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Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Topic: Cleaning solder out of needle files? (Read 3870 times)
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Chris333
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Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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on:
August 13, 2015, 05:36:04 PM »
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OK I know how to clean a regular big tooth file with a brass bar and I have a file rifle. But how do I clean these small a$$ needle files to get all the solder out? When I make track I always file down the solder blobs and these files load up fast.
I even tried fluxing them and soaking up the solder with a hot iron, sorta worked kinda, when it wasn't just spreading the solder around.
Give me a winner here.
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victor miranda
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #1 on:
August 13, 2015, 05:39:18 PM »
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a magnifying glass and a #11 blade.
clean each groove out with the tip.
the other method does not always work...
file steel. the steel will displace the solder.
victor
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C855B
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #2 on:
August 13, 2015, 05:43:21 PM »
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It's been ages since last time I did it, but try a Dremel with a wire wheel. Yeah, you'll wear out the wire wheel pretty fast, so either: 1) consider the wire wheel a consumable, or 2) save yourself time/energy/angst and do what I do now, consider the files a consumable. :shouldershrug:
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...mike
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peteski
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #3 on:
August 13, 2015, 05:47:29 PM »
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Like Victor, I clean mine with a knife blade, one groove at a time. But I never let my files get that clogged up. Also, instead of those special file-cleaning wire brushes I use cheap stainless steel brush from Harbor Freight (or similar). These have longer bristles made from thinner wire which gets deeper in the file grooves.
I also heard that running a clean file through a piece of chalk (to fill the grooves with chalk), then filing soft metal will reduce clogging.
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Chris333
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #4 on:
August 13, 2015, 05:56:18 PM »
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I was hoping for a miracle
I takes a very short time to load these up. The 3 in the photo were brand new yesterday, now both side of all 3 are clogged. If I clean them one line at a time it might end up taking longer to clean than to load them
Either way I'll give it and the chalk a try.
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central.vermont
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #5 on:
August 13, 2015, 06:01:36 PM »
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Never heard of the chalk method but what I do is spray my files with WD40 before filing and then use a wire brush to clean away the build up. Been working for me for years like that. But every so often I also have to get the #11 out to clean away some stubborn debris.
Jon
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mmagliaro
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #6 on:
August 13, 2015, 06:02:55 PM »
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I've use the Dremel wire wheel, but it doesn't do that great a job.
One of those furniture refinishing brass brushes does a good job. (They look like a slightly oversized
toothbrush with a wooden handle and brass bristles... like this:
But in the end, it doesn't clean out all the solder and I usually end up using the Xacto blade method
to finish up.
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Last Edit: July 03, 2017, 06:13:22 PM by mmagliaro
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peteski
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #7 on:
August 13, 2015, 06:05:35 PM »
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The brush Max shows is exactly what I use. But I prefer stainless steel bristles - stiffer than brass.
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Chris333
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #8 on:
August 13, 2015, 06:13:36 PM »
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The steel brush works if I heat up the file with a lighter. Otherwise it really does nothing. I think the teeth are too small for the brush to have any effect. These flies are only about 1/4" wide.
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71jeep
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #9 on:
August 13, 2015, 06:15:24 PM »
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Just use a piece of brass draw it across the file will clean it right up.
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up1950s
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #10 on:
August 13, 2015, 06:56:20 PM »
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File Card ............Has steel wires designed to clean files .
http://www.micromark.com/file-cleaner,7355.html
https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1895&bih=894&q=file+card&oq=file+card&gs_l=img.12..0l5j0i30l3j0i5i30l2.1255.4897.0.7090.9.9.0.0.0.0.117.815.6j3.9.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.9.810.f0TZXGGFq8A#newwindow=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&q=file+card+tool
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Last Edit: August 13, 2015, 07:04:08 PM by up1950s
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Richie Dost
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #11 on:
August 13, 2015, 07:28:09 PM »
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I agree with Ritchie a file card will work. We used them all the time in the olden days.
Rod.
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C855B
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #12 on:
August 13, 2015, 07:29:16 PM »
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My experience with file cards is they're too coarse for fine needle files. YMMV, however. I have used a brass brush with some success.
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...mike
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Chris333
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #13 on:
August 13, 2015, 07:51:39 PM »
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File card. That is what I called a file rifle. Yeah they work on larger files with bigger teeth, but not these ones.
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u18b
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Re: Cleaning solder out of needle files?
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Reply #14 on:
August 13, 2015, 07:53:55 PM »
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Chris.
I feel your pain and glad you asked.
Because I have wondered the same thing!
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Ron Bearden
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Cleaning solder out of needle files?