Sanding Apoxie?

If you need to remove a lot of material, use coarser sandpaper, then when you've removed enough, switch back to finer grit to smooth the surface again. When I use coarse paper or a coarse sanding sponge, a few whacks tends to clear any gunk. I usually only have to stop using it because the sandpaper itself wears down.

Also, if you need to sand small or narrow areas, like trying to get hard edges on armor, get in the habit of using a knife to do long smooth scrapes. Scrape in the direction away from the edge of the blade. You can quickly scrape away material this way and it leaves a very flat even surface. I do this all the time when refining the edges on swords and stuff.

Maybe try cleaning your files with an old toothbrush?

Just tried that after you commented, and there is still a lot of apoxie stuck inside for some reason , still going to find a way, I'll comment here if I find a way to clean it, thanks for the help tho man.

Well, there have been a few times I had paint on a figure I was working on start chipping/peeling off so I'd sand it back down and start over, and my files would get clogged with paint. I those instances I had bought a set of small brushes for paint removal (home/hardware dept at Wal-Mart) and used either the brass or steel wire brush and that would remove most of the excess paint. I really have no idea whether or not that will ruin the files over time as my flat file looks a bit sketchy, but still works fine. The other thing I've done is burn the paint off using a lighter or flame from a candle and that's worked pretty well, just had to brush the charred residue off the file, but again, I have no idea if over time this will cause the metal to become more brittle or damage it in any way. I just look at it as a set of the needle files isn't all that expensive, I've gotten plenty of use out of set I currently own and it wouldn't be that big of a deal to replace them down the line if need be.

I recently did a Google search on this issue and read through responses on several message boards, mostly with the same advice of old toothbrushes and wire brushes, but I did run across one that recommended soaking your files in acetone for several hours (overnight). I tried it a couple of days ago and my files came out cleaner than they've been in quite some time. I had one which still had some particles stuck in the teeth, but a quick brushing cleared out most of the remainder.

Yea, I wait at least 1 day before I start to sand the apoxie. I always start with my needle files, and they always clog up after a few swipes for some reason. Whenever I try and clean them, the apoxie that is on the surface of the file goes away, the apoxie that is embedded inside the grooves of the needle file don't go away. The only way I found to somewhat get rid of that, is to use my finger nail and scrape out the apoxie, but it never works 100%. Hmm, but I also have heard of people washing the apoxie with water before they start to sand it to reduce clogging in the sandpaper, but I am not sure. Thanks tho.

Are you sanding it before it's completely dry? I usually use my needle files to remove extra sculpt and shape it and then use sandpaper to smooth and finish it. The sandpaper will get used up, but I'm usually able to clean my files wiping them with a dry cloth a few times.