You can actually hear the difference between the old side and the side you just cleaned up towards the end of the video. Very nice. Thank you, I am going to try this.
Great video thanks for sharing 👍 I was handed down my great grandfather and my grandfather's files... I've been slowly restoring them as I need them but after seeing this I think its time to spend a day bringing them all back to life. Thanks again!!!
Thanks Glenn, followed your system and a couple of nights immersed in vinegar with an inherited rusty collection. You were quite right, it's not sharpening just total clean out, but they feel like new tools.
Cleaning is a great first step. More dirty files are tossed than dull ones. I have been a proponent of acid sharpening for years. It will sharpen files that are dull. It won't restore missing teeth. One easy way to improve the filing process is to use a piece of soap stone to coat the file before use. The soap stone is slippery and prevents the chips from clinging to the file. You can buy soap stone for marking steel at hardware and welding suppliers. With the soap stone and a file card you can keep your files clean and sharp longer.
Hilarious. I went googling. Found this video and went watching. And I kept saying to myself.. I know this voice! It sounds like the tree guy I watch ... and omg it *is* you 😂😂😂. Handy tip too.. TY
That is a cool trick. For the files I have cleaned, I have had some good luck using a handheld steel wire brush (like your brass one but steel), as so far most of my debris were just wood vs metal. I will keep your trick in mind if I run into files with much more serious clogs. Thanks :)
I used a flat head and it worked!! I honestly had no idea how to restore my files if it wasn't for your video so much thnx for your tips and knowledge.
I heard a flattened out piece of copper works amazing for this too. I tried it on a few of my old files and they came out just like new but felt abit sharper too
Like you sir, I collected tons of those through the years and I found out the best way to do that efficiently is actually to use a metal wire wheel on a hand drill. It does it steadily, nicely and in no time. Thanks for sharing this video with us. Regards.
I think I'll stick to the 24 to 48 hour depending on severity 6% vinegar bath along with a file card rub down followed up with an immediate baking soda wash then top it all off with industrial silicone spray. That has kept my grandfathers Nicholson files working like brand new for 17 years now,but then again maybe it's just all about the craftsmanship?
What a Nice trick! Thanks for sharing bro! Im going to try this! Love you file collection! My Condolences to you, Sorry about your Friend. Nice tools to remember him by. Im sure he loved those files and is glad to see you cleaning them up! Have a great Day!
In 1980 my father brought home a bottle of something like "deactivated acid" and used it to rust a file that was no longer as good as it was when new. He told me that the corrosion ate all blunt nosed file teeth is such a way that they became less blunt (more material removal at the sharp corners of the blunt tooth). Two things happen when a file is rusted in acid: blunt teeth become sharper and the file is degreased. A machine shop is always a place with a lot of oil/grease. Oil and grease are things that can ruin the cutting job; so, a degreased file will always cuts better than before the degreasing. My father told me to avoid touching the file with my fingers, our skin have oil and, on a machine shop, much more oil is expected. Since my father started on machining in the end of the fifties I assumed he was right. I removed a lot of rust from my files this week using muriatic acid, they are not like new, but they are much better today than they were last week. I rusted two old and stressed files with a strong bleach, it worked. Muriatic acid is safe and almost harmless if used with care.
I have a very old machinery hand book that illustrates a way to sharpen files. Basically it directs a jet of high pressure steam to which is added fine sand to the backside of the teeth. The claim is that the sand wears away the back of the tooth and leaves it pointed again.
I have read that a "file card" is not a good idea because the steel bristles are too hard and can damage the file- dunno if its true or not though. I've read so much it becomes a religion about file care, just like the lore on chainsaw sharpening. But I have seen numerous suggestions to use a copper tube with flattened end because the copper is hard enough to get into the file crevices deeply and mechanically, but not too hard to damage or dull the file teeth. Also big arguments whether the chemical treatment with acid (muriatic, citric, etc.), drano, etc. followed by a base bath (baking soda, etc.) sharpens or just cleans. My surmise is its just the latter.
Copper pipe or tubing is the common medium for making a scraper for these. Another tip is to rub soapstone across the file before using it to keep the file from plugging up. Some use chalk but soapstone is the much better of the two.
Another thing you can do with old files is to grind a face flat. This will give you a sharp cutting edge and a safe edge. If the file already had a safe edge, then regrinding this will expose a new sharp cutting edge. Works best on square or triangular files, but enables you to file cleanly into corners.
Nearly, but not quite... Get a strip of soft metal (brass, nickel silver, copper at a pinch) and near the tang where the file is least used work the strip until it's toothed to the correct pitch, and spacing as the file's teeth. Now gradually work your way down the cutting surface lifting all the visible filings, but more importantly, you'll see all the minute, greasy, almost mud like residue, being lifted as well.. This was first shown to me, 40 years ago by an old engineer, who learnt it from an even older one 😉 My father didn't even know about it, snd he was a Watchmaker to trade! PS Rasps are slightly different, it may be possible to refresh those somewhat, by knocking new teeth, I suspect heat, and some Smithing might be involved, some very coarse files might benefit from the same treatment, but the costs will be perilously close to the price of a new replacement
Soft steel isn't soft enough, and will wear the file, copper is probably too soft (although I've never used it) As a professional Musical Instrument Technician l've always had access to scrap brass, and nickel silver (nickel silver is my preferred choice, slightly harder than brass)
Brilliant, thanks! I'll try it. Almost too good to be true. 'Thrilled to learn how to recover my files and rasps, and feel that brand-new bite again. =)
@@arboristBlairGlenn Thanks - yes, For the rasps I saw another vid that does - He first cleaned the rasp with a wire brush fitted in his drill press. Then he immersed it in sulfuric acid to sharpen it. See ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pFOelOG1mvM.html Your and his vid made my day. =)
yes! and im impressed at how much of a difference it made! now i got my diy file cleaner close at hand each time i use the files :D more than anything it prevents scratching of the work-piece, since it removes also the tiny shards of steel that gets stuck, so its saving a lot of time in my metal-work, not having to file of scratches!
Good one !, thanks. piece of hardwood works if clogging is not too hard. Many years ago i found a commercial business that re-sharpened files by sand blasting. It was at very low angle from handle end and used fine blast media. They resold files with logos removed. We tried and it did work. Never liked the acid or vinegar method.
I feel that a wire wheel would hit the tops of the ridges but not be very effective at cleaning out the gullets. A file card is good to a point but still can’t get to the bottoms of the grooves. This technique is the best I have seen.
@@arboristBlairGlenn dunno why i just completely forgot about the wire brush lol thanks, the one i have has been sitting at the bottom of a toolbox unused for some yrs so its a project for me to restore it as best i can.
Never mind my video started 1/4 way through. Thanks I have a collection as yourself. My relatives were Metalsmith a early 1930’s I was gifted these files that you cannot replace today.
I JUST DID ALL MY FILES USING THE ACID METHOD AND THEY ARE ALL LIKE BRAND NEW. I WAS SURPRISED HOW THEY TURNED OUT. I HAD A 6 INCH BRASS WIRE WHEEL I USED ON THEM AFTER THE ACID ETCHED THEM.
I've cleaned a bastard file with vinegar from the supermarket. Just over night and it cleaned off the rust, after I cleaned it with a copper tool similar to Blair's custom cleaning too. It was sharper than just using the cleaning tool, I used the bastard file to sharpen up the shovels so it gets clogged up pretty quickly.
Haze you are right about the name of one of these tools but wrong about the cost. A good rasp of this size is very expensive. A cheap 14" farriers rasp is between 15 and 25. These larger rasps are much more costly
arboristBlairGlenn oh. ok. thank you for sharing your knowlage I'm pretty young so I'm not nearly as familiar with tools . even though I'm a Smith lol but hey. thanks for the tip on cleaning the files.
8 to 15 bucks for some Cheap Chinese made ones Probably. But im sure his are old American Made ones which are much more Valuable because you cant them like that really anymore. Besides maybe Nicholsons files and raps. The quality just isnt the same and youll find that true with most New tools from over the Pond. Thats why im a firm believer in Good old U.S. made Tools or even German or French tools from Europe are Really Good too! Sheffield England i Beleive still makes Really Good quality Steel Tools that will last a lifetime.
A Nicholson 14in farrier rasp cost under 25.00 usd new. I think the big picture is. Take care of your good tools,and they'll serve you well And that Nicholson rasp I'm talking about is about 4 years old now an works just as well now as it did the day I got it,but the main thing is? I take care of it. I think that's something our elders did much more then we do now days. Because I remember my Dad always cleaning the tools when he was finished with them,and I still remember getting my ass whipped for messing with the tools. "They're not toys son!" "They're tools."
I hope you bought those in that bucket. I'm tires of seeing people toss them into a heap like that and then tell us how careful they are with tools. It dulls the hell out of them, but anybody with common sense knows that.
I am no expert on files but it may be worthwhile to pass on that there is a tool called a file card (or file brush). It is designed specifically for cleaning files of all types. It will make much quicker work of cleaning the file teeth. On occasions when there is excessive pinning (clogged teeth) then the procedure described in this video might be the method to use. Also note that using these mechanical cleaning methods still leaves debris in the teeth you can't see leading to less than 100% performance. I have seen on one of the professional fine woodworking shows use a chemical cleaner you can soak the files in after the mechanical cleaning to further remove the microscopic debris. It was a DIY network show whose name escapes me as well as the name of the cleaner (maybe Ferric Chloride??). And no...it was not vinegar.
jgrizzlybaer I neglected to say in the video, that o first used the file card. This method takes it a step beyond the file card. Acid is another process, but messy.
Yes, I agree your method is a good second step if needed. But afterwards a chemical cleaning will go all long way to further clean those files. Just be sure to put a rust-inhibiting protectant on the files immediately after ANY cleaning. By the way, the DIY show I mentioned demonstrating the chemical cleaner was Wood Works by David Marks. I still was not able to get to the name of the chemical cleaner used. Good luck to all and thanks arboristBlairGleen for a very worthwhile file cleaning tip!!!
Muhammed Gundogan your file must be too dull. Cleaning out the build up allows the file to work again but it does not bring it back to sharp. Most files stop working because they get clogged up. Yours must be too far gone.
Just boil your files in soda crystals dissolved in water. Cleans the file and also sharpens the teeth. Meanwhile you can get on with something else....
@@arboristBlairGlenn This is by far the longest URL I have ever seen... www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/dri-pak-soda-crystals--fine-1kg?catalogId=10241&productId=80742&storeId=10151&gclid=Cj0KCQiAt66eBhCnARIsAKf3ZNEqJ7UmMjOT0ugi1J_HJ0THPEg1rkdBnEozwoXctYXJuctv-gz6xm0aArDOEALw_wcB&langId=44&Google&krypto=ZNb3l60seqb%2Bg6ucLIMSnBni%2FJ6x1Z3oubPwq75%2FyfjCQb2hv9nO%2Biq4mj%2FT9o9lqCdCAscFLrU%2FuJCGFobUSKx9V2ueC6WgPC5ugs3KAa%2F0v%2BYZSEY8oUz8YbqC5fmYLk9qNndzvstP3ObtHYK1E4m7ikkSkXPoKQgDIKOE%2BdpeQV3dYiQFGkVWVNoLJRWRG4XSEmsH0Ym3QRe%2FyMtn22IFdYyIv%2FUBLHT0HaD5m2Fc%2FI2EvUvNOkbje%2BLWAZvr%2FEQY1C9A9LTUweeda7aVLMvyKBueAEDdLnZ8%2FYZ0iTnfrHRknAfxvS033%2FQtCO%2BaGPWpLEpeYVU9%2By21nnu%2FhKfDneybG5omOR3u5VO6qS5yrUlGH1YDZaQD3Ls%2BXfc8zWhZ5J542cgXByfRcxUwojCTw3OFRbQDTXWeZUBXtgdX3qYm2%2FKf1QO56uoo3LHYkh7vl%2FF%2B2WJNwfKsnHuAVjl5YCCVvZSXOV%2BUwdh96IENHQWWGKpdA948HsfL9A4Nr2ZyVhWfzWQLFEnU2P%2B48A%3D%3D&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Fdri-pak-soda-crystals--fine-1kg You can also use this stuff to clean out your washing machine. One cup in the drum then set it to hot wash. NO clothes in the drum. And the dishwasher. Cleans out all the calcium deposits etc., and its dirt cheap.
20 YO Federally Recognized Native American from CTWS, WarmSprings Oregon. I See the Worth of that Beautiful Collection of Files you have right there sir. Sadly I have about A solid 2 Files. But I do have a Plentiful Collection of Chinook/Sockey/Coho Salmon with Extras from this past Salmon Season. And I just finally put a close to my salmon season for the year so I can have time to cut fire Wood And hunt but my tribe put those seasons to a hold because of the heat. Would you be willing to Barter? I can send you my email.
