Morris Minor Owners Club

If you have a grit blast cabinet or know someone who has; give the files a quick grit blast and they will come up good as new.

I didn't know that! The new thing I learned today....

I am assured that leaving them out in the rain to go rusty is also another way to get them sharp but I have not tried that way yet. The advantage with grit blasting is that it gets all the crud out of the groves between the teeth. Rubbing a stick of chalk over the teeth helps to keep the crud out of the teeth in the first place. When getting close to the surface required it may be expedient to use a worn file so as not to take off excess metal. Whilst a file may seem to be a quite simple tool to get the best out of it takes a lot of practice and skill. Years ago engineering apprentices would be given filing test pieces and only when they could file proficiently would they move to the next stage in their learning.
And by the way good files cost good money and are worth it. Cheap files are not worth purchasing.

I do know about the chalk.., and I have certainly 'wire brushed' files to improve them - not having access to a grit blast anymore....

philthehill wrote:If you have a grit blast cabinet or know someone who has; give the files a quick grit blast and they will come up good as new.

Excellent tip will have go tomorrow and as my old teacher told me treat the file as you would a sharp knife and never just throw it around the workbench wrap it in a old cloth or similar but never oil it as this will soon clog it up with curd.

Phil, what kind of media would you suggest to use in the grit blast cabinet for files?

Katy
I just use what ever is in the cabinet at the time which is usually Aluminium Oxide grade 60-80.
Phil

I seem to remember once upon a time on this site someone suggested dipping them in battery acid for an hour did the trick?

You are right in that the use of dilute acid can be used to sharpen files but did not mention it as dilute acid is not a very nice thing to use and have around and if you get the dilute the wrong way round it can explode causing burns on face and skin.
Dilute acid is not an every day product and unless you are skilled in its handling keep well away from it.
When I first worked in the garage trade, full strength acid used to be delivered in the large glass containers called carboys packed in straw in a wire cage. And to dilute it we used to have to wear thick rubber gloves and a large rubber apron, goggles were not considered necessary then. Those empty carboys used to be in demand for planting with tropical plants after being thoroughly washed of course.
No - keep well away from battery acid it is not worth the risk. Stick with sand blasting or leave the files out in the rain to rust sharper.
How about this for a file name '9-inch,taper,flat,[Don't swear or you will be banned - Admin],double-cut'. Apparently there used to be two types of file cut Sheffield files and Lancashire files, Warrington (Lancs) being the best for form and durability.
My last files purchased and of very good quality sold under the Nicholson brand name were made in Brasil. No sign of any Lancashire files

ADMIN - The aforementioned name of a file now deleted is the technical name for the file and NO I was not swearing.
There are different types of files:
a. Rough Cut
b. Name I cannot mention
c. Smooth
d. Second cut
e. Dead smooth
f. Special cuts.

see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/file_(tool)

The unmentionable name is printed for all to see.

The name of the file was found in TEXT-BOOKS OF SCIENCE, Workshop Appliances, Author C.P.B. Shelley, Civil Engineer and Honorary Fellow of, and Professor of Manufacturing Art and Machinery in King College, London. Published by Longmans, Green & Co 1873. So the name has been around for a very long time.
On the front page of the book it states 'Adapted for the use of Artisans and Students In Public and Other Schools'

While in my 1st year off the job training during my apprenticeship we were taught to use chalk on files for softer materials to stop the file clogging up.
With regards to the different types we were again taught that using a file is like rubbing down body filler, use a rougher cut file to remove the bulk of material then move down grades to remove less material and keep the finish smooth.
I used to get a lot of satisfaction making a key to fit after cutting the slot in a shaft, the ability to file square and to a radius is quite rewarding.

philthehill wrote:ADMIN - The aforementioned name of a file now deleted is the technical name for the file and NO I was not swearing.
There are different types of files:
a. Rough Cut
b. Name I cannot mention
c. Smooth
d. Second cut
e. Dead smooth
f. Special cuts.

see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/file_(tool)

The unmentionable name is printed for all to see.

b. The most popular file in metalworking at school. Who's had my "unmentionable" file.

Interesting info Phil.

It's the name given to describe a child who was born of unmarried parents. I posted the word cockpit once and it was deleted!

Phil - There is an automatic 'profanity filter' which isn't able to differentiate between swearing and technical names for files. We had a similar problem when someone was posting about a ****** engine.

You couldn't' make it up!

Phil contacted me last night about the swear filter (I was in bed ) - and I promised a response this morning in the thread.

As stated its the automatic swear filter that has picked up the correct technical term for the file, no admin/mod has touched the post. Phil is in no danger of being banned from the forum, there are a number of swear filter responses and this is just one of them.

The content of the swear filter can be changed, and does get changed when a discrepancy is identified (several examples have already been given - but the one that stuck in my mind was "bleeding" which made is difficult to talk about brake repairs).

Matt
Many thanks for that.
You must have been awake as contact was by PM at 8:18.
As they say 'Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise'

9-18 actually ;) I expect your forum time is an hour out due to the recent clock change...

Admittedly I was watching telly... but I was in still in bed and went to sleep shortly after

Are you talking about a barsteward file

And whats wrong with the ****** engine