Very often, when working with a file, you have to deal with a situation where it gets clogged. At the same time, the method of cleaning with a wire brush, successfully used with large files, is ineffective in this case. Several special techniques have been developed specifically for cleaning needle files, one of which is to run chalk over the surface of the file before using it. At the same time, the chalk tightly fills the space between the teeth, which effectively prevents chips from clogging its working part. However, this technique has only one drawback - during the processing of the material, a large amount of chalk dust is formed.
If you plan to process aluminum, then the file cut should be rubbed with stearin, and during the filing process, excessive pressure should not be applied to the tool. This also prevents excessive tooth wear from occurring. The relationship between the effort during filing and the size of the file cut is directly proportional - a smaller cut requires (when processing the same metal) less pressure.
To clean the file from sawdust and dirt, the same steel brush is used . For their manufacture, cardon tape is used. If the file is so dirty that it is difficult to clean it with a steel brush, then it is immersed in an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid (10%). After 8 - 10 minutes, the file is pulled out and thoroughly washed, first in a solution of caustic soda, and then in hot water, after which it must be quickly dried.
If the file gets clogged with rubber, fiber or wood chips, soak it in hot water for 20 minutes before cleaning with a wire brush. To clean an oiled file, first brush the surface with birch charcoal and then with a wire brush. A more effective option is to rinse the oiled file in a hot solution of caustic soda and caustic soda, scrub it with a wire brush, rinse it with water, and dry it.