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| Photo: Pexels: Buntysmum |
While making plans to build a garden shed and taking inventory of what we want to put into it, I realized that in the twenty-plus years we’ve been in this house, I’ve always stored my garden tools outside. They have a bit of rust and the wooden handles have taken a heavy beating. Time to rescue them!
When it comes to digging in the garden or pruning trees and
shrubs, having high quality tools that are cleaned, lubricated, sharpened and
otherwise properly maintained, makes any outdoor job simpler and more
efficient. Clean, well-maintained tools
take less effort to work the ground than those that are rusted and caked with
soil. Sharp tools are especially
important for properly cutting grass, pruning tree and shrub branches and even
pruning herbaceous ornamentals and houseplants.
Sharpening
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| Photo: Pexels: Buntysmum |
Start by always wearing safety glasses and leather gloves to protect your eyes, face and hands; also always use a vise to securely clamp tools being sharpened. Typically, garden tools should be sharpened so that their cutting edges are kept at their original angle. If you make an edge too blunt, a blade will not cut well. If you make a blade too sharp, the edge will wear prematurely. You can sharpen either into or away from the cutting edge. Sharpening into the edge produces a sharper edge, but increases the risk of cutting yourself as you sharpen. For increased safety, face the sharp edge or your tool away from you and stroke down the slope across the cutting edge. This will create a metal burr (i.e., a rough edge) on the back of the tool’s cutting edge. Remove the burr using a light flat stroke of a file, whetstone, or sandpaper along the back of the cutting edge.
Specific sharpening techniques vary depending upon the
particular tool.
Shovels and hoes: The
most commonly used sharpening tool for shovels and hoes is a 10 inch mill file,
which can be purchased at any hardware store.
Mill files cut only on the forward stroke, so do not apply pressure on
the back stroke. To sharpen the edge of
the blade, hold the file securely with both hands and push away from your body
with long steady strokes. Be sure to
hold the file at the same angle as the tool’s original angle. As you push down with the file, also push it
to the side and across the blade. Keep
doing this until you have a smooth, even edge across the entire blade at the
desired angle. After filing is complete,
turn the tool over, clamp it back into the vice and remove the metal burr as
described above. Note that many
inexpensive shovels and hoes are manufactured using a stamping machine, which
leaves their cutting edges blunt and square.
For these tools, you must first create a new cutting edge. Typically, a 30° angle is recommended. To visualize this angle, remember that the
edge of the freshly filed metal will be twice as wide as the metal is thick.
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| Photo: Gardeners World |
Loppers, pruning shears and hedge shears: Use a file or whetstone to sharpen these tools, and if possible, sharpen into the cutting edge. Some loppers and pruning shears have two cutting edges; both cutting edges of these tools need to be sharpened. Other loppers and pruning shears have a thin, sharp blade that slides past a blunt angled cutting bar, called an anvil; only the sharp blade of these tools needs to be sharpened. Sharpening must be uniform so the two cutting edges, or the cutting edge and the anvil, meet at every point. If an anvil has nicks or scratches, these can be removed with a small rat-tail, three-cornered or tapered file. Hedge shears should be sharpened to their original factory angle. Most hedge shears have a distinctive squared tip that is approximately 1/16 of an inch thick. If a hedge shear blade is bent, separate the blades, put the bent blade in a vise and tweak it until it is straight.
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| Photo: Family Handyman |
Saws: Pruning, camping and bow saws are typically not sharpened, because replacement blades are relatively inexpensive. Typically, chain saws are the only type of saws that are sharpened due to the cost of replacement blades. When sharpening any saw, both a cross-cut file with a rounded edge and triangular file will be needed. Be sure the size of the file matches the size of the teeth being sharpened. Sharpen teeth so that they retain their original angles.
Axes: Not all axes
have the same blade angle, so it’s important to follow the original angle. Also, many axes have a double tapered angle
composed of a ½ to 1 inch long angle that extends roughly 1/16 of an inch from
the edge of the blade toward the handle, and a sharper angle, roughly 1/16 of
an inch wide at the cutting edge.
Inspect the blade for chips or nicks, and remove them with a grinder,
being careful not to burn (overheat) the edge.
Keep a bucket of water handy to douse the head after each pass. If the blade has only small nicks or
irregularities, a 10 inch mill file could be used instead of the grinder. Finish by using a sharpening stone. Slide the stone back and forth in a circular
motion multiple times along the edge on one side then repeat on the other side.
Grass-cutting tools:
When possible, sharpen grass cutting tools into the cutting edge;
otherwise be prepared to remove the metal burr as previously described. Long-handled swinging knives and curved
scythes have thinner edges for easy cutting.
The blades on these tools should be sharpened to a 20° to 22° angle. Normally these tools can be sharpened several
times with a sharpening stone before eventually needing to be sharpened using a
grinder or file. Grass shears are made
of a very hard metal that requires sharpening with a sharpening stone, grinding
wheel or diamond/tungsten carbide file.
Cleaning
Clean tools work better and last longer. Plant diseases can
be spread by dirty and contaminated pruning tools. Always try to clean your tools after each
use. Rinse tools under running water or
soak them in water. Then remove any
remaining soil using a cloth, bristle brush or wire brush. Get rid of any sap that may have collected on
cutting tools with soapy water or turpentine.
If tools are rusted (whether it be shovels, hoes, saws or pruning
shears), use coarse-grade steel wool or lump pumice to remove the rust. Use abrasive materials like sandpaper, emery
cloth or a putty knife cautiously as they can leave scratches where rust can
redevelop. Disinfest tools by treating
them for at least 30 seconds with 10% bleach or preferably 70% alcohol (because
of its less corrosive properties).
Rubbing alcohol and many spray disinfectants typically contain
approximately 70% alcohol. Once tools
are clean, rust-free and dry, apply oil, WD-40, silicone spray or some other
rust inhibitor to all metal surfaces.
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| Photo: Pexels: Buntysmum |
Clean, dry tools need to be lubricated and protected from
oxidation to prevent rust. Linseed oil and camellia oil are excellent
protectants for metal and wood tools. Coat all metal surfaces with the oil and
let it soak in for a few minutes. Give attention to moving parts and inner
springs. Wipe away excess oil. Gardeners that live in drier climates should oil
handles more frequently to prevent them from drying out and cracking. Handles
are an important component of all tools and need to be kept in good
condition. Tighten loose screws or bolts
as needed. Clean handles with a
stiff-bristle brush, and use medium grit sandpaper to smooth wood and remove
splinters. Use boiled linseed oil to
prevent wood handles from drying out, cracking, and splintering. Be sure to read and understand the linseed
oil label; handled incorrectly, linseed oil soaked material can spontaneously
ignite. As an alternative, use a rubber
coating spray on wood handles to give them a better grip and to reduce wear and
tear.
Storing Tools
After cleaning, return tools to locations where they will
stay dry and remain rust-free. Small spades and trowels can be kept in a bin or
large pot filled with sand soaked with linseed oil. This mixture helps to keep
metal well-conditioned. Larger tools are best hung in a dry, ventilated area. A
pegboard will keep tools organized and easy to reach. A heavy-duty utility bin
can function like a giant pencil holder to contain long tools in the
handles-down position. Do not lean tools against a garage wall touching the
floor. Pavement can dull blades and hold moisture that may promote rust. Garden
tools—wooden handles in particular—will last longer if they are given some care
every so often.
Sources: Wisconsin Horticulture: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/maintaining-lawn-and-garden-tools/ and Colorado State Extension: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/tool-care/