Great article Jack. I have

Great article Jack. I have been an admirer of your layout via magazine articles for years, you have written another good one.

Learning

I've been using files for 30 years and learned something new!

Good tools comment

Jack...

I appreciate your comment about investing in good tools.  Poorly made tools are a drain on cash flow and many times never help the modeler achieve what they were purchased for.  Best advice to all...don't buy cheap.

Rich D.

Another excellent source for information on files

Jack::

Excellent article and I too would echo your closing comments regarding the acquisition of proper tools. Remember cheap tools end up costing you more as you need to replace either due to failing materials or the inability to do good, accurate work.

By the way, there is another excellent online resource for modelers that details the use of files and is by note modeler Paul Budzik. It can be found here:

http://paulbudzik.com/tools-techniques/Files/files.html

While your there you may want to stay a while and check out the rest of the site as there are some very useful ideas and thoughts.

.vp

Quality Tools

I've always looked at tool acquisition as an investment. If I spend more for a better quality tool, and I use it regularly for 10, 15, or 20 years, the actual cost per use is pennies. The diamond sharpener for example, say I buy it, and use it once a month. In one year's use, it cost me $8.58 (103/12) each time I used it. Now extend that over 10 years, and the cost drops to $0.86 (8.58/10) for each use.

If you look at tools in that light, you soon realize that even the most expensive tool can be worth far more than you pay for it. Or, you realize that you won't use it enough to make it cost effective. A $2500 laser cutter used on average once a month for 10 years, gives a cost per use of $20.83. If you like to scratch build structures, that might be a worthwhile investment.

Good tools

Some very nice information on files and what type works well