Files dull?

B

Buzzard217

Joined
Feb 16, 2011
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I have sharpened/reprofiled several axes and its seems like my trusty file isnt cutting like it use to. Do files get dull? Any way to bring life back to them?
 
I've read that submerging worn files in vinegar overnight will give them new life. Haven't tried it yet. A Google search for File Sharpen Vinegar will bring up more info about this.
 
Files do get dull, and I don't think they can be "un-dulled". If it's just jammed up with metal shavings or other debris, you can use a file card to clear it out.
 
Steve Tall said:
I've read that submerging worn files in vinegar overnight will give them new life. Haven't tried it yet. A Google search for File Sharpen Vinegar will bring up more info about this.
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I think I'll give that a try. Collectively we should be able to get a pretty good idea of how effective this is, there must be dozens of us here on BF that have a bottle of vinegar and a dull file.
 
I have used my file card on it so its not just clogged. It might take a vinegar bath tonight and see what happens.
 
Yup, I deal with files all day at work and will tell you they occasionally need to be replaced. The "bastard" files we use to sharpen our tools (pulaski's, digs, etc...) are changed out I would say on average once a month over the summer. Keep in mind though that that is with daily use. Like Trailmaker said, keep the metal shavings out of the gullets by wiping against a pant leg or even use a brush. Honestly though new file make a world of difference but you might need to shell out a few bucks. Just checked online and you can pick up bulk packs for between $50 - $70 and I would see no reason a dozen files wouldn't last the casual user for at least a decade, probably quite a bit longer. Also, look for files between 10"-12", as they say bigger is better. Hope that helps.

-S
 
i have a drawer full of dull files, we eventually make stick tang knives from dull files,
a brass brush will help clean out filings
buzz
 
Yup--they dull over time. Pretty darn sure nothing will bring them back to life either. They have sharp edges just like knives or chisels do, and soaking a knife in vinegar does nothing for the edge. If anything it'll corrode it. Keep your files clean, dry, don't knock them about on stuff, and only use pushing strokes and your files will last plenty long, though.
 
And if you run into steel that is harder than your file, quit filing. Pushing harder and harder will only ruin your file...trust me, I know...;)
 
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FortyTwoBlades said:
Yup--they dull over time. Pretty darn sure nothing will bring them back to life either. They have sharp edges just like knives or chisels do, and soaking a knife in vinegar does nothing for the edge. If anything it'll corrode it. Keep your files clean, dry, don't knock them about on stuff, and only use pushing strokes and your files will last plenty long, though.
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Yeah I'm wondering if the improvement people see from a vinegar soak comes from removing caked on debris that won't come off easily with a pant swipe or file card.
 
I read somewhere not to long ago that theres a place that reconditions files for a small price they soak them in some kind of acid if i remember right you can only do this once will look around and see if i can find them.
 
I am currently working on a bucket of files that I got at a flea market. They are quite dull and rusted and cloggeed with just about everything. The best way I have found to clean them is soaking them in white distilled vinegar. It breaks up the rust and any wood or metal shaving in the teeth. It will also remove tiny burrs and nicks on the teeth that kinda acts like sharpening. It also works on saw blades I have found out. I'm just not sure how many times it'll work.
 
In Weyger's The Complete Modern Blacksmith he describes 'sharpening' files by soaking them in battery acid for 12 to 24 hours.

First he suggests cleaning them with a brass wire brush which won't dull the edges. Then he goes to say that stubborn chips of metal can be cleaned out with a piece of brass 1"x8"x1/16". Run the end of the brass parallel to the teeth of the file and the file will cut grooves in the brass strip. The brass will then push out the chips.

After soaking files in battery acid Weyger recommends rinsing them for an hour to get every last bit of acid out of the surface of the metal.

There's some other stuff in the book, too, but I'll leave that for you to discover.
 
Files are "consumable" tools..Like sand paper..Save yourself the headach and buy a new one..
 
They cost a little more than sandpaper so even if you're not going to go to the trouble of acid sharpening them it still pays to know how to clean them properly, whether it be by filecard or brass. A bucket of your waste files, acid sharpened, might supply a simple hobbyist for years.
 
We use our files to make strikers and patch knives...We also go thru so many files in the blacksmith shop that its just easier to replace them..Pay $6-$10 for a file, use it up, make something out of it and sell it for $25..Win-Win :D
Your right, you should know how to clean one with a file card..It adds life to the file and cuts better..
 
Does anyone rub chalk into a new file to help prevent clogging?
I've seen this recommended in Bushcraft and perhaps other books.
Haven't tried this yet myself.
 
I've started doing this whenever I'm filing soft metals like aluminum or brass. It definitely reduces clogging, though it doesn't eliminate it.
 
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