Cleaning Files and Rasps

[bluenoser]

I am always open to trying batter and more efficient ways of doing things.  Some might recall my recommendation to clean files with a piece of countertop laminate rather than a file card.  It recently occurred to me to try another method of clearing wood debris from files and rasps and it turned out to be an order of magnitude faster than using a piece of laminate or a file card - and it is as effective.  I doubt it would be aggressive enough to clear stubborn metal bits from a file.

The tool is nothing more than an old fashioned style floor scrub brush with a wooden body and short (about 5/8") stiff bristles.  I haven't decided if the bristles are natural or synthetic, but am leaning slightly toward natural.  One swipe across the teeth leaves the file or rasp clean and ready to use.
Give it a try.  You might like it.

[smylee grouch]

Some file carding tools have a brush as you describe on the other side from the wire brush.

[bluenoser]

Interesting, I have 3 or 4 file cards kicking around here, but have not seen one with a brush on the other side.  Live and learn

[Scota4570]

File cards have hardened steel bristles.  Those will dull your file or rasp.  Brass bristles are fine.  A smashed cartridge case is good for removing pinned bits of metal. 

[T*O*F]

Fine wire brass brushes in a toothbrush shape also work well.  I know Harbor Freight has them.

[oldways]

  Look in the big box stores where they have the welding supplies, that is where I find the brass  brushes or at gun shows.

[Eric Krewson]

An el-cheapo brass BBQ brush has been the best file card I ever used, I have about 20 years on this one and it still works perfectly. I am a bow maker and use my 49 and 50 Nicholson all day long at times, they need constant brushing on some wood.



Someone said they gasped when they saw my file storage in another post, these are my use sometimes files, all are sharp. They may sit there with very slight contact with file next to them, but they never move, often for up to a year at a time if I am not building a gun. I am pretty sure they are not sawing back and forth against each other after I turn off the shop lights and go back to the house. I do have a ghost in my house so anything is possible, I have seen hundreds of things move on their own since my wife died, thankfully she hasn't ever rearraigned my shop in the dead of night, yet........

I do take better care of my bow making rasps that I use almost daily when I am building bows.

[bluenoser]

I do like Eric's suggestion of a brass BBQ brush and will be giving it  try.  I, too, use a pinched shell casing to remove pinned bits of metal.

[flehto]

My files were free of charge when I started my 5 year tool and diemaker apprenticeship in 1954 and I still have the same files which have never been carded or cleaned.....files must have been of much better quality back then seeing most of the steels worked  were tool steels including many air hardening tool steels. I was kinda lucky when I started my apprenticeship..... a lot of the work was by hand VS all the computer controlled machines used today.....Fred

[john bohan]

try rubbing a piece of bamboo across the file teeth,the file will cut grooves in the bamboo and allow the bamboo to go down in the bottom of the teeth. A river cane shaft works good for this.