Files / Different metals

[Nick martin]

Hello all,

Does everyone use a complete different set of files ( needle and full size ) for each metal they work with?

I.E sets for gold, silver, argentium, platinum and so on?

Or do you simply clean your files thoroughly in an ultrasonic or with a brush to avoid cross-contamination of metals?

I'm branching out a little and now working a bit with gold and silver, and dont want to cause problems when it comes to getting pieces assayed.

Thanks,

Nick

[ps_bond]

Platinum gets its own set for me to avoid contamination. Gold & silver (sometimes copper) get another. Steel yet another...
I use a piece of copper as a file card on small files, the standard file cards are too big for needle files.
I don't put files in the ultrasonic - a) too much faff stopping them bumping into each other and b) I'd have to spend so much time carefully heat drying them that it's probably not worth it.

[Goldsmith]

I use the same files on all metals and have done so for 54 years without ever having an assay problem. I work with a bench skin and all I do when changing metals is clean my bench and bench skin, keeping separate lemels in tuppaware tubs as I have done for years. I clean large files with a file brush after use, brushing any lemel into my bench skin, but I don't bother with needle files.

James

[Nick martin]

Thats helpful to know Peter / James, and appreciate the quick replies.

Thanks as always,

Nick

[ps_bond]

The thing I missed off is that my platinum set are Valtitan, which is the other reason they get segregated.