File life

[John Ellison]

If you have a good file that you just hate to get rid of, a vinegar bath in a pvc pipe makes em almost like new again. They rust quick when you take them out so it needs taken care of right away.

John

 

[Stumper]

As John has just mentioned-an acid bath ids the way to renew files and rasps. I don't "renew" chainsaw files. Like Ben and others-I keep them as long as they cut well. That usually equates to the life of one chain or so. Since I carry multiple saws I don't actually keep the same file for the life of one whole chain but they usually last about halfway through the chains on 3 saws. I have noticed that the STihl brand files are consistently good and longlasting. The Viking and WoodsmanPro branded files have been good but not as enduring as the Stihl. Oregon branded files are good but overpriced. Beware the Pakistani cheapos-they will frustrate you.

 

[Lobo]

If you have a good file that you just hate to get rid of, a vinegar bath in a pvc pipe makes em almost like new again. They rust quick when you take them out so it needs taken care of right away.

John

Hi John,

Are you alking about plain old table/cooking vinegar right out of the bottle.

If you are, it is easy enough to pour some in an old elongated glass flower carafe and drp in a file or two.

How long a soak does the file need ?

 

[John Ellison]

Yes Lobo, apple cider vinegar or white either one works. Usually 24hrs. will do it but I found some old double ended goofy files that I had stashed away that were pretty cruddy, a week with several vin. changes and they still have a ways to go.

John

 

[woodshop]

Never tried the vinegar... interesting, how does that work? I have looked at a used file under magnification, and the serrated "teeth" are dull and banged up a bit from use, so other than clean off stuff embedded in the file, how does the acid actually renew the file?

Yes I found also that Stihl RS chain eats up files faster than Oregon chain does, guess the Stihl is harder metal? I also found that storing them so they don't bang against anything is important. To that end, the wife made me a custom roll up file holder out of cloth with sleeves that keep the files separate from each other, for 3 of each size I need, simple to make on sewing machine. Will send pic when I get home this eve if anybody is interested. (how are your sewing skills Gypo ) Also, sounds anal, but I color code my files so I don't have to look twice to see if its a 7/32 or 3/8. I just use paint sticks, and touch the end of the file quickly before sticking it in holder, makes grabbing right one quick and easy... I like quick and easy.

Dave

 

[tony marks]

veniger is one of the least understood things ive seen.. saw an old lady make something out of venegar ,honey and garlic.. it actually had old friend straitened out from shingles,, in couple weeks..the only thing ive found that overpowers cat odor.now i got my files in it now...heck i kinda wonder what all that stuff does..

 

[glens]

It works great for pickling cucumbers and cleaning things that come into prolonged contact with water, such as your coffee pot, bathroom fixtures, etc.

 

[Stumper]

Woodshop. The "Industry standard" for renewing files and rasps is Muriatic acid. Vinegar is a weaker acid solution so it will take longer. Acid renews files by disolving metal. If you remove metal evenly from both sides of a cutting edge with a file or hone it gets sharpe.r- This is the same principle. This Really works on flatfiles and farriers rasps. In theory your chainsaw file would come out slightly smaller in diameter each time-but since most of us switch to smaller files halfway through the teeth I don't suppose that a couple of thousandths really matters much.

 

[rb_in_va]

I always used a brush to clean the filings out when I was a machinist. Now I use a wire brush to get the chainsaw files clean. It works pretty good.

 

[MasterBlaster]

...but since most of us switch to smaller files halfway through the teeth...

That's a new one on me.

 

[chainsawworld]

i have heard of some saying they switch to a smaller file. if the side plate is filed correctly, the same size file is used for the entire cutter.
look at a picture i posted about race chain. as small as the cutters are, i still used 7/32 on that 3/8 chain. marty

 

[ray benson]

I use a file card to keep files clean. Soda straws keep them from getting banged up. File handles are now golf balls. Color coded by sizes 5/32 - yellow, 7/32 - orange, 1/4 - white. I now use golf balls on all my shop files. Solid balls guys, not the wound balls.

 

[rb_in_va]

File card! I had forgotten what they were called. Solid balls, huh?

 

[Mange]

I use a file card to keep files clean. Soda straws keep them from getting banged up. File handles are now golf balls. Color coded by sizes 5/32 - yellow, 7/32 - orange, 1/4 - white. I now use golf balls on all my shop files. Solid balls guys, not the wound balls.

I have only one kind of balls

But I must try this golf ball handel, Good idea!

 

[rb_in_va]

Well, there was this girl once that could really get them wound!

 

[woodshop]

Woodshop. The "Industry standard" for renewing files and rasps is Muriatic acid. Vinegar is a weaker acid solution so it will take longer. Acid renews files by disolving metal.

Thanks Stumper... interesting. Going to have to try that on my flat files, have tons of old dull ones. I actually have some muriatic acid I use to clean concrete among other things, I will use that. Is there a time frame we are talking here? I mean... can one stick a file in some Muriatic acid and leave it in too long and thus end up with a smooth file? I think the stuff I have for cleaning is 5% solution, so I guess there is a limit to how much it can take off. We are not talking the blood of the Alien creature here.

As posted earlier... this is how I keep my files organized and easy to grab, as well as away from banging around in my toolbox. Took the wife all of 10 minutes to knock it out on her sewing machine. I just roll it up like a roll of wrenches and throw it in with the tools. I mark the tangs and ends with a paint stick leaving no paint on the size I use most, 7/32 for 3/8 chain. Oh... I also switch to 13/64th when 3/8 chain gets filed back a bit.
Dave

 

[MasterBlaster]

That's cool, Dave.

 

[Al Smith]

That is known as filing you files,so to speak.Good idea,I wish I could be as organized .

 

[Al Smith]

There you go again

 

[Dadatwins]

WHy do I listen to the advise on this stoopid board??? I tried the file in the straw idea and it seemed to work ok, until...I had a soda! Did you ever have a 3/16" file stuck in the back of your throat???

Yikes, now take a large cup of white vinegar and drink it down quickly to make sure there are no metal shavings left over and to clean any oily residue.
If it still does not feel right, take another large cup.