Sharpening a Fiskars shovel for a cop from a seeker. How to sharpen a shovel with a grinder How to sharpen a bayonet shovel correctly

A shovel is rightfully considered the most popular and frequently used garden tool. Caring for it is simple, but requires certain skills. Not every gardener knows how to sharpen a shovel correctly. Meanwhile, this matter is simple and not labor-intensive. You just need to familiarize yourself with the rules and features of the process. The issue of preparing and sharpening garden tools is especially relevant at the beginning spring season. But even during the operation of the shovel, it has to be adjusted (sharpened) several times.

Shovel sharpening options.

This can be done with:

file;
angle grinder (angle grinder);
grinding machine.

Types of shovels and features of their choice

The effectiveness of straightening garden tools largely depends on the material from which it is made. There are 3 classes of shovels: gardening, construction, loading and unloading. All of them, according to the shape of the blade, are divided into 2 main types: bayonet and scoop.

Gardening:

digging;
excavation;
universal.

Construction:

Types of shovels.

copal pointed;
digging rectangular;
selection;
selection faceted;
mortar

Loading and unloading:

sand scoops;
scoop grains;
coal;
metallurgical;
snow removal

A special type of shovel is sapper shovel. They are similar to a garden bayonet, but have a unique blade shape that allows this tool to be used as a bayonet and shovel. This inventory has standard sizes blades and handles, which are strictly observed during the production of the product. Therefore, a mining shovel can be used as a tool for measuring distances.

Sharpening is required only for those tools that are equipped with a bayonet-shaped blade. Shovels are used primarily for moving bulk materials, therefore, the sharpness of the edge of the metal blade is not so important for them. The success of sharpening a blade largely depends on what material it is made of.

What are shovel blades made from?

The manufacturer of gardening and construction equipment does not always indicate what material it is made of. On shovels it is most often noted that they are made of rail steel(that is, from a rail that has served its useful life).

Table of steel alloys for shovel blades.

This material is not bad, but does not provide any guarantee of the quality of the canvas. In most cases, it is used to produce bayonet-type pointed digging shovels.

When choosing a tool, you need to pay attention to the thickness of the blade: it should be at least 2 mm. Optimal thickness cutting edge- 0.5 mm.

It is extremely important that there are no flaws on this part of the blade. It is recommended to choose shovels made from the following materials:

carbon steel;
stainless steel;
alloy steel;
alloys.

Preparatory stage

It is important to remember one rule: sharpening a shovel should only begin if the blade is securely connected to the handle. This will allow you to avoid injury to your hands during work and perform it efficiently, which is especially important when using power tools. If you decide to sharpen using a grinder, it is recommended to prepare a bench vise, disconnect metal sheet from the handle and securely fasten it between the jaws of the tool. While sharpening, you should not hold the shovel blade with your foot, pressing it against a block or stone: this method of fixation is dangerous.

Protective measures should not be neglected. When working with metalworking tools, glasses and gloves are required. It is recommended to check the integrity electrical cords grinder or sharpening machine. The blade of the shovel is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and wiped with a dry cloth, after which the edge is carefully inspected and the sharpening side is selected. It is best to carry out metal processing from the side on which it was done at the manufacturer.

Knocking the shovel blade

Scheme of a sharpening emery machine.

Before sharpening, it is advisable to beat off the metal blade (rivet it, pull it off). This process is similar to beating a braid, but in the case of a shovel it is not performed as delicately.

For this work they previously had on the farm special tools: an anvil (“grandmother”) mounted on a massive block, and a hammer, one side of the head of which is made in the form of a cone.

Today, many craftsmen use improvised tools for beating or abandon it altogether. preparatory process.

However, it is he who largely determines the correctness and quality of sharpening the shovel. Experts assure that a “pulled” blade is much easier and more convenient to process.

IN modern conditions For beating, you can use a regular hammer. The process is as follows: the metal blade is “pulled” with light blows of the hammer towards the cutting edge. If you plan to sharpen the side ribs of the shovel, they should also be beaten off.

How to properly sharpen a shovel with a file

The simplest and most commonly used method of sharpening a shovel is filing the cutting edge. Since this method is the most accessible, you should familiarize yourself with all its nuances. Among its advantages are the low cost and small size of the tool, which allows it to be used in field conditions. In addition, when working with a file, it is much easier to control the thickness and uniformity of the metal layer being removed.

The shovel should be sharpened using the side of the file.

Stages of work:

It is advisable to disconnect the shovel blade from the handle, but this is not absolutely necessary.
Next, you need to fix the blade in a stationary position. A bench vise is suitable for this purpose. In field conditions, you can use heavy stones or hold the canvas with your foot, pressing it against a strong support.
Primary processing metal is cut along the face of the cutting edge using a coarsely cut file. The direction of hand movements is from the edge of the blade towards the handle.
Finish sharpening is done with a finely cut file. At this stage, the thickness of the treated surface is adjusted to 0.5-0.6 mm. It is important to endure optimal angle sharpening: 40-45°.
The height of the cutting edge should not exceed 5 mm.

How to sharpen a shovel with a grinder

When using power tools, you must comply with the safety requirements described above. The main difficulty of this sharpening method is the high probability of overheating of the metal, which leads to a change in its physical and chemical properties.

The blade becomes more flexible and the cutting edge quickly becomes dull. The advantage of this method is that preparing the shovel for further work is done quickly - within 1-2 minutes.

When sharpening a shovel with a grinder, you need to make sure that the material does not overheat.

When working with a grinder, it is difficult to achieve uniform removal of the thickness of the metal.

Moreover, burrs and chips will inevitably form on the edge, which will have to be removed with a file.

Using an angle grinder is the most traumatic way to sharpen a shovel, so you should be extremely careful while working.

Basic rules for the sharpening process:

the blade is securely fixed in a vice;
the grinder disk should rotate towards the handle;
the pressure should be weak and uniform;
Sharpening of the back side of the blade is performed only for scoop-type shovels.

Sharpening a shovel using a sharpening machine

This method is more acceptable than the previous one, as it allows you to obtain high quality cutting edge processing. Modern machines are equipped with a disk rotation regulator, which helps to fully control the metal sharpening process.

The most uniform cut is obtained when using massive abrasive wheels. You should start the work with a rougher one and end with a finer notch. The main difficulty of this sharpening method is fixing the blade of the shovel. The use of a bench vice in this case is unacceptable, but modern models The machines are equipped with a special stop that allows you to absorb vibration as much as possible.

When roughing, a layer of metal 0.3-0.4 mm thick is removed. The shovel blade is held at an angle of 40° relative to the rotating emery wheel. Make smooth movements with your hands in the direction of the edge (up and down). Finishing is carried out until the tip thickness reaches 0.5 mm. Upon completion of the sharpening process on the machine, the edge is refined with a finely cut file.

How to sharpen a shovel at home no worse than factory sharpening?

Preface

A dull shovel is not only an inconvenience for the worker and a lot of time wasted on processing the area, but also poor quality of the cut. Find out how to sharpen a shovel so that you can enjoy it in the garden for a long time and make your work much easier.

Traditional file sharpening and its features

Many people do not trust the traditional “grandfather’s” method of sharpening, which has existed for hundreds of years. However, a hand file has many “advantages” in the process of processing garden tools. Let's take a closer look at why it is more profitable to use it.

Excellent edge quality. You will not be able to achieve exactly the same levelness when using a power tool, especially if it has a high rotation speed of the wheel. You will be able to regulate the thickness of metal removal and make uniform processing not only of the cutting front part, but also of the side planes.
There is no overheating of the metal. Perhaps this is one of the most important advantages, since an ordinary grinder or electric emery heats the metal surface to a temperature of +200 degrees or higher, changing the physical and mechanical properties of the material. With the slightest resistance, it will wear off or become dull, making it impossible to cultivate hard soil.
You can take it with you on the road. You can adjust the shovel directly at the workplace if large-scale work is planned far from a source of electricity or a vice.

And the most important thing is that a file can be found in any owner’s workshop, so you don’t have to spend a large number of money to purchase an electric emery machine or any other device. Let's take a step-by-step look at how to properly sharpen a shovel.

Step 1 Secure the work surface.

The first step is to fix the blade so that it does not move under significant physical impact. It is best to use cleats, but without fanaticism - do not tighten too much, so as not to deform the stamping - they are quite fragile.

Step 2 Process with a “coarse” file.

Now you need to take a coarse file and go through it inside edges. You cannot sharpen the back side of the shovel (the one on which the holder comes out); we only process the front side. It is preferable to sharpen towards the holder, that is, the file stroke begins in the direction from the edge to the holder.

Step 3: Jewelry fitting.

Now you need to work with an ordinary, small file, with which you can adjust the blade to a thickness of at least 0.5 mm, and at an angle of no more than 40 degrees, so that the metal does not quickly wear off. Sharpening of the shovel should be carried out until the entire blade is no more than 0.5 mm thick at the very edge, and before that it should be processed with a fine-grained file.

Step 4 Removing sharp areas.

Now we take a square file and run it several times along the very edge to remove thin sections that will become dull at the first contact with the ground. 5-10 wires will be enough, then run them several times at an angle of 40 degrees to remove possible chips.

We figured out how to sharpen a shovel with a file, now you can go and try out the acquired knowledge in practice. But there are other ways to process garden tools, which have their own advantages and disadvantages; let’s look at them in more detail.

How to properly sharpen a shovel with a grinder and is it worth doing?

Modern instrument allows you to automate the “grandfather’s” method as much as possible, but is it worth using it and is everything as smooth as it seems? The most suitable and fastest option is to process it with a grinding machine. Using a standard cutting disc, you can adjust the entire blade to the required thickness in 1 minute. This is perhaps the biggest and only “plus” of this tool. There are many more disadvantages:

Overheating of the metal. It becomes very soft and dull easily as you work in the garden, you will have to adjust it again and again, every week or even every 2-3 days. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the abrasion of the shovel itself will be very fast and with a high intensity of its use, the tool can be destroyed in 1 season. It is not recommended to use it on garden tools, primarily garden hoes.
Uneven edge thickness. It is almost impossible to adjust everything to the same thickness, especially at high speeds. Thus, the cut will be of poor quality, the holder will “pull” somewhere in one direction. The work is much harder and more inconvenient.
A large number of chips and burrs will need to be adjusted with a file to avoid injury during transportation of the tool and subsequent work.

If you decide to give preference to this method and rely specifically on the speed of sharpening, and not on its quality and durability, then you need to securely secure the shovel in the grinders and start sharpening. The rotation of the grinder disk should only be towards the holder when processing the blade frontally. Only the front side (the front part of the shovel) is processed, the direction is from bottom to top (the back part is sharpened only at the shovel). This way it will be possible to reduce the force (as much as possible when processing with a grinder) when working in the garden bed and cutting large weeds and dense soil .

How to sharpen a shovel using sandpaper and what you need to know

Electric emery is optimal ratio speed of work and quality of sharpening performed. Best option– with the ability to adjust the rotation speed. It will be even better if the abrasive wheel has a lot of weight so that work can be carried out evenly without taking into account the vibration of the abrasive (as in the case of a grinder, when it is practically impossible to predict the thickness of the removed layer of metal). In order to sharpen the edge of a shovel with high quality, follow the advice experienced craftsmen, you need to follow this step by step instructions.

Step 1 Fasten the tool.

Since it will not be possible to use cleats in this case, it is necessary to limit the vibration of the shovel as much as possible during this operation. This can be done using a special metal strip, which is installed on almost all electric sharpening machines. If there is none, find a stop for the holder.

Step 2Draft.

It is necessary to remove 0.2-0.5 mm to remove all contaminants and eliminate possible mechanical defects. Next, we sharpen everything as usual, only we change the angle by moving the tool itself up/down, and not the abrasive, as was the case before. Minimum thickness blades – 0.5 mm. It is recommended to periodically spray the metal with water to cool it. An unsightly color may appear during sharpening, but the physical and mechanical characteristics of the metal will not change.

Step 3Fitting.

Anyone who knows how to sharpen a shovel will say that without adjustment it won’t work. No matter how you sharpen the edge, you will need to sharpen it with a regular file, eliminate possible chips and over-sharpened areas so that the shovel serves faithfully for a considerable period of time. If this is not done, it will have to be sent to “service” in a few days when working on difficult soils.

We've looked at several sharpening methods, now you can choose the one that's right for you and go for it. practical experience to the workshop!

grounde.ru

A shovel is an indispensable tool when solving a large number of problems, especially in agriculture. But with frequent use, it can become dull, and therefore the work process will slow down significantly and become more complicated. It is still possible to solve this problem, but to do this you need to sharpen the shovel. And we will look at how to do this correctly in this article.

Shovel sharpening options

Before you begin the sharpening process itself, you also need to clean the surface of the shovel from any soil stuck to it, as this may complicate further sharpening.

To sharpen a shovel, you can use one of the following tools:

File;
Bulgarian;
Emery machine;

How to sharpen a shovel with a file?

The oldest and traditional method of processing the surface of a shovel is sharpening with a file. The undeniable advantages of the file are its small size and low cost, which is why you can find it in almost every home. In addition, the working edge of the tool, processed with a file, is of excellent quality.

Sharpening a shovel with a file should be done along the front part of the edge

While working with a file, you can also control the thickness of the metal layer being removed, and this in turn will allow you to maintain the thickness along the frontal and lateral planes.

Another advantage is that when sharpening with a file, the surface does not overheat, which could change the physical and chemical properties of the metal. And because of this, the shovel will become dull much more often.

How to sharpen?

When sharpening a shovel with a file, to ensure its immobility, we need to fix its blade. For these purposes, you can use a bench vice. However, it is also not recommended to tighten them too much, as this may damage the stamped blade.

Next, take a file with a large notch and begin processing the front part of the edge. In this way we carry out the first rough processing of the product. It is recommended to sharpen the shovel only on the front side of the cutting part. But we move the file from the edge of the blade towards the handle.

Next, we need a file with a fine notch, with which we perform fine sharpening. Using this file, we adjust the surface to be treated to a thickness of 0.5 - 0.6 mm. At the same time, to preserve the metal from premature abrasion, it is recommended to perform work at an angle of 40 - 45 degrees. The width of the processed edge should not exceed 5 mm.

During the work, it is also necessary to ensure that there are no thin areas, since such areas quickly become dull, which is why the shovel will fail prematurely.

How to sharpen a shovel with a grinder?

Thanks to modern power tools, the process of sharpening agricultural tools has become significantly easier. For these purposes, you can use a grinder or a regular grinder.

Using such devices, you can sharpen a shovel blade in 1-2 minutes. But at the same time, this must be done extremely carefully, since if sharpened incorrectly, the metal can overheat. And this in turn will lead to a change in the structure of the metal, that is, the metal becomes soft.

When sharpening a shovel with a grinder, you need to monitor the temperature - it is unacceptable for the metal to overheat.

This quality is unacceptable for a cutting edge, as it will bend and quickly become dull.

In this case, you will have to process the surface of the shovel quite often, which can lead to its rapid abrasion. It is possible that you will not be able to work with such a shovel even for one season.

Since the rotation speed of the disc on a grinder is quite high, it will be quite difficult to achieve a uniform edge thickness. Consequently, the cut of the shovel will be of poor quality, which will lead to weighting further work.

In addition, burrs and chips that are created due to high speed processing may cause injury.

How to sharpen?

But if you decide to sharpen a shovel with a grinder, you need to do it extremely carefully. We fasten the shovel in a vice, and hold the sharpening tool so that the disk rotates towards the handle. Only the front part is processed, and the processing direction should be from bottom to top. We sharpen the back part of the working element only with shovels.

In order not to get too thin an edge of the surface being processed, do not press too hard on the grinder.

How to sharpen a shovel with an emery machine?

An electric sanding machine has the most optimal processing speed, which allows the cutting part to be processed with sufficient quality. Modern sanding machines have smooth stroke adjustment, so you can get the optimal rotation speed of the sanding wheel.

To obtain a more uniform surface of the cutting part, heavy abrasive wheels should be used. Wheels of this type are less susceptible to vibrations and vibrations during operation. Consequently, it is possible to obtain a more accurate amount of the removed layer.

Scheme of a sharpening emery machine

For better sharpening, the workpiece must also be firmly secured. In this case, a vice will no longer be suitable. But as a rule, modern emery tools have special stops that make it possible to minimize vibrations of the workpiece.

How to sharpen?

First of all, rough processing of the edge of the part is carried out. To do this, remove to a thickness of 0.3 - 0.4 mm upper layer metal Thanks to this operation, it is possible to eliminate all mechanical damage that may occur during the operation of the tool.

After this (relatively abrasive wheel and at an angle of 40 degrees) we turn the workpiece and make uniform translational movements up and down. We carry out the processing until we achieve a thickness of the remaining layer of 0.5 mm. To prevent the metal from overheating during processing, its surface should be watered.

In this case, “tarnish” colors will appear on the material being processed, which should not be alarmed. This is due to the physical and chemical effect on the metal.

After finishing work on the machine, we begin to adjust the part, which can be done with an ordinary file with a fine notch. Thanks to this procedure, it will be possible to remove defects that appeared as a result of processing (burrs, chips, tears, etc.). Otherwise garden tools It will fail quite quickly.

Working shovel handle

A properly sharpened shovel is not the only factor that will make the work easier. The handle of the instrument also plays an important role. Its length must correspond to the height of the employee. A shorter lever can cause fatigue quickly. It is convenient only when digging narrow holes and wells. Ideally, the total length of the shovel with the handle should reach the worker’s shoulder.

It is recommended to make it from hard wood (birch, oak, etc.), from even stem trees of 5-7 years of age. You can, of course, use it for these purposes soft rocks(aspen, alder), but such a cutting will not last long.

Storage

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How can you sharpen a shovel?

Features of choice
Shovel sharpening tool
How to sharpen a shovel correctly?

Many people need to know how to sharpen a shovel. Job experienced gardeners and gardeners without this tool are simply unthinkable. Externally, the shovels are not very different, but their quality may vary. There are expensive tools famous brands, they really don’t need sharpening. They are made of high-quality alloy steel that can withstand operation without any external intervention. Such a shovel is an expensive pleasure.

Shovel sharpening options.

Features of choice

Tools can be different: scoop, bayonet, etc. (depending on their purpose). Bayonet ones are used for digging earth (trenches, vegetable gardens). Scoops are a tool for loading and unloading operations and moving bulk substances. There are sapper blades, but they are unlikely to be used in ordinary life. Sharpening is only needed for bayonet tools; shovel tools do not need it.

Bayonet shovels differ in the shape of the blade. It can be rectangular or tapering at a certain degree. They sharpen approximately the same. The choice is determined by the area of application of the tool. The most difficult thing is the choice of material. This tool is not accompanied by instructions that indicate the parameters of the metal from which it is made. Typically used to make shovels:

Figure 1. Sharpening of a shovel should be done with the side of the file.

carbon steel;
stainless steel;
alloy steel;
titanium;
various alloys.

To understand the differences between shovel materials, you should briefly look at the manufacturing process. The shovel handle can be made from any material, from birch to hardened aluminum. The metal part of the shovel is made in different ways. The correct process is heating (not melting) high-quality metal to a soft state, and then stamping it on a special press. Incorrect - stamping sheet metal of a certain thickness.

Shovels often indicate that they are made of rail steel. It's not really correct name, steel has a different designation. This means that the tool is made from an old rail that has served its useful life. This is good material, but such an inscription does not give any guarantee of quality. This tool is called a pointed shovel.

Cracks, burrs, delaminations, scratches, cavities, dents and other damage are unacceptable. Metal thickness – 2 mm, cutting edge thickness – 0.5 mm. The surface of the shovel must be hardened, although when using some grades of steel, hardening is not necessary. Important condition– the cutting edge must not have visible damage. The blade of the shovel should not bend under light pressure, and the connection with the handle should not wobble. A properly made shovel blade weighs approximately 1 kg.

Shovel - indispensable tool V gardening work, so it is important that it remains sharp and is comfortable to dig with.

Sharpening a shovel with a file

Using a file has only a few disadvantages - it is a rather long and tedious process. But there are significantly more advantages. The file has small size, which allows you to always have it at hand. Manual sharpening makes it possible to control the thickness of the metal layer being removed and sharpen the shovel exactly as much as necessary. With strong heating, a change in the physical and mechanical properties of the metal occurs, as a result of which it becomes softer and more brittle. But when working with a file, such strong heating does not occur.

How to sharpen bayonet shovel a file? First of all, it must be cleaned of adhering clods of dirt, plant debris, etc. and fix it motionless so that at the most inopportune moment it does not fall and cause injury.

Sharpening occurs along the front part of the cutting area of the shovel in the direction from the blade to the handle of the shovel. First, rough sharpening is done with a file with a large notch, then a tool with a fine notch is used to finish the blade.

When working, you must try to avoid the appearance of too thin areas on the edge of the shovel - they will quickly become dull.

We use power tools

How to sharpen a shovel quickly and without extra effort? To do this, you can use a grinder or a grinder.

You need to work with the grinder carefully. There are many reasons for this:

The rotating disk of the tool can cause serious injury.
When sharpening is too intense, the metal overheats, causing it to significantly lose strength.
At high disk rotation speeds, it is very difficult to control the uniform sharpening of the shovel tip. With a high degree of probability, the cut will be uneven, with burrs and chips.

How to sharpen a shovel with a grinder? This must be done from bottom to top, being careful not to press too hard with the tool so as not to thin the edge. For safety reasons, be sure to protect your eyes with goggles and wear gloves.

A special sanding machine is much more efficient. It allows you to regulate the speed of rotation of the disk and makes it possible to select the optimal mode. In addition, modern machines are usually equipped with clamps that allow you to firmly secure the tool being sharpened and prevent it from oscillating during the sharpening process. To ensure uniform surface treatment of the shovel, it is recommended to use heavy abrasive wheels.

But no matter how hard a person tries to sharpen a shovel correctly on a machine, it’s all the same rough instrument, which will probably leave minor imperfections, and they will have to be corrected with a fine-cut file. At the same time, you should understand that even the most careful sharpening will not save a low-quality shovel from rapid breakdown. Therefore, when choosing a tool for working in the country, you should not skimp.

Excellent edge quality. You will not be able to achieve exactly the same levelness when using a power tool, especially if it has a high rotation speed of the wheel. You will be able to regulate the thickness of metal removal and make uniform processing not only of the cutting front part, but also of the side planes.
There is no overheating of the metal. Perhaps this is one of the most important advantages, since an ordinary grinder or electric emery heats the metal surface to a temperature of +200 degrees or higher, changing the physical and mechanical properties of the material. With the slightest resistance, it will wear off or become dull, making it impossible to cultivate hard soil.
You can take it with you on the road. You can adjust the shovel directly at the workplace if large-scale work is planned far from a source of electricity or a vice.

And the most important thing is that a file can be found in any owner’s workshop, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on purchasing an electric emery or any other device. Let's take a step-by-step look at how to properly sharpen a shovel.

Step 1 Secure the work surface.

Step 2 We process it with a “rough” file.

Now you need to take a coarse file and run it along the inside of the edge. You cannot sharpen the back side of the shovel (the one on which the holder comes out); we only process the front side. It is preferable to sharpen towards the holder, that is, the file stroke begins in the direction from the edge to the holder.

Step 3 Jewelry fitting.

Step 4 Removing sharp areas.

Now we take a square file and run it several times along the very edge to remove thin sections that will become dull at the first contact with the ground. 5-10 wires will be enough, after that, move it several times at an angle of 40 degrees to remove possible chips.

How to properly sharpen a shovel with a grinder and is it worth doing?

A modern tool allows you to automate the “grandfather’s” method as much as possible, but is it worth using it and is everything as smooth as it seems? The most suitable and fastest option is to process it with a grinding machine. Using a standard cutting disc, you can adjust the entire blade to the required thickness in 1 minute. This is perhaps the biggest and only “plus” of this tool. There are many more disadvantages:

Overheating of the metal. ABOUT n becomes very soft and easily dulls during work in the garden, you will have to adjust it again and again, every week or even every 2-3 days. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the abrasion of the shovel itself will be very fast and with a high intensity of its use, the tool can be destroyed in 1 season. It is not recommended to apply to garden tools, primarily to.
Uneven edge thickness. It is almost impossible to adjust everything to the same thickness, especially at high speeds. Thus, the cut will be of poor quality, the holder will “pull” somewhere in one direction. The work is much harder and more inconvenient.
A large number of chips and burrs will need to be adjusted with a file to avoid injury during transportation of the tool and subsequent work.

If you decide to give preference to this method and rely specifically on the speed of sharpening, and not on its quality and durability, then you need to securely secure the shovel in the grinders and start sharpening. The rotation of the grinder disk should only be towards the holder when processing the blade frontally. Only the front side (the front part of the shovel) is processed, the direction is from bottom to top (the back part is sharpened only). This way it will be possible to reduce the force (as much as possible when processing with a grinder) when working in the garden bed and cutting off large weeds and dense soil.

How to sharpen a shovel using sandpaper and what you need to know

Electric emery represents the optimal ratio of work speed and quality of sharpening. The best option is with the ability to adjust the rotation speed. It will be even better if the abrasive wheel has a lot of weight so that work can be carried out evenly without taking into account the vibration of the abrasive (as in the case of a grinder, when it is practically impossible to predict the thickness of the removed layer of metal). In order to sharpen the edge of a shovel with high quality, following the advice of experienced craftsmen, you need to follow these step-by-step instructions.

Step 1 We secure the tool.

Since it will not be possible to use cleats in this case, it is necessary to limit the vibration of the shovel as much as possible during this operation. This can be done using a special metal bar, which is installed on almost all electric sharpening machines. If there is none, find a stop for the holder.

Step 2 Draft.

It is necessary to remove 0.2-0.5 mm to remove all contaminants and eliminate possible mechanical defects. Next, we sharpen everything as usual, only we change the angle by moving the tool itself up/down, and not the abrasive, as was the case before. The minimum blade thickness is 0.5 mm. It is recommended to periodically spray the metal with water to cool it. An unsightly color may appear during sharpening, but the physical and mechanical characteristics of the metal will not change.

Step 3 Fit.

We looked at several sharpening methods, now you can choose the one that suits you and go to the workshop for practical experience!

If you are using a shovel to divide a bush, a sharp blade will provide you straight cut and reduce plant injury. A dull shovel won't cut root system weeds, which means it will reduce your chances of fighting weeds.

Sharpen the shovel can be done in several ways:

traditional manually . Skeptical young summer residents believe that the “ancient” methods of processing metal with a file have long since sunk into the past. However, this method has more advantages than sharpening shovels using power tools:

high quality of the edge, which cannot be achieved at high speeds of the grinding wheel;

there is no overheating of the blade - the most important advantage of manual sharpening, since they do not change physicochemical characteristics metal;

high mobility - a file can always be nearby, especially if there is no electricity or work is carried out far in the field.

Work procedure according to sharpening a shovel:

grinder The processing speed cannot be compared with the method of the dinosaur era - a shovel can be sharpened in 1 minute. But the negative consequences negate the whole result:

If you decide to prioritize speed, there are a few rules to remember:

on grinding machine . For impatient gardeners, we can recommend the optimal combination of quality and speed - a grinder for sharpening shovels. It’s good if the wheel has a lot of weight and a speed regulator - then you can track the thickness of the sharpening.

The procedure for sharpening a shovel:

· remove 0.2-0.5 cm to remove visible defects;

· move the blade up and down in relation to the abrasive until the edge thickness reaches 0.5 mm;

· Cool the blade with water from time to time so as not to overheat the metal;

· remove burrs by hand using a fine abrasive file.

A shovel is an indispensable tool that helps in solving a large number of tasks, especially in agriculture. But with frequent use, the shovel can become dull, which complicates its further use. Will help solve this problem correct sharpening shovels.

To sharpen a shovel, the first step is to clean its surface from any soil stuck to it. This earth will complicate further sharpening.

You can sharpen a shovel with the following tools:

file;
grinder;
emery machine.

Sharpening with a file

The oldest and traditional method of processing the surface of a shovel is sharpening with a file. An undeniable advantage The advantage of a file is its small size and low price, which allows you to always have it on hand. In addition, its use allows you to obtain a working edge of an excellent quality tool. While working with a file, you can always control the thickness of the metal layer being removed, which will help maintain its uniform thickness along the front and side planes.

There is no overheating when using a file metal surface, which can change its physical and mechanical properties. This, in turn, can cause the shovel to become dull frequently.

Sharpening a shovel with a file should be done along the front part of the edge.

In order to sharpen a shovel using a file, it is necessary to fix the blade so as to ensure its immobility. Best for these purposes suitable use bench vice. But you should not tighten the vice too much, otherwise you may damage the stamped blade.

After this, you need to take a file with a large notch and process the front part of the edge. In this way, the first rough processing of the product is performed. The shovel should be sharpened only on the front side of the cutting part. Movements with the file should be made from the edge of the blade towards the handle.

The next step is to arm yourself with a file that has a fine notch. It will help you perform a fine sharpening. Using such a file, it is necessary to adjust the surface being processed to a thickness of 0.5-0.6 mm. In this case, work should be performed at an angle of 40-45 degrees, which will preserve the metal from premature abrasion. The width of the processed edge should not be more than 5 mm.

During this process, thin areas are not allowed to appear, which will then quickly become dull and lead to rapid failure of the shovel.

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Sharpening with a grinder

When sharpening a shovel with a grinder, you need to monitor the temperature - it is unacceptable for the metal to overheat.

The use of modern power tools makes it possible to simplify and automate the procedure for sharpening agricultural tools as much as possible. The easiest way to do this is Sander or an ordinary grinder.

Using these devices, you can prepare a shovel blade for work within 1-2 minutes. But at the same time, turning using such methods must be carried out very carefully so as not to cause overheating of the metal.

Overheating causes the structure of the metal to change and become soft. This quality is unacceptable for a cutting edge, since it will bend and quickly become dull.

In this case, you will have to very often resort to the procedure for treating the surface of the shovel, which will lead to rapid abrasion and will render it inoperable within 1 season of operation.

Since the grinder has a high speed of rotation of the disk, it is impossible to achieve uniform edge thickness. As a result, the cut of the shovel will be of poor quality, which will make further work more difficult.

Moreover, at high processing speeds, a large number of burrs and chips will be created, which can lead to injuries during operation.

But if you decide to use an angle grinder, you need to carefully monitor the speed of its operation during the process. The shovel must be secured in a vice and the sharpening tool must be held so that its disk rotates towards the handle. Only the front part needs to be processed, and the processing direction should be from bottom to top. Sharpening the back of the working element should only be done with shovels.

The pressure of the grinder on the part being processed should be light, so as not to get a too thin edge part.

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Using an Emery Machine

An electric sanding machine has the most optimal processing speed, which allows you to obtain high quality processing of the cutting part. Modern sanding machines have smooth stroke adjustment, which allows you to achieve optimal rotation speed of the sanding wheel.

In order to achieve the most uniform processing of the cutting part, heavy abrasive wheels should be used. Such a circle will be less susceptible to vibrations and vibrations during operation. This quality of the wheel will allow you to achieve the exact size of the removed layer.

To achieve high-quality performance of the sharpening process, it is necessary to firmly fasten the workpiece. A vice is not suitable for use in this case. All modern emery tools must have a special stop that allows you to minimize vibrations of the workpiece.

The first step is to rough the edge of the part. To do this, it is necessary to remove the top layer of metal to a thickness of 0.3-0.4 mm. This operation is necessary in order to eliminate all mechanical damage that occurs during the operation of the tool.

Next, you need to turn the workpiece at an angle of 40 degrees relative to the abrasive wheel and make uniform translational movements up and down. Treatment should be carried out until the thickness of the remaining layer is 0.5 mm. To avoid overheating of the shovel, water should be poured onto its surface during processing. In this case, “tarnish” colors should appear on the material. There is no need to be afraid of this: this is due to the physical and mechanical effect on the metal.

Having finished working on the machine, you should move on to fitting the part. It is performed using a regular file with a fine notch. This procedure will eliminate any processing defects that have appeared (chips, burrs, tears, etc.). If this is not done, the garden tools will fail after a few days of use.