Brian Gilstrap writes:

Here is my wish list of things to pick up in the coming years:
* files for sharpening the saws I have (though I don't yet know enough to know w
hat files I need)

Have a look at Nicholson's brochure available on that firm's site.  They recomme
nd, in terms of various PPI:

Five  - 7"/175mm Regular Taper or 6"/150mm Heavy Taper
Five and a half  -  7" /175mm Regular Taper or 6" /150mm Heavy Taper
Six  - 7" /175mm or 8" /200mm Slim Taper
Seven -  6" /150mm, 7" /175mm Slim Taper and 9" /225mm or 10" /250mm Double Ende
r
Eight -  6" /150mm Slim Taper or 7" /175mm Extra Slim Taper or 9"/225mm Double E
nder or 8"/200mm Double Extra Slim Taper
Nine -  6" /150mm Extra Slim Taper, 7"/175mm Double Extra Slim Taper or 8"/200mm
 Double Ender
Ten -  5" /125mm or 6" /150mm Extra Slim Taper, 6"/150mm Double Ender.

Too many files, in my opinion, for the 7 saws mentioned.  It is easy enough to m
ake do with a 7" regular taper from 5 to 7 PPI, a 6" 
slim taper from 8 to 12 PPI,  a 4" slim taper for smaller teeth and an 8" regula
r taper for the rare occasions when less than 5 PPI 
are presented for dental work. Main thing is to check the saw's gullet with the 
file to see that the file's corner bottoms out to a 
good fit.

I achieve about a 40% success rate recovering old files, any old files, bought a
t the flea for next to nothing and soaking them in 
fairly dilute citric acid for a couple of days or so.

Regards from Brisbane,

John Manners 

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