pewter and files

[elk killer]

anyone have a good recipe for getting pewter off a file or 3?
using a brass scraper sort of works,,
just wanted easier way,,

[LURCHWV@BJS]

  First thing I do is heat the file just enough to melt the pewter, then tap it on one of my Vise.  This will remove the heavist.   When the file cools I take a crappy strait wood chisel and clean out each groove on the file.  It takes some time, but I've been using alot of pewter lately.

   I'm sure someone has a better method,  but that's how I do it.

    Rich

[Robby]

Elk killer, Take an old brass cartridge, 30-06 works great for this, flatten the mouth and run that edge in the teeth of the file. like shoveling snow, pushes it out and doesn't hurt the teeth of the file a bit.
Robby

[Dphariss]

anyone have a good recipe for getting pewter off a file or 3?
using a brass scraper sort of works,,
just wanted easier way,,

No easy way.
I don't use fine files, like mill bastard much unless 12", once I shape with a coarser file (usually a magic cut or a 1/2 rnd file) I use backed or unbacked sandpaper for the rest.
The coarser files are easier to clean. Rubbing the file with chalk or soapstone welders crayons may help.

Dan

[T*O*F]

Don't use a file, it ain't worth the aggravation.  There are small coarse rasps that are the size of a chain saw file that will work the pewter down pretty quick.  Then finish with sandpaper like Dan said.  If you want to spring for one, there are also small body files designed for lead work that are available.  They will work pewter down while skidding over the wood.

[LURCHWV@BJS]

I forgot to mention, I only use the worst of my worst files.  Most are those cheap little needle files from Harbor Frieght . Some are more like metal sandpaper on a stick.. I will use one of my better files if I over pour. It's time consuming Dave's way, but effective.

  Rich

[John Knaack]

Try chalk or oil. Chalk works best for me. Keeps file teeth clean.

[JCKelly]

Ahhh . . . please do not melt that pewter on the file. Your file or rasp was heated a dull red, then quenched in water (perhaps salt water), washed and used as-is. No temper. At all, files/rasps are used right out of the quench.

Melt the pewter chips & you have solftened the cutting teeth. Permanently.

Buy a new rasp.

Make the old one into a throwing knife.

[Ken G]

Wish I could take credit for this but Birddog6 is the inventor.  He sent me one in the mail several years ago and I have been using it for removing pewter from a file ever since. I'll do my best to describe.  

Find a short piece of 3/8 copper tubing.  Mabe 2 to 3 inches long.  Now find a piece of wood about the size of a handle for a file.  Drill a hole in the wood and insert the copper tubing.  With the open end of the copper tubing flat on the file, go back and forth with the grooves in the file.  The soft copper will easily file to the pattern of the file grooves and you will have teeth on the end of the tubing that will push the pewter out of the file and clear the teeth.  Sorry I don't have a picture.  I hope this helps.  I have also found very course sandpaper wrapped around a hard solid object to work well.

For removing large amounts I use a rasp as TOF suggested. 

Ken

[Birddog6]

A  .44 spent cartridge or .45 works. Punch out the primer, drill the pocket out, attach to a handle with a decking screw.





You hold it vertically  with down pressure on the file & pull it With the grooves & it pulls out the debris & doesn't damage the file teeth.

Keith Lisle

[kutter]

I had good luck shaping pewter with a round 'sur-form' type of file. Light cuts and a bit of a learning curve but it went well and the file didn't clog up.

The smaller diameter round file worked better than a flat or half-round. Probably because less metal was being sheared with each stroke.

Then to 50 or 80grit to shape and down from there in grit to final finish.
Grit paper loads up quick too with pewter or lead. Keep fresh cutting surface on the casting or you'll just be burnishing it.

Pewter (and lead) don't mix well with  standard files. Even with the chalk, crayon, ect tricks often said to keep 'em clean. I don't use any of those at all as I've never found them to be helpfull on any metal.

Cleaning files with a flattened cartridge case or a piece of sheet brass or copper is the best way I've found.
Cleaning pewter or even aluminum out of files will generally go to the lowest tech in that you'll be picking  the final small individual pieces stuck in the teeth out with a small pointy object.

Just clean them out and keep them out of the soft sticky metals.

[Bob Roller]

Get an industrial supply catalog and see if they have a"float"file with semi-circular teeth. I have several and they are made for auto body work. Any NAPA store may have them as well.
The come in several sizes.

Bob Roller

[heinz]

I would endorse Bob's suggestion.  These float files work very well on tin lead alloys and have an adjustable frame that will bow the file face.

[Tim Crosby]

 Here is what they look like, fairly aggressive. Not the best pix.





 Tim C.