A hedge trimmer is a gardening tool used to trim or cut down hedges or bushes. There are two kinds of hedge trimmers; the manual one and the motorized one. And both kinds need to be sharpened so that the cutting and trimming can be done quickly and accurately.
Now, there are certain steps you are going to have to follow if you want to sharpen them the right way. As the motorized ones have a different shape, the task has to be done right.
Tools to Sharpen the Hedge Trimmer
Here are the tools you will need to sharpen a hedge trimmer.
The Mill File
M mill file is the most common and popular filing tool used by people around the world. It usually is about 10 inches long, has a handle at the very end and a filer consisting more than half its length. You can sharpen the blade by hand using this file.
A Bench Grinder
Much like the mill file, this too is used to file and sharpen blades of different tools and devices. They both get the job done with the same level of accuracy and efficiency, but the bench grinder will enable you to finish the work much faster.
Pre-Sharpening Steps
Now, before we can actually go ahead with the trimming process there a few things we have to do to make sure that all of it is done correctly and without any dangers as it does involve a blade.
Before you get started on the steps, make sure you have a pair of gloves on to protect you from any injury that may occur.
Once you have the gloves on, you are going to have to align the upper and lower case of the trimmer or else you will not be able to get the job done.
The easiest way for you to do that would be to sort of pinch the blades together with your index finger and thumb. The index finger on the upper blade and the thumb on the lower.
This should be able to get the blades as aligned as possible; you could do an extra step and take a screwdriver. Use the handle of the screwdriver to pry the two cases into perfect alignment. With that done, the first step is over.
How to Sharpen a Hedge Trimmer
So once the blades are in place, you will see that each has three surfaces. And you are going to have to sharpen every one of those surfaces, or else you will not be getting a desirable outcome.
You are going to find the same three surfaces on the lower case too. So, there are a total of six surfaces you will have to sharpen.
The whole process is going to take some time as you are going to have to sharpen each tooth of the trimmer and there are many of them to cover.
Sharpening with the Mill File
If you are using a mill file, you need to place it at the same angle as each tooth. in order to maintain the angle, you need to file downwards. Keep doing this until the blade is sharp, once that surface is done you should continue doing the same thing to all the other surfaces of the tooth.
Once you are done with one, you should move off to the others.
Sharpening with the Bench Grinder
Before you start sharpening with a bench grinder, you have to put on some eye and ear protection. This is absolutely needed if you want to protect yourself from being hurt. You should also take a clamp and fix it with the table you are working on so that it doesn’t move around too much.
Just like you maintained the angle with the mill file and the tooth, you have to do the same with the grinder. Be careful when you are sharpening as the grinder doesn’t need to file as long the mill file does. So, if you keep the grinder on the blade for too long, a lot of the layer will come off of the blade.
When you are done with all the three surfaces of the upper case of one tooth, you should actually finish the rest of the upper cases and then move on to the lower case. Do not forget to clamp it to the table again once you rotate the trimmer, as you might actually get hurt if you don’t.
Final Word
Even though the mill file takes longer than the grinder, it would be better for you to use the file, as it is less dangerous.
Take the help of a professional at first if you do plan on using the grinder. Otherwise, it can be a bit dangerous for you.
Nevertheless, if you have any questions about the process, let me know in the comments section.
I started this blog to provide an advanced guide and information to the people to choose the best product. Writing over every part of the tools. I try to cover every type of tool to review and information.