Pruning shears are commonly known as hand pruners or secateurs. Pruning shears are a variety Of plant-care Scissors. They can prune trees and shrubs having stiff branches up to 2 cm thick.
Importance Of Pruning Shears
A piece of sharp pruning shears is much easier to use than a pair of rough, rusted shears. With a medium or coarse diamond hand file, you can quickly sharpen your pruning shears at home. After cleaning the shears and removing rust with steel wool, sharpen the shears’ cutting blade with the file. To keep the shears from rusting, treat them in linseed oil once you have used them.
Things Required For Sharpening Pruning Shears
- Sharpening tool, I.e., pruning gears.
- Liquid soap.
- Something to test like leaves and stem.
- Cleaning rags.
- Scrub brush.
- Oil for lubrication, I.e., mineral oil or linseed oil.
Pruning Shears Sharpening
Following are the steps to sharpen the pruning shears.
Step # 01
| Protect yourself | |
| A | Wear goggles |
| B | If you injure yourself, seek medical treatment |
Step # 02
| Cleaning the shears | |
| A | Scrub the blades with soap and warm water |
| B | Rinse the blades |
| C | Dry the blades |
| D | Buff off the rust. |
Step # 03
| Sharpening of the blades | |
| A | Secure your pruners in a bench vise |
| B | Position the file |
| C | Draw the file along the contour of the blade |
| D | File until sharp edges will forms |
| E | File off burrs on the backside of the blade. |
Procedure Of Sharpening Pruning Shears
Protect Yourself
1- Put on your work gloves
It’s critical to keep your hands safe while cleaning and sharpening pruning shears. Putting on a pair of heavy-duty gardening gloves is the ideal way to do this. If at all possible, choose thick leather gloves.
2- Put on your eyeglasses
While sharpening pruning shears, you’ll also want to keep your eyes protected. Wearing safety glasses or goggles is the best method to achieve this. While cleaning and sharpening the shears, wear protective eyewear to keep fragments of metal and rust out of your eyes.
3- If you damage yourself, get medical help
Gardening equipment cleaning and sharpening can be hazardous. If you cut yourself while cleaning or sharpening your pruning shears, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Cleaning The Shears
1- Using warm, soapy water, scrub the blades
It would help if you first washed pruning shears before attempting to sharpen them—fill warm water and two tablespoons of dish soap in a container or sink. In a bowl of soapy water, dip a stiff brush. Using the brush, scrub each blade.
2- Clean the blades by rinsing them with water
After you’ve cleaned the debris off the shears with lukewarm, soapy water, make sure the soap is gone from the blades. Clean and cool water should be used to rinse each blade thoroughly. Repeat until soap is no longer present.
3- The blades should be completely dry
Obtain a thick, dry fabric, such as a towel. Using the cloth, gently wipe the top blade dry. Then dry the bottom blade with the towel. If you’re drying the blades, be careful not to cut yourself.
4- Any rust should be removed with a buffing cloth
Examine each blade for rust after you have washed and dried the shears. Rust on pruning shears is prevalent, and it’s critical to get rid of them before sharpening them. Carefully rub the rust away with a piece of medium-coarse steel wool. Rinse the blades again after buffing away the rust. Dry the blades using a cloth after they’ve been rinsed.
Sharpening Of The Blades
1- Place the file in the desired location
Sharpen the pruning shears using a medium or coarse diamond hand file. Place the file against the blade of the cutting machine. The angle of the file and the bevel should be the same. As you sharpen the blades, keep this angle in mind.
2- Draw the file along the blade’s contour
- Draw the file along with the shape of the blade in one clean stroke. Move the file from the base to the tip, away from your body, with a single smooth stroke. As you file, apply mild pressure. Ensure that the file is held at the same angle at during the stroke.
- Never file in front of oneself. Instead, be sure that you file away from your body.
3- File the edge till it is sharp
- Continue sharpening the blade of your pruning shears in single, clean strokes until a sharp edge forms. It should take between 10 and 20 strokes to complete this task. The sharpening process will take several minutes.
- You’ll only need to sharpen the beveled cutting blade if you’re using bypass or anvil pruners.
- Repeat this procedure with any other sort of pruning shears.
4- Fill off the bus on the backside of the blades
When you have done Sharpening the blades of your pruning shears, you must remove any burrs on the blade’s backside. To remove the burrs, turn the shears over and the backside with some strokes.
5- Apply linseed oil to the final step
To keep your pruning shears from rusting, apply linseed oil to the blades after sharpening them. Gently wipe the blades with a delicate cloth dipped in linseed oil. Keep the blades in a safe place until you’re ready to use them again.
What Is The Method Of Sharpening Pruning Shear With Sharpening Stone?
- O1
Using a cloth wet with soapy water, wipe off both blades that clean the blades of any grease, sap, or debris. Allow for thorough drying of the blades before proceeding.
- 02
Using a coarse steel wool pad, carefully rub the blades. Using steel wool to scrub the blades removes any stubborn dirt and corrosion. To remove sanding dust from the blades, wipe them off with a rag.
- 03
Apply paraffin oil to a medium-grain sharpening stone. With one hand, firmly Grasp the stone while the other holds the shears. Holding the stone at the same 10 to 15-degree angle as the curved blade, push the stone toward the blade’s edge, paying close attention to the natural curve of the blade.
- 04
Continue to sharpen each blade with the stone unless you’re happy with the results. Finish by sanding the blades with 600-grit dry or wet sandpaper. This takes care of any uneven edges.
- 05
Using a silicone-based lubricant, dampen a rag. To prevent rust, wipe the blades of the shears with the oil.
Do You Know The Benefits Of Sharpening Pruning Shear?
The health of your plants is the most crucial benefit. Sharp instruments make clean cuts, reducing the amount of time it takes for the plant to mend. Sharpening your equipment and plants also safeguards your investment. Remove any dried-on sap, filth, or grit from the blade before sharpening it.
When Should Pruning Tools Be Sharpened?
Pruners that have been well-used but well-maintained should only need sharpening every six weeks. One decent sharpening a year may be sufficient for gardeners who only spend four hours a week trimming. Sharpening hand pruners in reasonably good condition take only around 10 minutes
Sharpening pruning shears at what angle?
Make sure the motion and angle are correct.
The water will keep the file from being clogged with the metal shavings you’ll be cleaning from the blade. Begin with the coarse file, which should be held at the same angle as the beveled cutting edge (between 10 and 20 degrees).
What are the fundamental principles of pruning, and how important is it?
Pruning is required to preserve plant health, remove damaged limbs, promote new growth, and keep the plant in shape. There are four main types of pruning cuts, each with a different effect. When moving from plant to plant, use sharp, clean instruments and wipe down blades with a clean towel.
Pruning Tool Care
You will use a wire brush or wire wool to remove any embedded dirt or sap. They should be washed in soapy water and dried. Pruners, loppers, and shears are all sharpened similarly. Hold the tool securely in place, then run the sharpener over the blade’s edge.
Clean your tools after every use
Scrub the area thoroughly with fine-grit steel wool to remove stubborn stains. Using a clean, dry rag, wipe everything down. To avoid the spread of infections, any equipment used to cut plants, such as shears, saws, or pruners, should be cleaned down with bleach before and after each use.
Conclusion
As you can see, keeping your garden shears clean does not need you to be a pro. This task may Be completed in a matter of minutes if you have the correct equipment. Sharpening tools at home, however, can be dangerous, and you should take the appropriate precautions to avoid damage. Plants are magnificent and beneficial organisms that give us oxygen as well. So we should take care of them. Once we use the tools on plants, we also maintain the pruning tools. I hope you are well satisfied and if you want more information, you can see the tutorials about these tools. I wish you the best! Thank you so much for viewing.
