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As someone that relies on lots of tools for gardening/farming I know this is a skill that warrants learning. It’s hard to train myself to clean/inspect my tools and put them away properly after a hard day and not just go flop down in a chair on the porch and study my naval for a while.
I found an old grinding/sharpening stone on a small bench with pedals at an antique store for dirt cheap I intend to pickup (with help!) this weekend to practice some more/experiment with. Dull tools make every job harder/longer. Also figured good skill to have/barter with for my age/abilities.
Any tips from people knowledgeable welcome.
NICE find!!
Always wanted an old treadle powered stone wheel… most of them came out of Ohio, from the big sandstone quarries there. The really good ones were big money… I’m sooo jealous you scored one for cheap! Most times these days, folks buy them for DECORATION in their front yard! Boooo… I saw a really nice old stone half buried and sticking out of some guy’s front yard not long ago… thing had to be more than 3 feet across.
Sharpening stuff means friction. Friction means heat. Enough heat, and you’ll kill the temper of the steel (meaning it will turn into peanut butter when it cools down) I’ve seen some wheels with a water bath underneath the stone, which will work just dandy. Go slow, use plenty of water and you’ll be fine.
The wicked flee when none pursueth..." - Proverbs 28:1
Another good tip is filling a bucket with sand and oil.
When you’re done with shovelling just put the shovel in the bucket and it wont rust.
Same with carbon knives, if you’re not gonna use them for a few weeks,give them a thin layer of oil to protect them.
Use food grade oil as you’re cuttting vegetables or other food with them.As Malgus says, heat is not good and a steady hand with a slow sideways motion will help.
Choose the right angle for the chore and you quickly will get the hang of it.I am learning how to properly fix and sharpen OLD crosscut saws for one and two man.
EBRMOD0Oh this is great stuff. Thanks to you all.
dmarie
Malgus and Tracer – thanks for the tips. Have been using wet stones and things to sharpen things by hand. You are right angle is important I found. Hadn’t thought about the heat when using this wheel. It should be interesting to learn to use – and make quicker work of some things. With some help could maybe do some cutting bars on a horse drawn sickle bar I found buried in a corner of a field when got this place. Trying to bring it back up to snuff.
Yeah, amazed to find this thing in the valley (historically was/is farming valley) for $70.
Appreciate the tips.
Hi Vettom – if you have time would be curious about what you use to sharpen the crosscut saws. I have not read or tried to sharpen anything with multiple teeth. Must you do it slowly by hand, each tooth?
tweva
sharpening cross cut saws is a lost art. I have a number of books and videos to bolster my learning curve. The tools are OT these need to be searched on. Basically, these were common tools of the day and the saws can be harder to use if not done properly. A dull saw will cut better if it was sharpen properly than one done without understanding the process. I now have acquired several saws, built a sharpening frame and have ordered some of the tools. So a work in progress.
In a nut shell any bends in the saw have to be hammered out first prior to sharpening. The entire curve has to be set first, over the entire saw, on both sides, then the rakers and cutters have to be done with proper tools. It is very labor intensive. Once sharpened or even dull these are hard to handle as they will cut your skin very easily so gloves are a essential.
vettomThanks vettom for the overview. You must be a very patient person!
Just learning to do a good job on sharpening simple knives has taken time and lots of messed of knives but I have gotten much better now. Yes, gloves! Small slices are part of the learning curve in this I have found. Liquid skin is my friend! Once I manage to explore and get the hang of the stone wheel I’d love to considered the subject of saws. There are a number to be found of old saws around here in junk/antique stores in the Shenandoa Valley.
tweva
saws like I am referring do cannot be stoned to sharpenas these must be filed. The only time I use a stone is on the side to bring the saw back to a clean steel surface without rust and this is done by hand with a stone. I hope that sheds some light on that. thanks
vettomVettom – thank you. Yes, I do realize that…but ultimately would like to learn the basics of sharpening tools (multiple kinds). I figure this is something I see value in, would enjoy (see tangible results for my efforts) and as I grow ever older (50’s now) I could contribute as a barter-able skill to our group in my older years.
Tweva,
That old sickle bar most likely has individual blades riveted onto a bar. The blades are kind of triangular shaped about 2 inches across. I’m certainnyou v
can still buy them from a tractor supply. The tivets are soft steel cold rivets. Just make sure you get the right lenght.
Forget new skin, Crazy Glue is way better. Crazy Glue should be part of every first aid kit.1974t150v – Yes I think they are that shape. I’ll try and take a picture if you have the chance to look and think I could merely replace for now? Am training a draft cross to pull stuff now. Found the bloody think buried under a bunch of trees that were never cut back (branches satrted 1′ off the ground) in corner of field.
Also found, similarly ‘buried’ on the property an old hay rake. Have read about and think I got the bearings packed and greased up right (we;ll see) but one day I will have to sharpen the tines I would think?? Never been around when used, just saw them used in PA from a distance on Amish farms.
Usually the pitman arm is wornout. It converts the rotational motion from the wheel to linear motion of the shear. The sickle works like a pair of scissors or barber clipers to be more exact.
The blades are pretty easy to replace. You might have to pull the bar out to get access the the rivets. Grind the peened over side off and use a pouch to drive out the old rivet. Insert the new rivet and use the head of a sledge hammer for an anvil under the rivet head. Peen the rivet over with a ball peen hammer.
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