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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Mad Max on January 31, 2017, 08:54:00 PM
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I have a good many files need to be sharpened.
Who was that the other day?
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I think it was Boggs.
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Yep, Boggs Tool and File sharpening. :thumbsup:
They sharpened some rasps that I sent them a few years ago and did a fine job.
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cool
Thanks
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www.boggstool.com (http://www.boggstool.com)
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Soak them in vinegar for a week or two and then wash them, dry them, and put a coating of light oil on them to keep from flash rusting.
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Originally posted by Carson81:
Soak them in vinegar for a week or two and then wash them, dry them, and put a coating of light oil on them to keep from flash rusting.
I love this idea. I've heard of people using some heavy-duty acids overnight but vinegar is cheap, plentiful at the house & I can dump it in my flower beds without a second thought. Thanks for this tip!
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Vinegar will kill the flowers...
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I soaked a bunch of dull rasps and files in muriatic acid for 24 hours and they came out surprisingly sharp. Soaked a pretty darn dull one for 48 and it ended up sharp too. I was impressed. Lots of nasty fumes, so must be done outside. Fumes rust any steel they contact. I even threw in a couple of brand new non-usa rasps that were pretty worthless and they came out useful too.
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I haven't tried the stronger acids. The vinegar works and is very cheap. I leave mine in for a week or two. So longer than what guys are getting with stronger acids.
Whether its a flat tub or a standing tubular container, use a container just large enough for your file or files, as this reduces the amount of acidic solution needed to fully submerge the files.
Keep a wirebrush on hand if you are restoring old rusty rasps or files. This helps remove the surface rust after its been acid bathed for awhile. it is also a good way to apply a coating of oil that is not excessive.
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Two of my favorite rasps are some big heavy half round rasps that were got cheap from a yardsale, maybe a dollar each. Quite a bit of rust. After the vinegar treatment they are like new and made of steel you cant find in a rasp today.
Also works on restoring heavily rusted old cast iron, though you have to do several oil treatments to get it cook ready after a thorough acid bath.