sharpening your Files

[oldman23]

Hi everyone

If your a tool guy like I am you become accustomed to using the same tools especially your files.

When they start to get dull many people just throw them out or grind them down for a knife blade.

Files are pretty reasonably priced unless you want a good one then you have to pay good money for it. Why throw it out just because it's getting dull?

Years ago files were really expensive and the men that made a living with them carried them from job to job.

An old German machinist taught me this years ago and it works on all types of files.

the only thing you need to buy if you don't have one is a file card or file cleaner as they are sometimes called like the one I posted below.

FILE CARD

Take your half worn out files and clean them first then find a tin can like an empty paint can or coffee can put your files in it and fill it with tap water.

Set the files outside so they can rust.

Once the rust starts building up on the file,

Simply use your file card and brush the file along the angle of the cutting edge.

That's all their is to it.

Since a file is so hard the only way to sharpen them is to let nature do it for you.

I was a machinist and Machine builder and I still sharpen and use my Grand Fathers Files dated to the turn of the last century.

[Guest Gramps-xrds]

You can also dip them in some acid for a while after their cleaned. I've done this and it'll work too. You'll need to neutralize the acid with some baking soda. An old machinist told me that one too.

[diymirage]

you know, when i bought my files set it came with one of them ther thingamabobbers

i always just thought it was a cat brush