# a file as a lever, good or bad?



## ship (Nov 22, 2007)

a tech person today inquired with me if he could use my file as a lever with a eye bolt in re-thrading the eye bolt's screw portion. Fit perfect in the hole - the hole to a half cheseborough, perfect solution he thought.

Besides the concept of being my own file and instead giving him a #3 Phillips screw driver in its place that was also mine, what was my concern with a file as a leverage tool in such an instance or in general over a screw driver?


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## Charc (Nov 22, 2007)

It took another read to realize I totally misread that last-time.


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## avkid (Nov 22, 2007)

Does it have something to do with the inherent weakness of the handle because of the taper at that end?


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## soundlight (Nov 22, 2007)

From my understanding of metals, the metal of a file is much more brittle and prone to shattering and stabbing people in the eyes with small shards than a screwdriver. The taper on the handle also doesn't help, but I don't think that this is the main reason. You could always grab it below the handle if you were wearing gloves. But the brittle nature of the metal is the problem here.

Another issue could be that of the file eating in to the eye bolt, changing the SWL. Also, if a piece of manila or nylon rope (versus wire rope) were put through the eye bolt, the little spurs that the file makes could cut through the rope or line, causing whatever was attached to it to fall down and hurt people below.


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## icewolf08 (Nov 23, 2007)

Frankly i wouldn't want to use a file as a lever because it would be a real bummer to file my hands.


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## tomed101 (Nov 25, 2007)

Wouldn't the pressure on the file, screw up the cutting teeth, making the file blunt?


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## ship (Nov 25, 2007)

tomed101 said:


> Wouldn't the pressure on the file, screw up the cutting teeth, making the file blunt?



Hmm, high carbon steel of the file, verses the tool steel of the screwdriver in the same eyebolt.


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## ship (Nov 25, 2007)

icewolf08 said:


> Frankly i wouldn't want to use a file as a lever because it would be a real bummer to file my hands.


At least at first we are getting somewhere in concept or starting statement.


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## rmarston (Nov 25, 2007)

Bad idea - files are typically made from hardened steel or carbon steel - very brittle - it's gunna break if it's used as lever. If it doesn't break then you'll have damaged teeth where it was used as a pry bar. Then, of course there's the damaged techy from screwing up my file.


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## sobenson (Nov 25, 2007)

To really answer your question, ask your self, if you were on your knees screwing in the eye bolt yourself, you had the file in your pocket, and your tools were 20 feet away would you have gotten up to grab a screw driver or would you have used the file. Also are you really concerned about the file or more upset about the stupidity of the user?


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## Van (Nov 25, 2007)

sobenson said:


> To really answer your question, ask your self, if you were on your knees screwing in the eye bolt yourself, you had the file in your pocket, and your tools were 20 feet away would you have gotten up to grab a screw driver or would you have used the file. Also are you really concerned about the file or more upset about the stupidity of the user?


 
Ah now you're being too realistic !
I like the answer a question with a question thing though, reminds me of a nice Rabbi I met once. 

Files should never be used as a lever. They are Files. Regardless of what the composistion of the metal, high carbon, low carbon, the file is tempered to produce a hardness that causes it to be able to function as a file. Damaging the teeth of the file is pretty much impossible, when being used on a piece of hardware, the danger of this situation is when the file explodes. The result of using a files a a prying device is lot of little shards of hardened steel flying all over the place.


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