How to Sharpen Wire Cutters

You do not have to go to a professional to sharpen your wire cutters. It can be done in a matter of seconds sitting in the comfort of your homes. Read on to find out how.

Step 1 – Safety Measure

Sharpening the wire cutters involves a lot of knack. The risk levels are not high; it is fairly easy and does not involve complicated tools. But before you start off, make sure you have your work gloves on. Also wear safety goggles to protect your eyes.

Step 2 – Work Area

You need a good eye to spot the problem areas in a wire cutter. So to facilitate the sharpening process, make sure that your work area has enough light.

Step 3 – Tool

As mentioned earlier, you do not need a high performance or a complicated tool to sharpen the wire cutter. A simple hand file will do the trick.

Step 4 – Type of Hand Files

Hand files come in different types. The types are recognized by the texture on the hand files. The rougher the texture the more it will deplete the surface that is being rubbed on it. To sharpen the wire cutter, you should opt for a hand file with a fine texture. If you choose a hand file that is extremely coarse, it will damage the wire cutter. This is because the areas to be sharpened on the cutter are extremely small.

Step 5 – Rub

Now start with the sharpening process. Tackle one blade at a time. Rub the hand file on the blade. Be swift but do not apply too much force. Gentle rubs will do the trick.

Step 6 – Test

After you sharpen all the blades on the wire cutter, you need to test its functioning. Try to cut wires with the tool. If it does the job without too much effort on your side, then the sharpening was completed successfully. If not, you will have to sharpen it a tad bit more.

Step 7 – Clean

When you achieve the right amount of sharpness, stop the process. Now you need to clean the blades. Use a wire brush to clean the blades as well as the inner portions of the wire cutter.

Step 8 – Maintenance

Sharpening is a process that can be repeated an endless number of times, but to increase the longevity of the blades, make sure that you clean the cutter after every use. Proper maintenance will reduce the need to sharpen it. In order to maintain the sharpness follow this tip. You should clean the blades after every use with soap water. Rubbing the blades with alcohol will also help.

Step 9 – WD40

Also before you set out with the sharpening process, if you find that there are any foreign elements on the blade then clean them. Sticky substances can be cleaned with WD40.

Step 10 – Storage

The final step is to store your cutters properly. Inappropriate storing methods also result in the wire cutter loosing it sharpness. Always oil the blades before storing them in a dry place.