It's About The Horse

Clarissa · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:00 pm Post subject: Sharpening those blunt hoof rasps

Here's a Great Tip to Keep your Hoof Rasps Sharp

Only this last week I have been realising I had to bite the bullet & buy a new rasp. Such a pity as I still have 4 perfectly good, but blunt rasps in my tool box!

Then this turned up in my email inbox.................very timely indeed!

Cut a 400m length of PVC Pipe (just a fraction shorter than your rasps) x 90m around so that it balances well). Get a fitting for the bottom, put some sealant around just to make sure it didn’t leak -then empty the contents of a 2.5 litre bottle of Hydrocloric Acid (from your hardware store) into the PVC pipe – (it takes about 2 litres). Insert your rasps and leave them for between 4-6 hours – no longer. It bubbles away like a witches brew – after 4-6 hours, remove the rasps and wash in warm soapy water or water and bi-carb – anything to nuetralise the acid.
Apparently they will be sharper than when bought new!!!

This can be done 6-10 times before you have to toss the rasps away.
Read the label on the bottle of Hydrocloric Acid for methods of disposing of the acid after use. (I’m not sure if you can poor the contents back into the container and use it again – something I will research.)
There is nothing worse than working with blunt tools – it makes the job of trimming and rasping so hard!! A wonderful tip that I felt worth sharing with as many people as possible, particularly considering how expensive a good rasp is.

Happy rasping!!

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Most of L4 PNH achieved WooHoo!! happy10

Pyrgirl · Member Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 1308

Thanks a ton!!!!

And if anyone can come up with a use for the "dead" rasps, that would be great, too.
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ElaineC · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:51 pm Post subject:

Very timely! I have half a dozen rasps lying around that are frustratingly blunt, and only one sharp one left. I will try this for sure.
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ForgeNHammer · Member Joined: 05 Feb 2009 Posts: 198 Location: NC

A cotton wheel on a grinder works good. Much safer than hy. acid don't get that stuff on your hands

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Pyrgirl · Member Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 1308

Autumn · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:29 pm Post subject:

ForgeNHammer · Member Joined: 05 Feb 2009 Posts: 198 Location: NC

Yep they sell them at most hardware stores and in Lowes with polishing compound. Here's a short little instructional video. You can do this with your rasps as well and bring some life back to them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXjr4RCFmhI
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Newfman · Member Joined: 03 Feb 2009 Posts: 510 Location: Maine

Too bad I can't sharpen my loop knives like that. Ijust use the Diamond Mustad from Meaders supply.
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karmikacres · Member Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 1182

If you can find a low speed grinder, it helps keep the heat buildup down while sharpening.

centaurforge.com sells sharpening wheels designed for hoof knives.

Mike
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PasoBaby_CarolU · Site Admin Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 9038

If you want to do this, wear chemical protective gloves and a face shield. Do in a well-ventilated area. There is no reason you can't use the same HCL again and again, and the original container is probably the best place to store it, since it is tested and approved to hold HCL, and is properly labeled. I'd probably do it all in a big steel bucket or pan large enough to hold all the liquid, since I might not trust my sealant. I'd also be VERY careful, but HCL isn't as dangerous as many other acids.

You might want to read this page on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrochloric_acid

From reading this, the HCL will degrade over time with iron in the blades.

A dilute form is muriatic acid, used to clean bricks and grout. Not sure if it will work as well, but you might feel safer with it.

When it is time to dispose of it, most cities or counties have hazardous waste recycling days. I would turn it in then. If you can't do it that way, then adding it SLOWLY to a large quantity of water will gradually dilute it and it will be safe. HCL is actually very common.
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Carol Nudell
Corazon de Oro Paso Finos

"The path to your horse's heart lies through your own."

Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots. - Words of Wisdom - Mhar

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Clarissa · Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 3:13 am Post subject:

Thanks for that info Carol. I'll even pass it back to the person who sent me the original email.

You mention using a steel bucket. Wouldn't the HCL affect that?

When I was a kid my parents collected sea shells & cleaned them in HCL so I've grown up with it. We always used those big heavy red gloves although my father just dipped his hands right into the bucket to get the shells out

He was a boat builder & always had some chemical on his hands or oakum from making caulking or red lead from painting the bottoms.

Interestingly he didn't die of lead poisoning but of old age!!

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Most of L4 PNH achieved WooHoo!! happy10

appellativo · Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:29 am Post subject:

you can send your rasps off, and they will do this for you. course then you have to pay shipping and whatnot. yeah you could just throw 'em away...but that's so wasteful! reduce reuse recycle, save the earth and all that rot...
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Sunny · Member Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 1145

Clarissa, I was due for a new rasp so I printed off your post for my husband and he went crazy! It worked great. Thanks so much for sharing this!

In one day he soaked my 3 hoof rasps as well as all of his woodworking ones in the garage. He just bought Muratic acid at the Ace hardware store and some pvc pipe and a cap, glued it, and set it up in a bench vice so it wouldn't spill.

It worked so well that I think he's going to add this as a "new service" he offers in his repair/maintanence business. If it takes off I'll have to send you a nice gift!

appellativo · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:31 pm Post subject:

Oh good, so muriatic acid works just as good?? because I can't find hydrochloric acid around here. did your husband save the acid to use again later? I wonder how many times you can reuse the acid...anybody know?

Also, the 'muslin wheel' shown in the video above, my local hardware store (home depot) didn't have, either. Neither did harbor freight. I can't believe it. Is this link showing exactly what I need?

http://www.google.com/products/ca...725987534618043543&sa=title#p
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"The world doesn't need Fight Club; it needs ponies." --Brannon Sherry

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Sunny · Member Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 1145

My husband deals in chemicals and got this for you: