Welcome to another week. Another thing that we mentioned at the beginning of the month is sharpening your gardening tools. Below are some tips that you can use to help with sharpening garden tools. These will help with ensuring that they are ready to go when
Sharpening Garden Tools Tip 1 – Sharpen Hedge Shears Using a File
Prior to sharpening, check your shears’ pivot nut. It might be loose, which can make their blades come apart while you’re cutting. This means that you are going to tear twigs rather than cleaning cutting them. it should be fitting snugly and have no play inside the pivot. When this is tightened, check your shears. If it’s cutting cleanly, there’s no need to sharpen it. If it’s still cutting poorly, examine each of the blades to ensure they’re not bent. If one of your blades is bent slightly, loosen your pivot nut, then separate its blades. To help with straightening your blade, place it into a vise and put on some strong leather gloves. Then tweak your blade until it’s once again straight.
Sharpening Garden Tools Tip 2 – Sharpen Your Pruning Shears Using a File & Steady Hand
File your pruning blade’s edge with two hands. Begin at its point and then follow the factory bevel’s curve. Make a complete stroke from its point to the blade’s base. Apply some light pressure and sharpen away from your body. Examine its edge after you complete each stroke to make sure that you’re following the factory bevel’s path. After fresh steel has been exposed on a fixed curve, feel its backside to check for burrs. If you find them, sand the burrs away.
Sharpening Garden Tools Tip 3 – Scissor Sharpeners are Great for Sharpening Grass Clippers
Before you try sharpening your grass clippers, oil your clippers and then tighten their pivot nut. If this doesn’t work, remove their pivot nut and separate your blades. Hold one of your blades on a wooden block with its cutting edge facing up. Pull your scissors sharpener with a firm hand from the blade’s base to its point. Make sure the sharpening edge is making complete contact with the blade’s factory bevel. This is a slight bevel, very different from a kitchen knife’s bevel. Pull your sharpener across your blade until it’s sharp. This usually will take around 10 passes. When your first blade is done, do the other.
These are three tips for sharpening garden tools. Spring is coming soon. If you are interested in any of our services, contact us to get a quote or find out more.
