Basically build a nice fire out back, we used pine to get it going and then oak for some retained heat. Once that gets down to a bed a coals dig down in and flatten out a area large enough for your file, this will prevent any from bending under the pressure and heat from the fire your going to build on top of it. It was also suggested, which I did that if possible to use several files in this process it shares the heat with the other files instead of localizing it all to one file.
We covered the files in ash and then built another one on-top of it and left it for over night.
As a side note I could not stand to let all of that heat to go to waste so I butchered a few young rabbits rubbed in salt and fresh pepper and then wrapped then bacon and roasted them over the pit. Added some corn bread in a cast iron dish, with some Corona and just sat back and enjoyed the breeze.
The next morning I went out a dug up the files and laid them out on the welding bench. Picked up one and locked it down in the vise and ran a harden file over it and it cut into like butter. Mission accomplished. Going with the plan of letting them slowly cool overnight, so they did not develop any brittle spots seemed to do the trick.
Next was to scribe out designs onto the files and then for dad to start working on his with only simple hand tools. Grandpa and my daughter will be using some more “modern” methods to shape their”s.
Keep us posted as your projects progress. I might have to try that myself.
