Hello there - does anyone have tips/tricks on how to clean Filetuse/electric creasing iron tips? Mine now have wax, paint, etc. on them and can't seem to figure out how to clean them properly. I tried isopropyl alcohol but that did nothing. Does anyone have experience with this? Would love to learn - thank you!
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Have you tried touching it on a buffing wheel with polishing compound?
I keep a fine brass wire brush in with the heat tips and I clean the tips as soon as I use them. It stops any buildup and keeps the tips in good order. The brass bristles make cleaning the grooves in the tips easy and it can be done while the tips are hot, before anything bakes on the metal.
Doug
@alex.masica Hey Alex,
I see this a lot, but I would not recommend melting wax into your thread or edges using a tip designed for creasing. Same goes for edge paint. Otherwise you will create a dirty tip that can transfer marks onto your leather when used for their intended purpose of marking a crease line.
Nothing will remove it as the heat polymerises the oils and waxes just like seasoning a cast iron pan by burning oil in it. Better to use a wax spatula or even a smoothing iron tip that's easy to clean.
As @fadi mentioned, try a scouring pad. Let us know how you get on.
I know Philip has a very short video about it, either in his IGTV or as a post.
Basically, you get a Scotch Brite sponge (I dont know what's its proper name is, it is basically the green side of a sponge, but you can buy them separatly). You clamp it to the bench and just rub your tip on it, like you would do if you were stropping a skiving knife.