Cleaning solder out of needle files?

[peteski]

File Card ............Has steel wires designed to clean files .

I have one and it is useless on small files with fine grooves.  They are designed for larger files. The "bristles" are too thick to go deep into the grooves of small needle files. That is why I mentioned using a cheap stainless steel brush (see couple of messages up).  Those cheap brushes have much finer "bristles" which go deeper into the fine grooves.

[nkalanaga]

Like Victor and others I use the #11 blade.  Some of my files are over 40 years old and it hasn'r damaged them yet.  They'll probably outlast me.

[nscaleSPF2]

This has worked for me.

Take a small brad, and hammer the head of the brad flat, until it has a fan shape.

Try not to smash your fingers when you do this.

Hold the "fan" perpendicular to the grooves in the file, and scrape sideways.  The rounded end of the fan will quickly become straight and have grooves that will exactly match the grooves in the file.  Continue scraping until the file is clean.

AST.  (ancient shop trick)

[sizemore]

This is what I use. Works like a champ.

http://www.micromark.com/file-cleaner,7355.html

The S.

[VonRyan]

I use one of those "distressing brushes" that have the twist-retracting blade. Cleans all my files quite well.

[up1950s]

Anybody have a media blaster , and does it work for aluminum gummed up files ? http://www.micromark.com/SearchResult.aspx?deptIdFilter=0&searchPhrase=media+blaster

[peteski]

Anybody have a media blaster , and does it work for aluminum gummed up files ? http://www.micromark.com/SearchResult.aspx?deptIdFilter=0&searchPhrase=media+blaster

I have a Badger version of this tool and I wouldn't even think of using it on files. Why? Because the aluminum oxide abrasive media will also attack the file itself, dulling it.

[Chris333]

I tried drawing the file on a 1/2" wide brass bar. Just seemed to load up the file with brass instead of solder.

The file card did nothing.

Digging out with a knife blade worked, but it took time and ain't nobody got time for that.

What worked best so far was using a lighter (long one with finger trigger). Heating the blade and then quickly using a steel wire brush on it. This turned the bottom of the file black, but that was fixed with the brush. I'm sure some one will tell me how the heat will ruin the files, but it works very fast and these are cheap (but sharp) files.

[71jeep]

Dumb question but did you run the brass with the teeth or run the brass like you were filing it??
Brass is all i use I run it along with the teeth the brass cleans out the teeth when it forms into them. This was taught to me by an old machinist one day when i loaded up my good file with aluminum one day being dumb in my younger years.
Dont run the file on the brass push the brass side to side on the file with the teeth.

[Chris333]

I tried both ways. It's so small it is hard to get grooves for the teeth.

I think the problem is how small the teeth are. I think that is the problem with all of these methods.

[peteski]

I tried both ways. It's so small it is hard to get grooves for the teeth.

I think the problem is how small the teeth are. I think that is the problem with all of these methods.

After you get it all cleaned out, try the WD40 or chalk tricks.

[up1950s]

How about using an old fine tooth razor/micro saw by dragging it sideways with the grain of the file .

[nkalanaga]

That might work.  Basically it would be a bunch of #11 blades working together, and saws seem to be softer than knife blades, so I can't see it doing any harm.

[peteski]

That might work.  Basically it would be a bunch of #11 blades working together, and saws seem to be softer than knife blades, so I can't see it doing any harm.

The way I see it, trying to match the teeth of a saw to grooves in a file will be futile on all but the most coarse files (not those small files we use in out hobby).

The other thing is that judging by the amount of force I have to use with a knife blade to clean a single groove, trying to do this with 10 or 50 or 100 grooves at a time would require so much force and pressure that I envision the saw blade simply gliding on top of the soft metal clogging up the grooves.  The soft metal gets wedged really well in the file's grooves - it is not just easy slid out.  Especially in cross-cut files (which is what I usually use).

[SandyEggoJake]

Just spitballing here.  Anyone tried desoldering braid? 

Heating files with torch to the solder meltpoint and drag braid across their face?  The braid should suck up the liquid solder.  Of course with that much extra, you'd be trimming the wick frequently. 

If using a common alloy solder, the difference in its low melting point to the annealing temps of the steel file is considerable, and I doubt risk of damage to the files.  To be clear, I've never tried such a method as my brass brush works fine for my needs.  But such a torch and braid method would certainly be faster than a No 11 and mag!