Can contemporary files be sharpened?

M

Mr.Wizard

Joined
Feb 28, 2015
Messages
1,456
My coarse Simonds hand file has dulled and is skating on machete blades. Is there a way to sharpen it at least once or is it disposable?
 
If you have some time, you can try cleaning one up yourself. Once well cleaned, you can give it an acid etch. That will not sharpen truly flattened teeth, but it will certainly bring a good amount of live back to a file. Depending on what the file was used for, it can be cleaned with lye (aluminum, or organic material). The acid etch will be a nice neutralizer for the lye bath. I have even used a crushed copper pipe (or a piece of copper bar stock) would work mechanically to do the initial cleaning on the file.

Here are some short (Instagram sized videos of me cleaning one up using a piece of hardwood, and a chunk of copper pipe). I was happy enough when I got done that I didn't bother with an acid etch.

Ugly file
Cleaning with hardwood
Clean with copper pipe
Copper pipe after
Reasonably Finished File
 
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