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
John
File life
- Thread starter Lobo
- Start date
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Stumper
One Man Band
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.
John Ellison said:
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 ?
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
John
woodshop
Addicted to ArboristSite
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
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
Addicted to ArboristSite
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..
Stumper
One Man Band
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.
MasterBlaster
TreeHouse Elder
Stumper said:
That's a new one on me.
chainsawworld
ArboristSite Guru
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
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
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.
Mange
Addicted to ArboristSite
ray benson said:
I have only one kind of balls
But I must try this golf ball handel, Good idea!
woodshop
Addicted to ArboristSite
Stumper said:
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
TreeHouse Elder
That's cool, Dave.
Dadatwins
Addicted to ArboristSite
Mike Maas said:
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.
