Thread: Best way to store files to keep them rust free?

Originally Posted by cba_melbourne

It works well. The acid eats away an equal amount of metal from all surfaces of the file. By doing so, it restores the sharp tips of the tooth. Obviously there is a point when the tooth becomes too short, so there is a limit how often the etch treatment can be done. But certainly 2 or 3 times it will work fine. As an added bonus, the acid treatment gets rid of all grease from the file surface, which helps lot too at making it cut again as crisp as a new file. But keep in mind the acid etch cannot restore damage like broken tooth as happens when trying to file plain hardened stuff. Chris

Thanks for that info. I should try it sometime. I should get a better storage arrangement first tho.

Dean

Originally Posted by Oldneweng

I should get a better storage arrangement first tho. Dean

When storing files, the single most important prequisition is that files must never touch or rub each other. When two files touch each other, they get instantly blunt where they touched. For this reason, one should never simply put files unprotected into a drawer or box.
I found the "minicor" corrugated zincalume steel sheet, as sold by Bunnings to make roofs for dog kennels or letterboxes, an ideal means to store my files. I cut his sheet such as to fit into drawers. The corrugations will neatly separate the files from touching each other. And... well I am not sure about this.... but I like to think that storing things like files in contact with a zinc plated sheet could somehow be beneficial to suppress or at least retard rust. Chris

Not sure about my thoughts on using silica gel in anything but a totally air tight container. If it's air tight, the silica gel will dehumidy the internal air of the container and remove water vapour, if it's not air tight, aren't you for all intent and purposes literarily trying to dehumidify the entire atmosphere?

Originally Posted by Jim Ferrous

Not sure about my thoughts on using silica gel in anything but a totally air tight container. If it's air tight, the silica gel will dehumidy the internal air of the container and remove water vapour, if it's not air tight, aren't you for all intent and purposes literarily trying to dehumidify the entire atmosphere?

It's more about restricted airflow, although air tight is clearly the best result. For example, my tool drawers have perhaps a 2mm gap from the drawer above, but they also have a face that closes against the frame (but there is no frame across the top of the drawer so that 2mm gap is still active). Not airtight, but very very little airflow so the sachets seem to be able to keep up with it. Obviously depends on how frequently they are opened in humid conditions.

I had a very good example of the drawer's airflow reduction and insulation capacity earlier this year. They are made from 9mm MDF. The previous day had been cold and heavy rain, and on the next day it was hot and very humid. Opened up the file drawer during the afternoon of the second day and the files were all still really cold so they got an instant coating of water condensation - had to take the whole drawer out into the sun for 20 minutes or so.