For someone who has never sharpened a blade before, how to sharpen your lawnmower blade can be an intimidating task. In fact, the following instructions will assist you to learn how to sharpen your mower blade.
A sharp mower is a more efficient mower, which means you'll get more mileage out of your mower by cutting your grass closer to the direction you are travelling. However, it takes more than just a few strokes to sharpen a blade. A little practice, along with sharpening equipment and regular use will enable you to achieve a nice sharp edge quickly.
Lawnmowers
When honing sharp, the tool must be held in the same direction as the blade. This is easily done by holding the sharpening tool directly across from the mower's blade. The use of any other angle will not be effective. It should be noted that this method will be more difficult to perform on larger, heavier lawnmowers.
Starting at the back of the blade with a diamond-edge sharpening pen, apply the pen's sharpening compound to the tooth of the mower's straight portion. This portion is the part that is closest to the ground, where a blade will touch the surface. Rotate the mower and make sure the compound is evenly distributed to the entire straight portion of the blade.
Sharpening by hand is much easier and less expensive than buying tools to perform the task. Following are several useful tips for honing the blades on your mower.
Bench Grinder
To sharpen the blades, you can accomplish this task by using a bench grinder. Bench grinders can be purchased at any local hardware store or can be rented from home improvement stores. Using a bench grinder is easy to do. Simply purchase a suitable grinder from your local retailer and set it up for use.
To start, fill the grinder with compressed air and ignite the blow blower and lubricate the sharpener. Make sure the sharpener does not come into contact with anything hot or with any metal. Remove the sharpener from the grinder and clean off the old compound. After the new compound has been applied, replace the sharpener in the grinder. Wait for the compound to dry and then repeat the sharpening process.
If a bench grinder is not available, a device known as a sharpener can be used. A large number of high-quality sharpeners are available for sale at all major retailers and home improvement stores. There are manual and electric sharpeners, each designed for different needs.
Benefits of Sharpener
The benefits of using a sharpener are simple. Most sharpeners offer an effective crosshair line, which lets you determine where to begin the process of honing the blades.
When the process of honing is completed, allow the sharpening tool to settle down on the blade, then place the grinder over the blade and examine the result for damage. Check for nicks and scratches, then clean off the abrasive compound.
After the sharpener has been completely cleaned and the compound has been smoothed, the sharpener is ready for use. Perform the procedure the same way as described above using a bench grinder.
Another option for sharpening mower blades is to use a bench grinder, which has the added benefit of being able to cut the compound into different sizes. Again, the use of the sharpener is recommended if the sharpener is unavailable or would interfere with proper sharpening.
