How to Sharpen Bypass Pruners
There comes a time for every gardener to sit down and maintain equipment. As dull as it sounds, stepping out of the garden to fix and sharpen tools such as bypass pruners, shears and loppers will help assure more rewarding and less strenuous gardening experiences in the future. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Bypass pruners
- Sap and rust remover
- Rags
- Diamond file or other sharpening tool
- Vice (optional)
- Gloves (optional)
Instructions
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1
Clean the blades of substances that may clog your file. Use a rag dampened with sap and rust remover to lift rust, sap and dirt. Mineral oil also is effective at wiping off sap.
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2
Examine your blades. It's important to maintain the right angle of the beveled edge of the pruner blades so they make the appropriate contact with the plant and each other. Only the outside edge of bypass pruners need to be sharpened. Check for nicks, chips and any other uneven spaces that may need to be filed down.
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Sharpen your blades. A variety of whetstones and sharpeners work for pruner blades, but a diamond file is best for particularly hard metal. If you use a freehand file, make sure you are sharpening at an appropriate angle. A vice may be used to keep your pruners still as you sharpen. Some sharpeners are made specifically to hold your pruner and guide the file along its blades. Run the file along the beveled edge of the blade, not across it.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid using a back-and-forth motion to file your blades because this might bring back the burrs you have just removed, damaging your blade, or change the angle at which you are filing.
To prevent sap and rust from accumulating, wipe your blades and apply oil after use and before storage.
Wear gloves to protect your hands while sharpening.
