What is the best way to clean a file

[Bjorn]

How are you cleaning your files the best and easy way? I use file card and brakeclean and compressed air. But I need some more tips and trix. Especially Square files because they are exspensiv. Regards Bjorn

 

[Wilhelm]

Cotton cloth and/or leader glove.

 

[Catman]

I use a toothbrush.

 

[Czed]

White vinegar

 

[CR888]

I use a toothbrush.

#Metoo

 

[peak-industry]

try steel wire brush

 

[Wolverine]

75% of the time I use toothbrushes and every so often they get the filecard.

 

[Philbert]

White vinegar

I heard similar claims about files and phosphoric acid many years ago (vinegar is acetic acid).

The idea is that the acid eats away at the flat parts of the teeth, crating a new, sharp edge. But why would the acid attack only the large, flat areas of the teeth, and not the fine corners / edges, which are surrounded on all sides? Why would it not attack the thinnest, most vulnerable parts first, dulling the fine edges?

Skeptical, I tried this once, and did not get any noticeable results. The biggest improvement was simply from cleaning the teeth. If vinegar, or the preparation mentioned in the video, help with that, that may be the only benefit.

I use a file card or stiff brush to clean my files. Files are a consumable, like sandpaper. Treat them well (e.g. don't let them bang around against other things in your toolbox or on the workbench), and replace them when dull.

Philbert

 

[USMC615]

I use a toothbrush.

...or a good ol’ brass bristle brush.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Rubbing some chalk on a file prior to use keeps it from loading up.

Sent from my SM-T860 using Tapatalk

 

[CR888]

I've heard all the file tricks too but they are simple consumables that get tossed. Good technique, a few taps & a few cleans with a large toothbrush is all I do. Trying to re-sharpen with acid might be OK for bigger files that are more expensive but I ain't mucking round with that, some find it hard accepting when a file is done but your best off trashing a saw file grabbing a fresh one & getting on with life.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

Used toothbrushes for me as well.
in fact tooth brushes are very handy for many saw cleaning duties as I don’t have an air compressor

 

[andyshine77]

I just use air. I tried vinegar on a few square files, didn't work for me personally. Round files are too cheap to mess with other than just using air.

 

[redlinefever]

Machinist friend showed me a trick years ago! Take a piece of copper pipe flatten it with a hammer then use said piece of copper to push all the crap out of the teeth works real good better than any file card will

 

[Wonkydonkey]

Machinist friend showed me a trick years ago! Take a piece of copper pipe flatten it with a hammer then use said piece of copper to push all the crap out of the teeth works real good better than any file card will

Sorry, but how does that work

 

[redlinefever]

I’ll post a pic when I head out to the shop of ease of explanation

 

[redlinefever]

You use it to push out the filings the copper is soft and molds it self to the teeth

 

[Xr650jkallen]

I have coated a few in hot glue. Once the glue hardens up, you pull it off and it takes the shavings with it.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

I can see round files being a bit slow and more difficult with the flat copper pipe

But can see how it works on a flat raker file now

 

[Bjorn]

I can see round files being a bit slow and more difficult with the flat copper pipe

But can see how it works on a flat raker file now

If you make the tube flat and drill a hole so the file fit You can use it for roundfiles too