With a Little Elbow Grease You Can Bring Life Back to Your Tools
 (Read 50+ times)
By Harold Sink
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Having been born into a farming family without ever having lived on a farm, I was taught how to take care of tools at a young age. These teachings have stuck with me over the years.
Recently, I was reading “How to Take Care of Your Tools” by Agnes Farside who also writes for Green Thumb Articles. It is an interesting read, and I can see how each of us are different in how we take care of our tools.
This led me to write this article for those of you who would like to know of a slightly different way in taking care of your tools. First of all, I would like to mention that constantly cleaning your tools with water will eventually damage wood handles and rust the metal.
That is why I normally use a wire brush or SOS pad to remove dirt from a tool so that very little water is ever used. Yes, I do use water but to quickly rinse off what little residue is left.
Quickly dry off the tool that has been cleaned. Once this is well dried, take some 3 ‘n 1 oil or some other fine oil that is used in cleaning metal. Use an old cloth and rub in the oil all over the metal.
Should your tool need sharpening, you will want to do this first. Each tool can be sharpened different ways.
I finally received a Dremel tool as a birthday gift. In the accessories is a grinder tool to attach to it. This was a relief as I could now sharpen a very dull hatchet that was passed down to me over the years.
This procedure took sometime to complete, but in the long run it now looks nearly brand new. I had to try it out, and was amazed at how much better it now chops wood for my fireplace. This once dull hatchet can now chop once through 1 ½” material. What an improvement!
This doesn’t mean you have to run out and buy this tool, but it just goes to show you that taking care of your tools will extend and improve its usage.
Shovels, tillers and the like can also be improved with proper sharpening. They don’t need razor sharp edges like a hatchet does, but they will improve in performance with a good sharpening.
Use a little bit of oil while sharpening, too. This prevents the tool from being chipped in the process. My grandfather taught me all of this as a kid, but I just never seemed to get around to buying a grinder.
A whitstone, used for sharpening, is a great tool in sharpening straight edges. You can use it on scissors and similar types of tools. Again, you need to put a little oil on the tool for this method to be truly effective.
Whitstones have a fine and medium sharpening side to them. Start with the medium side first. Once the kinks are out, flip it over to the fine side. Finish sharpening for a better blade. Test the tool to make sure it is sharp enough for your needs. Now clean it up with some oil and an old rag.
As I mentioned, use little to no water at all if possible. I can remember getting growled at by my grandfather for washing off a shovel with water, forgetting what he had taught me.
Leaving a light layer of oil on the tool won’t hurt it at all. This will actually improve its performance later on. Wooden handles will also do well with a little bit of oil rubbed into them. Although, you will want to wipe off the handles well.
Other good tools to have handy for sharpening are flat, round and triangular files. These are good for bow saw blades and curved ones, too. The flat ones are a plus when you need a quick edge.
As with any sharpening, you will need to hold the files at an angle. This will bring back the cutting edge you were used to when the tool was new.
Make sure you are using a file and not a rasp. Rasps are for wood making, and can damage another tool. Wipe off these tools with a rag dabbed in oil. Before you know it, all your tools will be gleaming new.
Keeping your tools clean and doing so immediately will be a booster to your budget on tools. It will also bring back a sense of pride in how you view those tools as well.
For more information on tool care, visit your local hardware store. They can assist you and may provide information of people who specialize in sharpening tools.
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Author Bio Box: Harold Sink
 How To Take Care of Your Tools by Agnes Farside
http://www.greenthumbarticles.com/article/Proper-Garden-Tool-Purchases-Can-Save-You-Money-a933.html
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