I worked in ski/snowboard shops for 17 years and used files every day on steel and plastic. A file card was my best friend. Chalking before starting work was always a good idea if I had some, and carding the file every few strokes really helped keep the file clean. I kept a pair of 8" and 10" mill bastard files in a drawer and I was the only one that used them. My files would be good as new for about 2 years of pretty heavy work while the rest of the guys in the shop would go through a half dozen in a season and beat them all to hell.

If someone needs a source for decent files at a not-too-terribly steep price, try a sporting goods store that has a ski shop. They usually carry them for sale to the people that like to tune their own gear. You can also get file cards, usually, and some shops will even sell what you guys seem to call Vixen or body files. The ski industry usually calls them Panzar files.

Also, a ski shop would be a good source for old files to use for other projects. They'll probably give them to you. Every shop I've ever worked in has a box of old beat up files that they really can't (or don't how) to do anything with.

Hope this helps someone like me that is on a pretty tight budget.

an old machinist told me he uses a rifle cartridge (empty of course) with the end crimped flat and then rubbed on the file going with the grain....start on a clean area of the file to get the teeth cut into the cartridge and then use on the inbedded area...stuff just pops out. have been doing it ever since then and swear by it. obviously it will only work on a single cut file and that mostly what i use but do have some double cuts that i clean in the electrochem tub(battery charger and washing soda water)

it hasn't been mentioned yet but keeping your file sharp is important also. one problem when transporting them is that they bang together or against other hardened steel. what I started doing was making a cardboard sleeve to put them in, awhile back I was in Tractor supply and found 1 1/2" flat blue water hose sold by the foot I now use this cut to length to cover each file ...

Pat,

Flatten out the end of a short piece of copper tubing. Use the flattened end to force out the material build up between the file ridges. Works great, easy to make and easy to use.

Peter

Thanks everyone for all the ideas. Peter, if I can find some copper tube I'll try that. Jimbob, I like the hose/storage idea.

I think another method is going to get me some sharp files. My son asked what I'd like to have for Christmas, 13 more days.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas. Peter, if I can find some copper tube I'll try that. Jimbob, I like the hose/storage idea.

I think another method is going to get me some sharp files. My son asked what I'd like to have for Christmas, 13 more days.

I would suggest you buy one specifically made for filing aluminum.

Southy mentioned wax earlier in this thread. Seeing as how we usually have hot stuff hanging around, I take new files(or resharpened ones) and warm them to the point that wax from a candle stub will flow into the teeth. This helps to keep the files clean,makes stuff like aluminum easy to remove from the teeth and also stops them from rusting. Rust is a huge consideration here on the Maine coast.

Well Mainely Bob, I'll give the wax method a try on the files I'll now be reserving for aluminum. I haven't had a rusting problem (yet) although I'm on the coast too (Belfast).

I think you`1ll find that wax works wicked good on files chummy. :^)

I will also try the wax method . I must admit I treat files as a consumable much the same as grinder belts . I find they do not last at al long on carbon steel.

Mainely, Bob,

Wicked good...chummy...

something Tim Sample would say.

A better suggestion (stolen from Alexander Weygers) is to use the edge of a sheet of thin brass, and run it parallel with the teeth of the file. The brass will be soft enough to conform to the teeth of the file and form little teeth of its own, which will get down into the grooves and scrape out the embedded bits of metal. But brass is much softer than the file teeth, so it's much gentler than a file card.

I'd forgotten about that. And I just noticed a closeout special on misc. brass down at the hardware store. Gotta get back down there tomorrow.

Try Bees Wax it works

Another thing to try is when filing forgings made from hot rolled steel it to anneal and descale the piece. Normalized (air cooled) hot rolled steel can get hard at times and scale is tough on files as it is somewhat abrasive. This will make your work go quicker and easier at least in my experince.

no doubt will agree with you Timothy on the forge scale (or mill scale for that matter)