how to sharpen a file?

[jimbob]

Originally Posted by Fionnbharr (finn:-)

Files and rasps have teeth, and generally come in: single cut, double cut, bastard cut, and mill bastard.
Single cut will tend to leave a smoother finish and is better for draw filing.
Bastard cut will tend to cut more aggressively and remove material faster.
Mill Bastard cuts pretty aggressively, and you can leave a reasonably smooth finish if you are careful.
This is my memory we are talking about, not neccessarily how the file manufacturers characterize them, for what it is worth;-)

The bodifile you have was probably designed for cleaning up bondo repairs in autobody work, I have a curved belly file like that, with no teeth on the sides or back, it was not supper aggressive on steel even brand new, again for what it is worth;-)

their calle Vixen files for non ferrious metal or wood or plastic they work great for shaving gunstocks ...I like to use them to shape the handle on my forging hammers bearley need to sand them

[Covforge]

Jimbob is right they look like the newer body files. The older ones usually had screw holes in each end and screwed to a handle like a plane. they didn't have the handle on the end.

[Finnr]

Covforge is exactly right. I used to puddle lead on auto bodies when they weren't made out of used beer cans. The same body files I used for that are now being sold by high dollar woodworking suppliers for shaping wood.
Finnr

[Jmercier]

An acid soak can bring new life to old files up to a point by etching off burrs and deposits, but after 1 or 2 soaks the file is probably best used as more stock for making something than filing. I pick up used nicholson files for .25 each used in bulk occasionally and use what i can, and the rest go into the stock pile.

[ThomasPowers]

I bought a couple of boxes of used farrier's rasps and the boxes had the address of where to send them to be resharpened on it!

[teejay]

you have a file for non-ferrous metals and body filler (lead), I have a couple at work marked Alum.that has the same tooth configuration.It is a fast cutting file so be careful when doing finish work.

[JohnW]

Alexander Weyger has a short discussion of cleaning, acid sharpening, and reshaping worn files and rasps.

[Dan OHare]

If you have an "old" Nicholson file hang onto it. Like many a good quality product that used to be made here in the U.S.A. the Nicholson file is still available but it is NOT the same product that was so trusted in years past.
I too have a few of them, and some Blue Point files which are the Snap-On off brand and some with no marks that prove their worth. There were several others as well from the days when most goods were worth their price because they were made well with integrity and the companies that made them strove to produce merit in their wares.
Consumers come to trust a product by its worth measured in use. That's how good corporate names are earned by companies over the years, a good item does the job well and lasts.
Unfortunately, like so many other products we have all known and trusted for so long, Nicholson files have gone south of the border with the usual resultant drop in quality, but as usual the price is the same.
Same product? NO. Same price? YES.
Maybe some suit got himself a new Lambourghini but today's product is not the same.
I keep my files in a wooden box, like a little vertical bookcase. They lay on oiled shop rags, like shelf paper in the cupboard, Handles out in the air, easy to grab and the oil doesn't come in contact with the wooden handles. (WD-40)
To clean a file and keep it that way periodically during use have a "file card" on hand. This is just a wire brush made specifically for this purpose, it has a flat sheet metal back about 2"x4" and a wire handle. The bristles are only about 1/8". Or just use a wire brush but a file card does work very well.
Like any other tool, keep 'em clean and don't neglect them, but files are especially finicky- SO KEEP 'EM CLEAN AND DON'T NEGLECT THEM.Dan

[Fionnbharr (finn:-)]

Here is the link to Nicholson files and the website has a lot of information carefully hidden in the file descriptions of patterns and types... Nicholson®-files and rotary burs

If you are interested in drooling over some really cool files go to Grobet USA look under products... Files... Swiss Precision Files there are all kinds of other cool types of files in other sections but this section has information on the patterns, the number of teeth per inch for each type of cut and stuff very cool. They are an internation industrial supplier, so you have to contact them to get real prices, and the prices aren't going to be cheap on the good stuff but very cool stuff.

[Feukair]

I think i'm gonna keep it for when i work with copper...

I might try that waxing then etching thing, that make sense, the wax if put on in the right direction, protects the tops of the little "blades" and the etch gets underneath to cleat out and etch the underside of the blades.

Thanks for all the great info!