Sharpening metal files?

Re: Sharpening metal files?

BrianFromMonumentCO

Are your files clean?

A good file brush can help.

I don't know about acid sharpening.

+1 on this...

Barry Irby

I have been tempted to try vinegar but have not. David Marks did an episode on this when he had a show. I should have paid more attention.

I do know that you clean the files thoroughly first to get oil and debris off. Then soak them for a while. "While" being a highly variable term. Then wash off the acid.

Re: Sharpening metal files?

Joseph Bradshaw

Check out Dale Derry on Youtube. He has a video on sharpening files.

Joe

I have used Vinegar..

Ron in Sterling, CT

to "sharpen" many old files. I first clean them as best I can with a file brush. I will also use mineral spirits and an old tooth brush if they are oily or greasy. I then immerse them in a bottle of vinegar and let them set. Set time will vary from 12 to 24 hours. When I take them out I immediately rinse them with boiling hot water, then IMMEDIATELY dry them with a heat gun set on low heat. If you don't they will rust within a couple of hours. They are not as good as new, but if it is a decent file it will work much better for a period of time. My 2 cents.

Ron

Re: Sharpening metal files?

Don Stephan

On this or another forum a few months ago someone suggested the typical file card we have all used for decades can itself dull the cutting edges of metal files. It was recommended to use a piece of copper water pipe instead, but no insight as to orientation of the water pipe and the file teeth. Perhaps push the cut end parallel across the file cutting edges?

Re: Sharpening metal files?

ben d.

Here is a company that sharpens files and other tooling, prices seem ok. I have not used them but know others that have and they were satisfied.

ben d.

https://boggstool.com/

Re: Sharpening metal files?

ben d.

Here is a company that sharpens files and other tooling, prices seem ok. I have not used them but know others that have and they were satisfied.

ben d.

https://boggstool.com/

Re: Sharpening metal files?

John in NM

I tried this with some nitric acid - I was making ferric nitrated and figured I'd sharpen some files before dropping scrap metal in. I think I was using 10%.

Tried with an old chainsaw file first, as those are cheap, and I left it in far too long and pretty well dissolved half of it. I think that was a few hours. Based on that, I sharpened a good hand cut rasp in something like 20 minutes, and was happy with the results.

I would definitely experiment with some files you don't care about first, like my chainsaw file. Vinegar shouldn't be as aggressive as the nitric was.

Re: Sharpening metal files?

John in NM

I tend to think the worry over a card dulling a file is a bit overwrought, but I have used brass or copper to clean a file before. I prefer a flat piece to a bit of pipe, but one could always flatten pipe if it were the only available material. I would anneal it first - just heat with a propane torch.

You do run the flattened copper with the file cuts - parallel to them. Depending on width you clean maybe a half inch at a time, then move on. The much softer metal conforms to the cuts on the file but still knocks loose old cuttings and usually anything glommed into a cut like soft aluminum.

I used to flatten old rifle cartridge cases for this when I did more metal work.

Re: Sharpening metal files?

paul in AZ

I just tried vinegar on a couple of old beat-up files.

Soaked 24 hours, rinsed off and dried in the oven.

Hard to quantify improvement but the teeth do seem sharper to the touch.

Keeping files clean

BrianFromMonumentCO

While in gunsmith school, we were advised that chalk could be "cut" by the file to make the filing debris release easier.

But in the end the file card/brush was the tool used to make a file clean. And do it often. Appears to me that the direction of use may have lead to concerns of dulling files. Yet I have no info on dulling by carding/brushing files. Someone who builds metal woodworking planes may have a view on this and other file issues.

Re: Keeping files clean

Don Evans

Never bring your file back to you with it dragging on the metal you are filing.

This is what damages the file the worst.

Push the file away from you cutting the metal, lift it up and bring it back to you, then repeat over and over this way.

You can buy what is called file chalk, the only thing that is special about it as far as I know is its physical size. It's fat maybe 1" diameter, and I think it makes cleaning easier but needs to be done immediately before and after using the file.

I use a file brush and I don't see how it can do any damage to a hardened file!

Don

Re: Sharpening metal files?

Rick W

I have used Boggs several times and can highly recommend them.

I have also used citric acid to sharpen files with success.

Rick W