Easy and cheap file handles

EdCaffreyMS

EdCaffreyMS

"The Montana Bladesmith"
Not sure if I've shared this one..... but most of use use files in one way or another. File tangs can really rip up a hand if you slip, and buying a file handle is stupid pricey. Here's my solution..... Golf balls! Either cheap or free, and all you have to do is drill a hole about 3/4 through (1/8" for small files, and 3/16" for large files) The using a rubber or plastic mallet, tap the golf ball onto the file tang....DONE! And when you wear out the file, you can pop the golf ball off and us it on the next file!
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Golf-Ball-File-handles.jpg



OH! And by the way.... the "H" on the files mean they are the Husky brand from Home Depot...... I believe these are from the 8th replacement set under the files' lifetime warranty. :cool:;)
 
KenH said:
Works like a champ - been doing that for years.
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Me too.
EdCaffreyMS said:
and buying a file handle is stupid pricey
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And not as comfortable as the golf balls, either, IMO.
I just don't know where to get them free anymore....but I haven't looked in a while.

It's been about 35 years since I golfed regularly, are there any golf balls the have liquid cores with rubber bands anymore? Or all they all solid core now?
 
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I haven't tried the golf ball idea...still have some new file handles bought years ago. I'll give it a whirl...bettin' "dead" free golf balls will work fine...lol.
 
That's a good idea. I'll have to remember that.

So after you've used the golf ball awhile will the hole in the side correct my slice?
 
Boy.... can't help you there! I have a serious "chip" on my shoulder with golf..... way back when I was an E4, my 1st Sgt used to make me "go golfing" with the Commander...... which meant I was his "caddy"...... have had a sour taste in my mouth for golf ever since! :)
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
Boy.... can't help you there! I have a serious "chip" on my shoulder with golf..... way back when I was an E4, my 1st Sgt used to make me "go golfing" with the Commander...... which meant I was his "caddy"...... have had a sour taste in my mouth for golf ever since! :)
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Sorry to hear that Ed. Actually I haven't golfed in years. But I do like to poke fun at the golf world on a regular basis. :)
 
This was shared to me by Ed when I first started and had little to no budget! I like them way better than "real" file handles! The only good thing about Golf is the "19th Hole"!
 
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I've got a handful of golf ball handled tools out in the shop as we speak. Another trick I saw somebody do a while back (maybe it was Wranglerstar on youtube?) was to press a steel nut into the golf ball in order to give it a little more strength when you press your file tang in. The nut has a larger outer surface area, and the file tang won't wallow the inside out as easily.

One addition note: Not all golf balls work for this! hahhaha. I remember drilling into a few golf balls years ago that had some kind of goop in them. It was super sticky and oozed out all over my hands, drill press, and drill bit, and made a huge mess. Another brand had something like rubber bands compressed on the inside of the balls, so that when drilled, they erupted out of the ball like a volcano.
Live and learn I guess. hahah
 
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