How to Sharpen an Ice Auger

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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(3 Ratings)

Proper care of ice auger blades needs to include regular sharpening of the blades and tip. By maintaining sharpened blades, your auger will cut through ice quickly and effortlessly. You can take care of this task yourself with a few common tools and supplies.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

Use a polisher to sharpen your blades. You need a flannel polishing disk and rouge cutting grit to use with a bench top or hand held polisher. These can be purchased at a local automotive supply retailer.
Step 2

Use a felt tip marker to mark the area of the blade that needs sharpening. Polish an area only long enough to remove the marker ink from the blade. This helps prevent you from cutting too much from the blade and changing it's cutting angle.
Step 3

Apply a liberal amount of the rouge cutting grit to the flannel.
Step 4

Lightly polish the beveled side of the auger blade, concentrating on the leading edge of the blade. Don't spend too much time on one area, or you could cut too much material from the blade and change it's shape.

Tips & Warnings

If you don't feel comfortable sharpening an ice auger blade, have it professionally sharpened instead.
Be careful not to knock the blades on anything, including the ice, as this could damage the cutting edge.
Choose a rouge that isn't too aggressive cutting, or it could change the blade's cutting angle and require professional regrinding.

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