Editing File (tool) (section)

{{Short description|Tool used to remove fine amounts of material}}
{{About|files of linear form|rotary files|Burr (cutter)}}
{{About|the shaping tool|the computer software tool|file (command)}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2010}}
[[File:Surface of a file.jpg|thumb|Detail of a double-cut flat file showing cutting surfaces on both wide and narrow faces]]

A '''file''' is a [[tool]] used to remove fine amounts of material from a workpiece. It is common in [[woodworking]], [[metalworking]], and other similar trade and hobby tasks.  Most are [[hand tool]]s, made of a [[case hardened]] [[steel]] bar of rectangular, square, triangular, or round cross-section, with one or more surfaces cut with sharp, generally parallel [[Tine (structural)|teeth]]. A narrow, pointed [[Tang (tools)|tang]] is common at one end, to which a [[handle]] may be fitted.<ref name="lye 12" >{{harvnb|Lye|1993|pp=12–13}}.</ref>

A [[rasp]] is a form of file with distinct, individually cut teeth used for coarsely removing large amounts of material.<ref name="facts">{{cite book |title=Facts About Files |date=1930 |url=https://archive.org/details/ObergFactsAboutFiles/page/n7/mode/2up |publisher=C.O. Öberg & Co.}}</ref>

Files have also been developed with abrasive surfaces, such as natural or synthetic [[diamond tool|diamond grains]] or [[silicon carbide]], allowing removal of material that would dull or resist steel files, such as [[ceramic]].