I’m doing some lead bodywork on my car, and the lead keeps clogging up my files. I’ve thought of spraying the files with WD-40 or Teflon spray, but I definitely don’t want any issues down the road with paint. Anyone have any experience with coating them with something? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I've learned two things over the year. A dull file will load up fast. Leaning hard on the file will cause it to load up also. Let the file slide and do the work. Your arms will thank you at the end of the day, keep your files sharp.
I saw the title and read it as, "Flies and Lead Filler"! Oh, Man. I gotta check That out. What a disappointment......... but instructional. Always keep your tools clean and sharp if possible, great tip.
What kind of chalk do you use? The only thing that comes to mind is the blue stuff that you squirt into a “chalk line” for house projects Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Letting up my pressure on the files have definitely made a difference! They still get clogged, but not like they were Thank you! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
As a kid learning this craft from my father it was my job to keep the files clean. I do remember him using soap on them also. Of course all we were shooting back then was nitro lacquer. Pretty forgiving.
To spread the hot lead, you dip the paddle into beeswax/tallow, which you have at hand and does not seem to effect the lead. Give that a try
Yessir! I bought a lead body kit from Eastwood with 2 flat files, a “flexible body file holder” and a “half round” file/handle, and I even came across a file my dad had from when he did lead back in the 50s Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Ok, so now I have to display ignorance: just how, exactly, do you sharpen a lead file? I've never seen or heard of someone that can re-sharpen them, nor ever seen a picture of - much less the actual machine - that re-sharpens the files. The ones I have don't look like sharpening is a viable or reasonable alternative to new. They are the flat type, w/curved teeth. I rarely work w/lead, but have the files to use when I've come across it. I can see using a file card, a small pick, & even a brass or stainless toothbrush to clean out the teeth. I get not banging them around in a toolbox/etc. TIA. Marcus...
When I was a lot younger, we did lots of lead work. We had a gentleman who came around about every couple months that did vixen file sharpening. He told us he sand blasted them. We never used anything on the files to keep them from packing, but lighter pressure does help.
In my profession (vintage car restoration), I sling a lot of lead. I'll say that a good sharp file is the way to go, and treat it right. As with any file or drill, let the TOOL do the work (i.e. no need to push hard if it's sharp). There is also a special very short-bristled stiff brush you should be using when you notice any clogging. A couple swipes with the brush every once in a while will keep it going. And BTW - I have never, ever needed to add anything to my files, like oil, chalk or wax - and I've been doing this as a full time job for over 25 years.
I was told to use bar soap and nothing else. WD-40 or other lubes could mess with paint adhesion down the road. SPark
Back in the mid to late '60s, I worked at the Fisher Body/Chev. plant in Atl in the "body in white" dept. Sometimes as a metal finisher and sometimes as a lead joint repairman who had to correct badly finished joints coming from the grinders working in the grinding booth finishing lead joints. If an inspector marked up a joint on my side of the line, it was my job to fix it if possible. We weren't in a grinding booth or wearing the fresh air fed hoods of the line grinders, so we had to do our work with files and boards with abrasive paper strips fastened on for the final finish. No grinding lead outside the booths. We used the same files used for metal finish on the body metal, and never put anything on the files but our hands and gloves, LOL. Once in awhile they did bring in some of the chemically resharpened files and sometimes they were OK, but some didn't seem to last as long or cut as well. Not to hijack this thread, but since we seem to have some guys on this thread who still use lead, I have a question(s) about modern day paints and body lead. Have heard, read, comments about incompatibility of lead and modern day paints and primers, and in fact on one segment of the old TV show "2 Guys Garage" where they were beginning the restoration of an AD seirs Chev, truck, they were actually melting all the lead filler out and torch wiping to clean out all the lead they could before replacing with plastic filler. Anybody have any FIRST HAND knowledge on this???
At our shop, modern paint is applied over our leadwork all the time with ZERO ill-effects. There is NO NEED to remove correctly applied leadwork.
I do a lot of lead too. The only issue that I know of is if the flux wasn't cleaned good after being applied, the acid has to be neutralized. We use current paint materials with 0 issues. I replaced my 20 year old vixen file last year. If cared properly they last a very long time.
Thanks (everyone) for the advice. I think my biggest mistake was putting too much pressure on the files As it was said- friction=heat And that says it all I lightened up, and the clogging is almost nonexistent compared to what it was doing Sometimes I let my impatience get the best of me, but I learned my lesson! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app