Hedge trimmers, when working correctly, make easy work out of a job like trimming back the bushes in front of the house. Before sharpening, remove any dirt or debris from the blades, teeth, and any other part of the trimmer with a nylon brush. If you think about the traditional method of sharpening a tool, you have to spend hours. So strong in fact, that if you aren’t familiar with using one, you could take the teeth off the blade instead of just sharpening them. If you working with a high quality gas hedge trimmer, remove the spark plug. This will provide the best angle to reach the teeth. Each tooth will take from 5-30 seconds depending on the hardness of the metal and which grinding attachment you use. Often, especially when using a file for sharpening, metal burrs may build up on the back side of the teeth, away from the surface you were sharpening. If you’re working with an electric hedge trimmer, unplug it. To sharpen an electric hedge trimmer effectively, you’ll need to follow 4 steps. It may surprise you how quickly the grinder can remove metal, and if too much is taken off, the blade will be ruined. Smooth out any nicks or rough spots on the blade with a sharpening stone or fine-toothed round file. Now Dennis spends his time on fine woodworking projects and tool comparisons. That being said, an angle grinder is the fastest tool for sharpening hedge trimmers at home. Remove the bolts that hold the blades together and clamp them into a bench vice. For this, you need to know how to sharpen the hedge trimmer with Dremel. If they’re really sharp, the blades should slice the paper. Clean the Blades. Make sure you use the same number of strokes on each blade. The spark plug is round and tubular with a … If using a file or a dremel, you could get away with performing this on the floor of the garage or outside, as long as the area is flat. Different methods can be followed for sharpening. When reattaching the blades to the hedge trimmer, be sure they are mounted in the correct position. Finish the flat side of the blades with a flat whetstone and a few drops of oil. Remove power from the hedge trimmers, either by making sure they are unplugged, or the battery is out. Unplug corded electric trimmers, remove the battery of a battery-powered trimmer and empty the fuel tank of your petrol-powered trimmer. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. Do not try to use an angle grinder without the blade being firmly secured. Unless you're a pro, it's best to stay away from using a grinding tool to sharpen your shears. 2. Powered hedge trimmers are a tremendous time-saver for any homeowner who prefers to handle his own landscaping. How to Oil Trimmer Blades. If the hedge trimmer blades do not appear to be worn, the first step may be to clean the teeth. You should never file down more than 5mm on your blade as this could cause the blade to become damaged, so make sure you stick to that limit. Bob Vila Radio is a 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day carried on more than 186 stations in 75 markets around the country. Work the tool with #932 at the angle of the trimmer edge's bevel. What Tool To Use To Sharpen A Hedge Trimmer. If you don’t think your trimmer is worth the hassle of sharpening, check out our corded hedge trimmer reviews for guidance on picking a new one. A step up in speed from sharpening with a file, the Dremel (or other rotary tool) is a handy tool for many projects around the house. Move on to the next tooth and repeat step 2. But using Dremel would be the best. You may need to sharpen and clean your hedge trimmer blades quite regularly. Lift the file up, bring it back to your starting position, and repeat until any oxidation is removed and the tooth is sharp. While professional sharpening services are available, very few people have a spare hedge trimmer blade at home that they can swap out when their main blade is out for servicing. With a whetstone or sandpaper block, remove those burrs. Make sure the vise is tightened enough to prevent any slippage. Start from the inside or bottom section of the blade … We recommend that you do not perform these sharpening methods over carpeting. Trip the Mill file on the cutting edge and make sure that you have kept the file at similar positions as your cutting edge. Fasten hedge trimmers in the D-Vise with a cutting edge up and bevel towards you. Before starting on the hedge trimmers, follow the essential procedures mentioned earlier. General Steps to Sharpen Hedgetrimmer Blades. To sharpen hedge trimmer blades at home, first wear suitable protective clothing. Figure out your angle of attack, and apply light pressure evenly side to side over the surface until the surface is shiny and sharp. Sap, dirt, oil, and compressed debris can get caught in the teeth and reduce the effectiveness of the trimmer. Remove pole hedge trimmer extension as well if you have one attached to your machine before you begin to sharpen. Copyright 2020 by SawsHub.com - Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Contact. Now that the trimmer is safe to work with, you’re ready to sharpen those blades. Dremel D-Vise #2214 1. Step 1- Align the blades of the trimmer. In a professional environment, hedge trimmers should be sharpened around twice a month, but for home use, sharpen hedge trimmer blades after about every 50 hours of use. Using the end of a screwdriver, or any object you can tighten the blades if necessary, by turning in a clockwise motion. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Completely redone from the inside out, and restored to its original form, the home is a featured design by renowned Southern California Architect Cliff May, considered to be the father of the California Ranch Home. SawsHub is a collection of DIY enthusiasts and woodworking experts. Use a fine-grit flat file, and smooth off any large nicks from the flat back sides of the blades. Mount the first blade with the teeth pointing straight up. Check that your wrench fits the bolts that hold the two blades together if you are planning on removing them. If the blade comes into contact with a hard object such as a stone, wire fence, or glass, the blade could be nicked. Blade sharpening is one of the most important hedgetrimmer maintenance issues. An expert at home repair, remodel, and DIY projects for nearly 40 years. If more force is needed, use a solid material that fits between the teeth such as a screwdriver handle, and strongly push the leading edge back to match. Sharpening hedge trimmer blades at home is not difficult, and can be done with some very simple tools. As a general rule, basic maintenance on any tool should be performed on a regular basis to ensure that it is ready for use at any given moment. To test the sharpness of the blades, use the paper test. They do have a specialized accessory kit for sharpening, but our instructions are based around the standard grinding stone attachments that come with most kits. For personal protection, we highly recommend wearing protective eyewear. First, don a pair of gloves and protective goggles. His first experience came in completely restoring an antique home. Copyright © 2020 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. Also, a lot of the time we’ve already put the time aside to complete the task, so sharpening the blade at home and getting everything done is a much better proposition. If … This process, depends on how often you cut your hedges and what type of hedge you are cutting. If you’re a real stickler for a well pruned hedge chances are you find yourself in the garden regularly trimming yours. Mount the blade in a vise as per previous instructions. Remove from the vise if using, and repeat on the second blade. Wipe the blades clean with WD-40 or oil. Do not try to use an angle grinder without the blade being firmly secured. Home » Outdoor » How to Sharpen Hedge Trimmers. Some nicks will need to be removed by sharpening … First of all, find a flat surface with enough space to be able to maneuver around and with the hedge trimmer. Secure your hedge trimmers in a vise in a wide open position. The second alternative to Dremel is the Power Grinder. The metal shavings are much harder to vacuum up from a carpet than to sweep up from a shop floor. If the problem persists, the blade spacers that keep the blades aligned may have worn out and will need to be replaced. Use a flat file on each blade, only applying it towards the cutting edge. Click here to subscribe, so you can automatically receive each new episode as it arrives—absolutely free! The process of sharpening is not that difficult, and once learned, can save time and money in the future. Before reassembling the too, lightly coat the blades with linseed oil to protect against corrosion and preserve their useful lifespan. Take care that the blades of the hedge trimmer are not facing towards you and are placed at a safe distance from your body. Continue until all the teeth are sharpened. It’s ok to notice some inconsistencies around the blade. There are several ways to sharpen hedge trimmers, depending on which method is the most comfortable for you. That does not mean to put it off! Frequent use of your hedge trimmer will mean that you need to sharpen it more often. It involves strapping down the hedge trimmers and then inserting the power grinder at the right angle. Aligning the blades is always the first step, regardless of the sharpening method used. SawsHub.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 45 degrees is the best sharpening angle for any cutting tool as cutting tools are naturally structured with an angle towards its cutting edge. Using a file over the hedge trimmer helps make it sharper only if used correctly. Learn about the team! What You'll Need. To test for sharpness, draw the edge of a sheet of paper against the cutting edges. After the main process of sharpening your hedge trimmers is complete, there are a few steps necessary to make sure your trimmers are working at peak performance. Next, run a metal file down each cutting edge, being sure to keep the file at the same angle as the cutting edge. Tighten the bolt if necessary. Bob Vila, 11 Decorative Pillow Trends to Expect in 2021, The Best Power Hedge Trimmers for Landscaping, Watch Out for These 9 Types of Lawn Weeds, New & Notable: 10 Gadgets to Tech Out Your Garden. We recommend picking a high powered Dremel, and one of the flat grinding stones for consistency, but the angled grinding stones may be easier to get the right angle if not using a vice. Be sure that your power cord is long enough to reach the areas you need to get to, but not so long that it becomes a tripping hazard. Choose an end to start from (we recommend the front end). This is an optional step if using a file or a Dremel to sharpen your hedge trimmers. Use a flat file to sharpen your blade. The Method of Using a Power Grinder. Wipe the blades and teeth down with a cloth, they may still have metal shavings on them. Sharpen them as soon as possible. Sharpening saw teeth is not a recommended way to learn how to use a power tool. When you sharpen a hedge trimmer, pay attention to how many strokes you’re making on each cutting edge so that you keep them equal. After all, sharpening with a file is a manual process. That being said, an angle grinder is the fastest tool for sharpening hedge trimmers at home. We also suggest leather gloves, a face mask to filter any particles that get into the air, and ear protection (if using loud power tools). Pull out the spark plug wire to disconnect the spark plug. The best and simplest was is to use a 10 in. Always align your file with the angle of the blade to maintain a … Attach the correct Dremel bit, making sure that the Dremel collar is tightened correctly. They mostly follow the same guidelines, but different tools are used. Remove bolts that clamp the two or three blades together holding into a seat vice. First, make sure the teeth are aligned and the tightening bolt is secure. Once done, wipe any excess oil off the blades with your cloth and replace the blade guard. Lay the hedge trimmer down on a flat surface. If it’s a battery-operated trimmer, remove the battery. Follow up by using a whetstone to smooth the burrs on all the blades. If you buy something through a link in our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. There are a few different ways to sharpening hedge trimmers. Gather all the necessary tools together, making sure that any accessories for the tools needed are readily available. 2. You will need a stiff bristle brush to properly clean your blades. This will help you keep the angles consistent, and protect against slips that may cause accidents. With a gas-powered hedge trimmer, take out the spark plug. Black and Decker electric hedge trimmer blades are made from hardened steel that will not typically lose their sharp edge or require resharpening. A mill file is the recommended tool to use here, but you may be able to get away with using a diamond file. If branches are getting caught between the teeth and slowing down or jamming the trimmer, the upper and lower blades may have become detached. Even the best hedge electric trimmers and gas powered options will go dull eventually. The additional bracing provided by mounting the blades in a bench vise will provide additional stability. By Bob Vila. Another, more effective way to sharpen your hedge trimmer … No matter what hedge trimmer you use, a budget electric or high end petrol model, there’s no getting away from the fact that hedge trimmer blades need sharpening once in a whole to keep them cutting effectively. Ensure you keep the file at the same angle as the cutting edge. One small piece of the spent metal can cause permanent eye injury. You certainly know the stones to sharpen, sharpening rifles and many systems for sharpening knife type blades but it is more important to maintain electric hedge trimmers. And, as with any power tools, be sure your fingers, loose clothes, and anything else is far away from the moving parts. Listen to BOB VILA ON SHARPENING HEDGE TRIMMERS or read the text below: First, don a pair of gloves and protective goggles. Sharpen Hedge Trimmers Written by Doityourself Staff. We recommend using a file if this is your first time, a Dremel if you are comfortable using one, or an angle grinder if you use similar power tools on a regular basis. However, in the case of hedge trimming, it becomes difficult to sharpen the teeth of the machine with such tools. using a small 2" air sander fitted with a roloc sanding disc First remove residual build-up from between the blades at the same time tuning up the blades themselves. To clean, take a stiff nylon bristle brush to the teeth and scrub away anything you see. Eye protection is very important here. Hedge trimmer blades are normally held in place by a bolt or screw. Each tooth will take anywhere from 5-20 strokes. When their blades get dull, however, they can create rough cuts that make the hedges look worse than they did in the first place. First, with gloves on, push them together with your fingers. Align the hedgetrimmer blades by hand. This is, without a doubt, the fastest way to sharpen your hedge trimmers. If you are not familiar with using an angle grinder, please consider one of the other methods listed above instead. Mount the blade in a vise as per previous instructions. After you’ve removed the bolts that hold the two blades together, clamp each blade, one at a time, into a bench vice. Slowly move the Dremel toward the flat cutting surface. 1. For ease of use and to prevent future damage to the trimmers and yourself, it is important to keep the blades sharp. Slide a metal filer down the length of your blade. These include the preparation stage, the sharpening process, getting rid of burrs, and post sharpening care. A two step process by first wiping with a clean, dry microfiber or  3-in-1 cloth, followed by a wipedown with linseed oil, will help prevent rust and keep the blades lubricated. Take the oil for trimmer blades and one by one, apply the oil to the edge of the teeth of each tooth on the top blade. Line up your file with the flat cutting edge of the first tooth. Take a piece of paper and draw it against the sharpened teeth – if the paper does not slice cleanly, the blades may need to be sharpened more thoroughly. Step 4: After you must have sharpened all the trimmer blades, use a sharpening stone to remove the shafts from the blades. Align the blades the rest of the way with an appropriate object. But if the blades of the tool aren’t sharp, the hedge trimmer tears and shreds foliage instead of cutting it cleanly. Push the file in one direction only—not back and forth—and continue until the cutting edge looks shiny. The file works very well on hedge and pruning shears. long mill file. Try to use the same number of strokes for each tooth. How to Sharpen a Hedge Trimmer With a Mill File Step 1. Make sure you have a clear and stable work surface and room to move around. Sharpening hedge trimmer blades like this will take some time but the results will please you. Be sure the hedge trimmers are unplugged, or remove the battery first, to prevent the device from turning on and causing serious injury. A tight fit is necessary, and this cannot be achieved without aligning the blades first. Sharpening The Gas Hedge Trimmer Using a Mill File. If keeping the hedge trimmer blades attached to the main body, you first need to align the upper and lower blades. Lay the … Tools Needed for Hedge Trimmer Sharpening, Different Hedge Trimmer Sharpening Methods, Using a Dremel or Angle Grinder for Sharpening, Using an Angle Grinder to Sharpen Hedge Trimmers, How to Cut Quarter Rounds with Expert Precision, How to Rip Narrow Boards With a Circular Saw, How to Crosscut Plywood Using a Table Saw, How to Cut a Straight Edge With a Table Saw, How to Cut an Acrylic Sheet With a Jigsaw, Table vise (optional when using a file, necessary when using a power tool). After you’ve removed the bolts that hold the two blades together, clamp each blade, one at a time, into a bench vice. You have to keep the trimmer sharp and effective which requires the sharpening tool. Steps For Sharpening An Electric Hedge Trimmer. Move on to the next tooth and repeat step 3. Steps in Sharpening Hedge Trimmers Removing the Trimming Blades For this, find a plain surface and place your hedge trimmer on that surface. Dremel D-Vise #2214 What You'll Need. The added power and torque of an angle grinder, however, makes this step necessary. File: A file is the easiest way to sharpen hedge trimmer blades. Step 3. To separate the blades from the trimmer and each other, loosen that bolt with pliers or a wrench. Let’s briefly discuss each of these points as follows; Preparation Stage The benefit of the mill file is that it is easy to keep a consistent angle, and the one-way filing action reduces the chance of injury. on Sep 14, 2011. Step 2. Continue until all the teeth are sharpened. Run the mill file down each cutting edge. A large workbench, however, will be much easier on your back. If the blade is in a vise, remove when all the teeth of the first blade are complete, replace with the other blade, and repeat steps 2-4. Wear thick gloves and press the blades together. There will normally be markings, or a specific fir based on the tightening bolt, to help you figure out which way they go. Make sure the top and bottom teeth are aligned, and tighten the bolt. Two tools that work really well for sharpening are certain Dremel tools, and one of the best angle grinders on the market. Using a long, light motion, stroke the file forward. This is why the Mill file is considered a very inefficient way to sharpen hedge trimmers. It is possible to hold the unit by hand, and this may be easier for some people, especially if using a file. Sharpening Hedge Trimmer Blades By Yourself You are going to be sticking tools and fingers in between saw blades, and if that thing gets turned on, serious injury may occur. Be sure to use the same angle for every tooth. Sharpening at an angle not only protects the user from any possible projectiles from the hedge trimmer or the dremel tool but also ensures an even cutting surface on the blade itself of the hedge trimmer. DO NOT file with a back and forth motion. If there are signs of wear or the trimmers are having a hard time cutting branches evenly, it is probably past time to sharpen the blades. This is important to ensure that they will be the same length. Angle grinders are very strong, effective tools for sharpening. Try to remove any … Align a 10-inch mill file in the groove of the first cutting tooth you want to sharpen, angling the file so … Sharpening hedge trimmers on a regular basis will help you maintain your landscaping by keeping your cuts clean and even, and help prolong its life. You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. Follow these simple steps to sharpen hedge trimmers safely. Sharpening saw teeth is not a recommended way to learn how to use a power tool.

how to sharpen hedge trimmers

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