looking for advice (for extending the life of metal files)

[david bailey]

does anyone know how to make metal files last? i have used files for years but they dont seem to last/i always have to keep extra ones on hand so when they get dull i have new ones ready to go.i basicllay clean them when they get full of shavings.i use a wire brush and a brass brush.if there really clogged up i use a little lacquer thinner.i main use my files for fileing and shapeing when use ing putties'then i sand with sandpaper for final shapeing.the materials iuse is balsa wood or plastic for my scratch builds or when i fill a seam in a model.should i coat my files with cutting fluid or oil tomake them last?i know someone can help me out there with advice/i just know maybe theres a tip i need to know.any help any body can give would be usefully.thanks.

[Kylwell]

Boy...I've had mine for some 20+ years, never saw the need to replace them. Smack them on the table edge to knock the worse of the junk out. Sometimes blast them with compressed air to clean them. Never taken a brush to them. They do make brushes of some form specifically for cleaning files. Perhaps one of those.

[TER-OR]

I use a stainless steel spiral brush to clean metal out of my little files - the hazard of metal minis...

You can always wet-file to reduce the build-up. I do this with epoxy and resin. A little cup of water nearby will be all you need.

[Mark Yungblut]

I use a file brush to clean my files. You can find them at most hardware stores.

[tonyG2]

Most of the above.

I've used a wire brush in a dremel to speed the cleaning process.

But one other tip (if you can afford it) is to have two sets of files. One for plastic and wood and the other for metal.

[Migmaker]

I would nevr use steel brushes on files , I also clean em as soon as I see a build up starting, i usually only need brass wire brushes to do the job.. ohh and only brush 1 direction, away from the file, not back and forth, this is what dulls the teeth..
Hope me thoughts help a bit
Will

[Mr. Badwrench]

You can buy a file card at the hardware store, it's a wide, flat wire brush with brass bristles about 1/8 inch long. I've used a wire wheel in a dremel tool to clean hardened epoxy out of files, but I've found that it wears the teeth out quickly. Files only cut in one direction, by pushing forward across the material. Sure they will remove a little material when drawing back, just as a was will remove a little material when running backwards. But it is not very efficient, and will bend the teeth over with time and dull things up.

A file card is generally all you need to clean your files. But if they are really gunked up, (say after you've been filing on some not completely cured Bondo), then drop your files into an old coffee can full of mineral spirits for fifteen minutes, then brush them off with the file card.

[Chacal]

Are they really dull, or are they greasy? I have a tendency to have oily hands, and, unlike machine oil, which helps the file, hand grease makes the teeth slide off without cutting anything. So... when I do my filing, I keep working always with the same side of the file, so hand grease stays on the side not being used. After use, I dip them in Isopropyl alcohol and run a toothbrush through the files. That takes the grease right off. It is also a good idea to do that with your files even if your hands aren't all that greasy, because a little bit of it will start a corrosion process as the grease is acidic, and, unless you wear gloves, your hands will transfer grease AND salty/acidic sweat to the file.

Also, are you using good files? Some of the Chinese made ones are made from an awfully bad steel, and will get dull very quickly, not to mention rusting.

I've had my set (swiss made) for some sixteen years and they're fine.

[david bailey]

i will try some of the advice given.my files are good ones craftsman and some cheap knock off files.i have tried both they just don't last,either ones.the craftsman are good but for the price i buy cheap ones and keep them on hand when needed.the craftsman cost $45.99 a pop while the cheap ones cost $7.00 apop at big lots.i do have two types of brushes i clean with /some soft brass ones i got at the hardware store and regular wire brushes. when they really get funky i use lacquer thinner or mineral spirits.but the promblem is they get get dull quick/i just want to extend the life of them.i also dont use the same file i rotate them around so the wear is not as bad.i also use the cheap ones for the sanding and use the good ones for final shaping.i have coated a couple with vaseline to help keep the gunk down for easier cleaning.also the most hard material is the putty/balsa wood is not as bad.i also use different plastic materails in different thickness for building. another thing i do is file a certain way in one direction picking up the file on the end stroke.i never just file without doing this.i also know you get what you paid for and i'm probably should'nt buy cheap files as this might be my problem.but i have a family and any way i can save money i will.for really tough sanding and shaping i use my trustie motor tools.i tend to use my dreamel or my air files/or die grinder.along with these i have my electric sanders for different jobs.thanks for those who responded to my question.i don't know everthing thats why i asked to see what the response's would be from other modelers.david bailey.

[DX-SFX]

Buy the best quality files you can afford and try putting talcum powder on them. You can also gently heat them (not so hot that they lose their temper) to soften resins or other sticky materials that have clogged the teeth. If they're clogged with copper or aluminium, try filing a piece of mild steel to clear the softer metals.