On Mon, May 13, 2002 at 03:29:28PM -0400, Scott Hall wrote:
> On Mon, 13 May 2002, Eric Murray wrote:
>
> > I use my el-cheapo bench grinder to do most of the sharpening, and a couple
> > good files to finish it off. Balancing only takes a few seconds each.
>
> I'd like to do this myself--how exactly do you balance them? come to
> think of it, how do you sharpen them as well? I always figured I'd just
> take a dremel to them, but if there's more... how 'bout a primer?
I take them off the mower.
Mine have a shape that looks like this (when viewed as though
you are a grass blade tht's about to get cut):
____ | ____
--/ \------|-----/ \--
Well, sort of like that. The sharp part is just a bevel on the edge.
I can use the grinder to freshen up the edge, basically grinding it
back a bit so that the very edge of the bevel is sharp.
Because the blade isn't straight, I have to angle the blade around
in order to get the wheel to all the sharp bits. Try
to take an even amount off the blade , so move the blade
along the grinder rather than just grinding in one place.
Keep the same bevel angle also.
It's sort of like sharpening a big knife except you only sharpen
one side, not both. (your blades may vary, etc).
If you haven't sharpened anything before, try just using a file.
Chuck the blade in a bench vise and wear gloves.
Don't grind in one place very long or you will overheat the steel
there and it will dull quickly.
I can't get it totally sharp with the wheel, and also the wheel leaves
a 'bur' on the very edge, so I clean it up and finish it with
a fine file. I also use a chainsaw file on the rounded corners of the
raised part of the blade.
To balance, stick a screwdriver in the hole and see if the
blade balances. If it doesn't, take a bit off the back of the blade
on the heavy side.
Eric
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