Resharpening a wood rasp?

[oldfox]

I have a couple of old Kearney & Foot 14" wood rasps (coarse) that belonged to my Dad,...they date back to the 1930's.  Is there any way of resharpening these, or have they out lived there usefulness? 

[Acer Saccharum]

There is a firm that uses acid etching and steam to sharpen rasps and files. Boggs Tool? I'm not sure if that's the place.

[Acer Saccharum]

What a mammary I have: http://www.boggstool.com/

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Jerry, I understand that there is an acid bath you can give an old file that will 'resharpen' it, but I don't know what it is.  I know that if you take the file and stick it vertically into a fence post and leave it for one year, the rust will etch away enough of the surface steel to give the file new life.  Obviously, neither of these treatments can be done repeatedly.

[oldfox]

  Thanks Tom..

[oldfox]

Jerry, I understand that there is an acid bath you can give an old file that will 'resharpen' it, but I don't know what it is.  I know that if you take the file and stick it vertically into a fence post and leave it for one year, the rust will etch away enough of the surface steel to give the file new life.  Obviously, neither of these treatments can be done repeatedly.

Thanks Taylor... I'll keep researching...at 75, I don't think I want to wait a year..   

[mattdog]

Yep, Boggs tool sharpening is the place.  They have a website if you wish to check them out first.  I have sent many files and a set of half round rasps to them, also sent my precious set of Swiss needle files I've owned and used since the '70's.   I highly reccomend them.  Good work, very inexpensive when compared to new.  So sharp that you almost have to re-learn how to use them again.  He once told me that some craftsmen out there send new files to him before they even use them.  

[oldfox]

Yep, Boggs tool sharpening is the place.  They have a website if you wish to check them out first.  I have sent many files and a set of half round rasps to them, also sent my precious set of Swiss needle files I've owned and used since the '70's.   I highly reccomend them.  Good work, very inexpensive when compared to new.  So sharp that you almost have to re-learn how to use them again.  He once told me that some craftsmen out there send new files to him before they even use them.  

Great info!  You guys are a wealth of information!  Many thanks to all!

[T*O*F]

Do they give any quantity discount if a guy sent them 25-50 different files?

[Lucky R A]

    I now send all my new Brazilian made Nicholson rasp to Boggs for sharpening.  When you get them back they cut like the old USA made ones.  Their charges for their services is so low that I doubt that they give discounts.  They service a wide variety of sharpening needs, and have a quick turn around.  I recommend them highly.
Ron

[mattdog]

Lucky,

I also send them my dull mill end bits to sharpen.  They are almost toooo sharp when I get them back.

[Jim Kibler]

I've been very pleased with the rasps I've had re-sharpened.  I used a company called Save Edge.  Pretty much the same as Boggs I think.  I believe they're in Southern Ohio somewhere.  I had a large number of files sharpened as well.  I'm pleased with them, though they do cut a little different than new.  Some almost seem to bite a little too well and tend to chatter a bit.  They still work fairly well and I'll have more sharpened.

[BPRICHARD]

I placed about 15 OLD mill files and rasps in a long plastic meat tray (from the grocery store). and poured about i/2 gal. of Heinze clear vinegar over them.  Left them in there for about 24 hours. I then took them out and soaked them in pail of Water and baking soda (to neutralize the acid).  I ended up with 15 (sharper) files that I sprayed with WD-40, to prevent further rust.  AND a 1/2 gal of very brown "vinegaroon" colored vinegar that keeps getting darker, that I am going to try as stain.    I hope you all saw the word OLD files.  Most of these were all USA made Nicholson files.      Richard

[Frenchy]

I've been using Bogg's for about 20 yrs. Great stuff. Liquid honing I believe it's called. If you need a new (Brazilian) #49 Nicholson rasp, buy it from Bogg's. He sharpens them before he sells them. Also a good source for new files at good prices.

[PIKELAKE]

I have resurrected files by soaking them in muriatic acid for a few hours. It cleans and etches them and the acid is cheap. You just have to keep an eye on em. Try it on a file you were going to pitch.

[Acer Saccharum]

Be sure to card the teeth and de-grease before dropping the file in acid. If you don't do that, your file will have spots that will not be affected by the acid, and other sections that are.

[Jim Kibler]

Just to be clear, I think most of the commercial sharpening services use a liquid abrasive sharpening process.  I think it involves an abrasive mixed with some liquid being shot at the back side of the file or rasp teeth.  The abrasive rides up over the teeth and cuts them down a bit creating a sharper corner.  The acid method, may work well too, though.

[Acer Saccharum]

Jim, a little peening and burnishing effect, in other words. This would be my bet for my ever more dear rasps and rifflers.

[Dphariss]

There is a firm that uses acid etching and steam to sharpen rasps and files. Boggs Tool? I'm not sure if that's the place.

The ones I acid etched were sharp, but they clog almost instantly since the etch makes the wood stick to the file then they are $#*! to clean. Waste of time and effort. This from an acid file sharping system Wolf bought while I was at Shiloh. Sounds good in theory.....
Dan