Sharpen your rotary mower blades and enjoy the results with your grounds maintenance program. All it takes is a little know-how, some safety precautions and a good grinder. A bench grinder or a professional blade grinder will both work well.
Wait a few minutes after squirting oil on the blade belt and nut, in order to make removal of the blade easier. Pull any spark plug wires out during this time, to ensure that no motor start ups occur accidentally. Block the blade so that it cannot move; a wood block can work with a c-clamp, or try a blade holder. Remove the blade cautiously. Clean the area around the inner hole of the blade to retain a tight fit.
Check with the blade manufacturer’s instructions to determine the correct angle to sharpen the blade at. Maintain the angle as it was intended for best results; about 40 degrees is often used, but this can differ from between companies.
Keep the proper angle while sharpening, moving the blade to and fro across the blade grinder. Keep sharpening until you get the edge as sharp as you are looking for. Do not heat the blade by forcing the blade toward the grinder, as the blade could lose its temper, or metal hardness. Some people have a bucket of cool water nearby to immerse the blade in as needed.
Grind the edges of the blade as evenly as possible. Use a blade balancer, cone-shaped, or wall-mounted, to check the balance, to see if the blade is straight. A blade that is out of balance can cause vibration and therefore damage the mower. Grind a bit more off the heavier end of the blade to attempt to balance it. A severely bent blade, however, should be replaced, as it could easily break apart under pressure.
Also, a blade with numerous nicks in it should be replaced; a few nicks are tolerable. Check the blade once more for jagged edges and smooth these out with a metal file. Check that the blade is straight and balanced.
You now have an extremely sharp blade to work with. Place it very carefully back into the lawnmower, using great caution, and bolting it into place. Grounds maintenance for the lawn is now sharp and ready to proceed!
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