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Poof! There’s nothing like dull hedge shears to pop your bubble of tranquillity. Instead of relaxing as you work, you struggle with each jerky push and pull of the handle. In this article, we’ll show you how to sharpen those old hedge shears, pruning shears and grass clippers and transport you back to gardening bliss.
Ingredients for a Good Cutting Edge
All three of these tools function in
a similar manner. The two sharp surfaces of the blades come in contact at the
base and cut all the way to the tips. They literally shear the grass and twigs
from the stem of the plant with a scissors action. These two opposing surfaces
are finely ground at the factory to the precise angle that makes them the most
efficient.
When you resharpen these blades along the original bevel, you can get them so sharp that they’ll easily cut tissue paper. The key is to sharpen exactly along this factory-cut bevel. I’ve seen many tools, now worthless, that were sharpened improperly because the person attemped to construct a “better cutting edge” or used the wrong tool to sharpen them.
Unless you’re a pro, you shouldn’t use a power grinding tool for sharpening. Buy a new mill file, 10 in. long for the best control. It works really well on hedge and pruning shears and even on grass clippers. If you find files confusing, read the package. It will tell you if the file’s OK for use on garden tools. And if you don’t want to use the same file on the grass clippers, read on—we’ll show you how to sharpen them with an ordinary scissors sharpener.
Sharpen Your Hedge Shears With Long, Broad Strokes of the
File
Hedge shears are perhaps the most
abused garden tools. Because of their huge blades, it’s tempting to use
them as pruning shears. They’re designed for cutting green wood only, no
thicker than 3/8 in. Cutting thick branches or dried wood can stress the pivot
nut and even bend the blades slightly.
Sharpening Pruning Shears Demands a Steady Hand
This tool is by far the fussiest garden
tool to sharpen. The principle is the same as for hedge shears, but filing
along the curved blade (Photo 4) asks a great deal of
your fine motor skills. The other half of the pruning shears (Photo 5) has a thick, blunt blade that the sharp
curved blade cuts against. This heavier blunt blade is one reason this tool is
able to cut branches more than 1 in. thick. The blunt blade needs a crisp
90-degree edge. Think of the edge on a freshly cut piece of granite. Both the
top and the side surfaces are flat, and where they meet you’ll find a
crisp, sharp edge.
Sharpen Your Grass Clippers With a Scissors
Sharpener
Because this tool is so close to the
ground while clipping, it takes a lot of abuse. Soil can get between the blades
and grind away at them each time you squeeze the handle. The moisture in the
grass also can corrode them quickly. As you would with all trimming tools, wipe
your grass clippers clean after each use and keep all the moving parts lightly
oiled.
1. Before sharpening, check the pivot nut. It could
be loose, making the blades drift apart while cutting and tear the twig instead
of cutting it cleanly. The nut should be snug with no play in the pivot. With
the nut tightened, check the tool; if it cuts cleanly, it doesn’t need
sharpening. If it still cuts poorly, look down each blade to make sure
it’s not bent. If a blade is slightly bent, loosen the pivot nut and
separate the blades. To straighten the blade, put it in a vise, slip on some
thick leather gloves and tweak it until it’s straight.
Click image to enlarge.
2. Clamp the blade
firmly in a vise. Examine the factory edge. Hold the file with both hands and
mimic the direction of the bevel like a golfer taking a practice putt. Now move
the file in one broad stroke away from you along the entire cutting angle. To
reiterate, move the file in one direction, away from you. Don’t use
small, jerky strokes or you’ll lose the factory edge. As you work, you
can see the clean metal path left by the file. Adjust your angle as needed to
file the entire edge evenly. Repeat this motion several times until you expose
clean metal over the whole edge. Usually it’ll take only about 10
strokes. Do the same with the other blade.
Click image to enlarge.
3. Place a sheet of
300-grit wet/dry sandpaper on a smooth, flat piece of plywood. You’ll be
able to feel the burrs (be careful—they’re sharp) on the backside
of each blade caused by the filing action. To remove them, lightly sand the
backside of the blade. Keep the blade flat and move it in a circular motion.
After making several circles, pick up the blade and gently feel the edge. When
the burrs left by the file disappear, assemble the blades and lightly oil the
moving parts with 3-In-One oil. Then try a test cut with the shears. They
should cut better than ever.
Click image to enlarge.
4. File the edge of
the pruning blade using two hands on the file. Start at the point and follow
the curve of the factory bevel. Make one complete stroke from the point to the
base of the blade. Apply only light pressure in a direction away from you.
Examine the edge after each stroke of the file to ensure you’re following
the path of the factory bevel. Once you’ve exposed fresh steel along a
consistent curve, feel the backside for burrs. Sand the burrs away using the
technique described in Photo 3.
Click image to enlarge.
5. Using a smooth
10-in. half-round file, file the inside curve of the blunt blade perfectly
flat. Use two hands for control. Make sure you hold the file exactly 90 degrees
to the inside curve. Once this surface is flat, sand both side surfaces of the
blade with 300-grit paper to get rid of any burrs.
6. If tightening
the pivot nut and oiling the clippers failed to make your grass clippers cut
better, remove the pivot nut. Separate the blades. Hold one of the blades on a
wood block with the cutting edge up. Pull the scissors sharpener firmly from
the base of the blade to the point. Be sure the carbide sharpening edge makes
full contact with the factory bevel of the blade. This bevel is slight, not at
all like that of a kitchen knife. Pull the scissors sharpener across the blade
until the blade is sharp. Usually it takes about 10 passes. When you’re
finished with the first blade, do the same with the next.
Click image to enlarge.
7. Sand the
backside of the blade with 300-grit sandpaper. Move the blade in a circular
motion until the burrs are gone, then do the same with the other blade.
Reassemble the clippers and lightly oil the moving parts.
Note: Always feel the blade very gently with your hands to check sharpness. Burrs are often jagged and can easily cut your fingers.
Finally, always lightly oil your tools and wipe them with a dry cloth for the off-season.
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