![]() When both sides are smooth to the touch, you’re done honing the edge. This side is flat so run the sharpener flush to the blade. You’ll feel the burs being removed as you run the sharpener across.įlip the pruners over and do the other side. You only need to do 4 to 5 swipes across the bevel. Do it in one smooth motion with a moderate amount of pressure on the tool. Match the sharpener to the angle of the bevel – around 10 to 20 degrees – and draw it along the edge from the back of the blade to the tip. I used a carbide tool because it’s so simple to use, but any sharpening stone or diamond file would do the job. In bypass pruners, you only need to sharpen the upper blade. To get your pruners snipping smoothly again, you’ll need to use a sharpening tool along the beveled edge of the blade. Scrub with a toothbrush to remove dirt, sap, and plant debris from all the nooks and crannies, and then wipe it down with a clean rag. When your pruners aren’t so rusty, you can skip the vinegar dip and clean the blade and mechanism with soapy water. When time’s up, take them out and let the pruners dry completely before proceeding to the next steps. Leave them in there for about 10 minutes. Once the pruners are rust-free, we’ll need to neutralize the acidity of the vinegar by plunking the clippers into a jar with filled with water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. The remaining rust can be scrubbed off using steel wool. After 24 hours, the vinegar-salt solution caused most of the rust to flake away. I used an old pickle jar, which was the perfect size for my clippers.Īfter a few hours, you’ll see little bubbles working their magic on the rust: Add roughly 2 tablespoons of salt and stir until the granules are mostly dissolved.Īdd your pruners to the mix and top up with vinegar, if needed, to completely submerge the metal. Next, fill a glass jar or baking dish with vinegar. It’s not strictly necessary to do this, but I wanted to make sure the solution would reach all the inner bits. My pruning shears are in pretty bad shape so I disassembled them first by removing the bolt that holds the blades together. This trick works will any metal tool that’s corroded with rust – hammers, wrenches, loppers, scissors, and the like – by following these same steps. To bring your snips back to their former shiny glory, all you need to do is soak the rusted parts in a solution of white vinegar and salt. Carbide sharpening tool or diamond file.It’s really easy to restore a used and abused pair of shears back to nearly new condition. Straight cuts will heal faster and the wounds will better resist diseases and insects.Ī good set of hand pruners are made to last a lifetime, so don’t chuck ‘em away. Smoothly snipping away is so much more satisfying and plants will appreciate a clean cut too. Not only does it make cutting more difficult and time-consuming, the jagged cuts aren’t good for the plant either. Rusty hand shears with a dull blade certainly take all the joy out of pruning. Yup, gardening tools left outside to weather the elements will soon look like old pieces of junk. Learn from my mistakes – always, always survey your working area before packing it in for the day. ![]()
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