How to Sharpen Pruning Loppers with Safe & Easy Ways

The majority of plants are pruned in the late winter or early spring. Your pruning equipment is working hard during these months to make it easier for you to easily cut through your shrubs, evergreens, and rose bushes.

No matter if you have a backyard garden or a large farm, the care and attention you give after each use can extend the life of your gardening tools and reduce the costs that potentially broken tools would incur.

Your garden loppers are probably one of the many dependable tools you've purchased. You can use them for a very long time if you take good care of them after each use.

To learn how to maintain your loppers and use them for many seasons to come, read the list of advice we've provided below.

Supplies to Sharpen Pruning Loppers

• Large glass jar or casserole dish
• White vinegar
• Table salt
• Baking soda
• Multipurpose oil
• Carbide sharpening tool or diamond file
• Steel wool
• Clean rag

Remove the Rust With Vinegar and Salt

You only need to soak the rusted parts in a solution of white vinegar and salt to restore your snips to their former state of gleaming glory.

By following these steps, you can use this trick on any rusted or corroded metal tool, including hammers, wrenches, loppers, and scissors.

I first took the bolt holding the blades of my pruning shears apart because they are in pretty bad shape. Although it's not strictly necessary, I wanted to ensure that the solution would get to all of the inner bits.

Then, pour vinegar into a glass jar or baking dish. Add about 2 tablespoons of salt and stir until the granules are mostly dissolved.

Your pruners should be added to the mixture, and more vinegar may be added if necessary to completely cover the metal. Add the bolt and nut as well.

After a few hours, you'll see little bubbles working their magic on the rust:

Give the pruners a 12- to 24-hour soak. I submerged mine for the entire day.

Steel wool can be used to scrub off any remaining rust.

After the pruners are free of rust, we must dilute the vinegar's acidity by placing them in a jar with water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda.

For about ten minutes, let them remain inside. Before moving on to the next step, remove them when the allotted time has passed and allow the pruners to completely dry.

Steps for Sharpening Pruners and Other Curved Blade Tools

Clean Your Blades

Before we can sharpen, we must access the steel. Cleaning the gunk off the blades can improve tool performance right away, but over time, sap, dirt, and grime can harden and render your tools all but useless. Your pruners can be cleaned using a brush or scrubbing sponge, dish soap, and warm water. Scrubbing bubbles will assist in removing the sticky material from dried sap on the blades.

Remove Rust

By soaking the blades in white vinegar for an entire night, you can get rid of rust. You can also remove the oxidized metal from stubbornly rusted blades using a wire brush.

File Down Large Nicks

Moving from coarse to fine is necessary for sharpening. If you have diamond stone paddles, the process is straightforward. Take your coarse paddle and run it over the blades at a bevel-equaling angle. To straighten the curve of the blade, concentrate on any areas of damage. You can get to the good shiny stuff by scraping off the top layer of metal with the coarse paddle. Be sure to polish the blade on both sides, but only make a few passes on the flat part by keeping your hone flat.

Sharpening Time

Call me odd, but I enjoy this particular section. Run your blade over the medium-grit side of your hone. You'll notice that the metal is becoming smoother and sharpening your blade after a few passes. Change to your fine diamond paddle after using the sharpener quite a few times. This will really polish the blade and begin to shape the cutting edge. The blade will develop a burr on the back as you sharpen one side of it. Be sure to remove this with a few strokes.

A Bit of Oil

It's a great opportunity to lubricate the joints for smooth operation when sharpening your garden tools. The pruner or lopper nut gets a few drops of regular sewing machine oil applied to it. Additionally, take a rag, add a few drops of oil to it, and rub it over your sharpening work. This will prevent the sap from sticking and prevent rust on the blade.

How to Sharpen Pruning Shears: Safety Considerations

Safety should be your top priority when learning how to sharpen pruning shears.

Before sharpening your shears, please make sure they are properly secured, whether by using a clamp to hold them or by bracing them on another dry, stable surface.

Wear gloves that you can comfortably work in, and if you want to check how well you've sharpened the pruning shears, use them in action rather than feeling the edge of the blade with your thumb or fingertip. For example, snip a leaf or weed stem outside.

These instructions will teach you how to sharpen pruning shears so that you can use them with ease in the future.

Wrapping Up How to Sharpen Pruning Shears

Do you know how to properly sharpen pruning shears? About the pruning procedure, there is still more to discover! Check out our website's pruning section to learn all the things you need to know about pruning.