Homage Forum

What do you guys recommend for screw head files?

I see Grobert carries eight different sizes, but they run close to $40US for each file. I'm looking for more in the hobby price range. Didn't see too much listed on the usual Chinese sites but maybe I'm searching for the wrong terms.

binbin wrote: ↑January 5th, 2020, 7:35 pm What do you guys recommend for screw head files?

I see Grobert carries eight different sizes, but they run close to $40US for each file. I'm looking for more in the hobby price range. Didn't see too much listed on the usual Chinese sites but maybe I'm searching for the wrong terms.

I can't be of much help here, because I "inherited" a set of the ones you mentioned....

I sometimes use a flat file and then a triangular file with which I gentle "wipe" off the excess material and then I polish the screw head.

Try "slotting" file as well. You might get lucky if you can find one small enough. Mine are all antiques that came out of assortments of stuff that I've bought over the years.

If I'm not mistaken there are other methods used to slot a screw as well. If you have a lathe and verticle mill, I have read that you can use saw blades intended for slotting screws. Any carbide saw blade with the correct thickness should work though I would imagine. You might have better luck sourcing generic saw blades than specialty tools.

Just a thought.

they are expensive, but they are well worth it and last quite a while.

Thank you for the replies guys. I'm going to have to start the hunt for a few vintage ones or a good used deal.


@thelonedoc, I have a few blades and have slotted screw heads with them. I could probably use a bunch of smaller blades also.

@unreformed, Slotting files. Good idea. That did bring up a few more expensive options.