Get some small scrap metal pieces and practice holding the file level and straight, look at and measure your results then once you got the hang of it do the real thing.

[wash]

Yeah, files only cut one way, don't drag them backward it dulls the teeth.

For precision work, I like single cut Swiss files with a safe edge.

For straight metal removal, easy to find Nicholsons do the job and Nicholson makes some hobby files with a safe edge if you don't have the Swiss files.

Generic files work sometimes, sometimes the heat treat is crap and they dull, chip or wear too fast. They generally are not the right pattern for precision work so probably skip anything that isn't a name brand known for files.

Be prepared for some sticker shock but a small well chosen selection of quality files will do a lot better than a drawer full of junk.

[-hanko]

I'd just go to Brownells...

They have files and stones out their ears, including sets designed for 1911 stuff. I've used them for 20+ years, I've never seen junk tools there.

hth

-hanko