Regular sharpening plays a key role in the care of garden tools. For a home gardener, investing in a grinder is not worth it. In addition, improper machine sharpening has killed many knives and scissors. This does not mean that recreational gardeners have to work with dull cutting tools. This guide gives tips on how to perfectly sharpen your garden tools manually.
How to sharpen garden tools by hand?
To sharpen garden tools by hand, use a hand file for spades, hoees and axes; a wet whetstone or carbide sharpener for secateurs and knives. Clean the devices thoroughly beforehand and treat metal surfaces with universal oil after sharpening.
Sharpening spades, hoe and axes – this is how it works with the hand file
The edges of the spade and hoe are sharp again after grinding with a hand file. There is a wide range of files with different degrees of fineness to choose from in hardware stores and garden centers. An advantage for the home gardener is that it is harmless but easy to control. This is how it works:
- Clean spade, hoe or ax thoroughly
- Clamping garden tools in a vice
- Run the file over the edge using up and down movements
- Observe the specified angle on slanted blades
To protect the freshly sharpened garden tool from rust, treat the metal surface with a universal oil, such as sewing machine oil.
Whetstone sharpens dull knife and scissor blades - this is how it works
There are higher demands on the sharpness of secateurs and knives than on spades etc. To make dull rose scissors or hips sharp again, sharpen the blades with a wet whetstone. Combination sharpening stones with one coarse-grained and one fine-grained side, which are soaked in water or grinding oil before use, have proven to work well. How to do it right:
- Dismantle the garden tool and clean it carefully
- Sharpen the blades in circular movements with the whetstone
- Pull off the resulting burr (fine wire) lengthways with the fine side of the grinding stone
If dismantling the garden tool is too difficult for you, use a carbide sharpener instead of a grinding stone. You use the handy device like a knife when peeling potatoes to sharpen all knives and scissors in the house and garden. It is important to note that you first work on the top of a blade with the carbide sharpener. At the end you just pull off the resulting burr from the underside.
Tip
Sharpening lawnmower blades confronts the gardener with the question of how to properly tilt the device to access the blade block. As a rule of thumb, always tilt the lawn mower so that the spark plug, carburetor and air filter are facing upwards. Otherwise, accumulating oil and gasoline can damage the engine.
