Simonds SIM73150500 Mill Second Cut File 12" American

The Simonds SIM73150500 is a mill second cut file, American pattern, 12 inches.

American pattern appears on every file in this range and it is worth explaining once, because it is a real classification rather than a marketing word.

Files divide into two systems. American pattern files — sometimes called engineer's files — are the general trade files, and their cuts are named: bastard, second cut, smooth. They are made to work: coarse enough to remove metal, robust enough for a workshop, and priced accordingly.

Swiss pattern files are the other system. They are finer, made to tighter tolerances, and their cuts are numbered rather than named — running from 00 at the coarse end to 6 and beyond at the fine. The finest Swiss files are closer to abrasives than to cutting tools. They exist for toolmaking, die work, and jewellery, where the surface matters more than the removal rate.

So American pattern tells a buyer this is a working file rather than a precision one, and that its grade will be named.

A mill file is single cut — continuous parallel ridges rather than a crosshatch — which produces a smooth surface and a keen edge. Second cut is the middle grade.

Applications include sharpening, lathe filing, and draw filing.

Brand

Simonds

SKU

SIM73150500

Category

Hand Tools

Weight

0.75 lbs

Dimensions

12.00 x 1.15 x 0.28

Price

$26.95

Availability

Call for pricing

Rating

4.47 / 5.0