Clogged Files

[tflnemesis]

Hi all,

Recently a friend of mine started clearing his garage and came across some old tools. They used to belong to his father in law who was an engineer at Tarmac most of his life. My mate won't use them and he thought i might get some use out of them.

The real find was a plastic tray with about 50 files/rasps in it, various profiles and grades. I have made a tank for de-rusting and put a selection through for a few hours today.

Unfortunately nearly all of them are showing signs of being clogged with something. It looks like its either some sort of powdered dross that has set hard or something was filed before it had gone off and has set on the blade.

Mug for scale. Is the one 2nd in from right some sort of reamer? It is triangular with smooth faces but has nice edges on it.

Profiles and a bit closer on the material clogging them.

Rest of profiles.

What is going to be the best way of removing the debris? I tried a cup wire wheel in my drill press but it was quite difficult to remove and I don't know if my press will stand up to the abuse.

On the finer ones I am also worried about damaging the hatching on the blades from the wire brush.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I would like to save them all!

Also found an old soldering iron... the tip must be 3/4" square 2 1/2" long of solid copper!!

 

[gordon stephenson]

First give them a good brushing with a file card. Any that have lost the edge on the teeth can benefit from a little soak in sulphuric acid (battery acid) be careful.

 

[Richard.]

A wire wheel on a decent bench grinder would probably do it. When I say decent I mean one you can put pressure on without stalling the wheel.
Failing that get a wire cup on a grinder and do them in the vice. A drill press isn't the tool and could end up knackering it for the sake of a few rusty files.

 

[brightspark]

try dipping them in dilute sulphuric acid for an hour it will put a sharp edge on them if nowt else and might loosen whatever is on them

 

[brightspark]

lol Gordon beat me to it

 

[gordon stephenson]

Great minds, Brightspark. Also when using in future give the files a good rubbing with French chalk to help prevent clogging.

 

[brightspark]

Great minds, Brightspark. Also when using in future give the files a good rubbing with French chalk to help prevent clogging.

great I have 50 sticks of it . bought them for 50 pence the lot

 

[Pete.]

I keep a full-size brass wire brush in my file drawer, it never fails to clear the pinning.

 

[Paul.]

Brass wire brush or a file card is better than a powered wire brush, its very easy to polish the sharp edge off the teeth with a powered brush.

 

[gordon stephenson]

It was always drummed into me when serving my apprenticeship that new files shoul always be used on a soft material first brass etc.

 

[Maker]

Is the one 2nd in from right some sort of reamer? It is triangular with smooth faces but has nice edges on it.

I believe it's a bearing scraper.

 

[arther dailey]

yup,bearing scraper.

 

[sardine]

In the gun making trade we used a squashed bit of copper pipe to scrub out the swarf. ( Across the teeth side to side, not lengthways )

The one far right is called a " Millenicut " probably spelt wrong, but its for roughing off big cuts.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Before you go mad with a wire brush and use lots of energy, sock the files in paint stripper. It will soften the material.

You will need to fit handles the tangs, they can hurt.

The bearing scraper, 2nd from right, will love you with a dip in vegetable acid. It will bring it up a treat and show the pattern in the metal.

 

[brightspark]

rough b. stard file that is

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@brightspark
That was a bit course, I expect some one to second that if any one is smooth or square enough.

 

[arther dailey]

Looks like concrete on one of them, or could be car filler..

 

[brightspark]

Looks like concrete on one of them, or could be car filler..

if its concrete a bit of brick acid will soon remove it .grit blasting will serve 2 purposes

 

[tflnemesis]

Thanks for the replies guys, some useful information for me.

I know I need some new handles as only 8 of them have handles fitted and I wouldn't use a file with the tang uncovered. Looking around on the web I see I can pick up new handles for pennies.

I am going to have another go with de-rusting some of the others today and try and straighten the bent tangs ready for new handles when I get em.

I am very happy that I will have a file for most jobs that might need one.

I might get my butt in gear and sort through the rest of stuff I have been given and take some pics of all of it.
One gem of a find was a little 12v lab bench PSU that runs @ 6A that is now running my de-rusting vat, I'll try and get some pics up later today.

 

[outofthefire]

I know I need some new handles as only 8 of them have handles fitted and I wouldn't use a file with the tang uncovered. Looking around on the web I see I can pick up new handles for pennies.

I've loads of files and half a dozen different handles, I just knock them off on the side of the bench after i've used them and a gentle tap sets them on whichever file I use next.