How to Sharpen Pruning Tools
Pruning jobs take longer to complete if you work with dull tools. Sharp pruning tools make clean cuts and keep your plants healthy, because a smooth cut heals easier and faster with less chance of insects or disease infesting the wound. The tools you will use, depending on the pruning job, will be hand pruners, loppers, hedge shears, saws or electric hedge trimmers. Hand pruners and loppers, which are pruners with long handles, come with either anvil type blades or bypass blades. An anvil-type pruner has a single blade that hits down on a flat anvil. Bypass pruners have curved blades that cut with a scissor-like action. Some pruners can be taken apart to thoroughly clean and sharpen. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Soapy water
- Rag or brush
- Steel wool or sandpaper
- Oil or kerosene
- Diamond file
- Screwdriver
- Whetstone
- Bench vise
- Round metal file
Instructions
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Pruners, Loppers and Shears
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Clean your tools before you sharpen them. Use a rag or brush moistened in soapy water to remove dirt and debris. Remove any rust with steel wool or sandpaper. Use oil or kerosene to clean sticky sap or pitch residue from pruning tools that were used to cut conifers.
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Disassemble pruners before you sharpen them. Use a screwdriver to turn the screw or bolt holding the blades together. Use a diamond file or whetstone to sharpen each released blade, maintaining the beveled angle while you strike. See the resource section for a Fine Gardening video which demonstrates the disassembling, sharpening and reassembly of hand pruners.
Don't disassemble your pruning tools if they only need a brief sharpening.
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Sharpen bypass pruners with a diamond file. A diamond file is the best way to sharpen pruners according to "Fine Gardening" writer Melissa Levangie. One side of each blade will have a beveled edge. Open the pruners and sharpen only the beveled edge. Hold the file at the same angle as the beveled edge. Strike the blade at least 10 times with each strike moving away from you. Don't file the flat side of the blades. If there are rough spots or burrs on the flat sides, use fine steel wool or sandpaper to smooth out the blades.
Use a damp rag to wipe off metal filings from your pruners. Add a drop of oil such as baby oil, vegetable oil, motor oil or kerosene to the moving mechanism of the pruners for optimal performance.
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Sharpen anvil-type pruners on both sides of the blade. Use a diamond file and maintain the angle of the beveled edges. Clean filings and rust and then add oil as described for bypass pruners.
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Sharpen hedge shears with a diamond file or whetstone (an abrasive honing stone) and the method for bypass pruners. Because shears have large blades, it may be safer and easier to place the shears in a vise before you sharpen them. When you use a whetstone, add a drop of oil to the stone to float away the metal filings.
Saws and Electric Hedge Trimmers
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Remove the blades from the hedge trimmer by unscrewing the appropriate bolts.
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Place the saw blade or hedge trimmer blade in a bench vise. Make sure the blade is clamped tightly.
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Clean off any debris with a stiff brush.
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Sharpen the beveled edge of each tooth with a small round metal file. Wear protective eye-gear to prevent metal filings from flying into your eyes.
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Tips & Warnings
If your pruners aren't too dull, use a file or whetstone with a coarse grit for 10 or 20 strokes before you use a fine or extra fine file or whetstone to finish the job. Some files and whetstones have a fine grit on one side and a coarse grit on the other side.
If your pruners are in poor condition, you may need to sharpen them longer (40 to 50 strokes).
To determine if you have sharpened your pruners sufficiently, try them out on some twigs or hold the blades up to the light. If the light reflects off the cutting edge, you need to do more sharpening.
Saws and electric hedge trimmers can also be professionally sharpened. Check with your local hardware store or look in the Yellow Pages under Sharpening Service.
Don't touch the sharpened edges of your pruning tools with your bare hands.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit loppers image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com
