How Many of You Sharpen Your Digging Tool?

[ArizFlash]

I've used my Lecshe digger for quite a few years and always thought about taking a file or stone to it to put the edge back on. I just ever got around to it and kept using it.

Last week I won a new Milwaukee M18 Cordless Drill as a raffle prize at the Safety Lunch. I used the new drill and a 60 grit sanding spool to put the edge back on the Lesche. Went out over the weekend and it made a world of difference digging into the hard ground and cutting through the roots. I should have done this years ago.

I'm just curious to see how many others do sharpen their digging tools. I keep my knifes sharpened often.

ArizFlash
Alan in East Bay

 

[azsh07]

Well atleast a few times a season. Now I am talking about a predator shovel verses a lesche hand tool but...thye all get dull and trying to cut through roots with a dull edge is a bugger.
Actually forget how dull it is until I sharpen it and when goes through roots like butter I think why do I wait so long.
scott

 

[richbat]

I'll touch up my Wilcox a few times a year,gotta keep them sharp.

 

[KinTN]

Absolutely. Whenever it even starts to get dull. Depending on the soil moisture, it could be as few as several hunts before I'll resharpen.

 

[tabman]

I'll touch up my Wilcox a few times a year,gotta keep them sharp.

The metal in the Wilcox hand trowel is not worth much, it's too soft and won't take or hold a good edge. Heat the lower 2 or 3 inches of the blade with a blow torch until it's a bright cherry red and then quickly douse it in USED motor oil. Clean with soap and water and file a good edge on it. Then reheat to a bright cherry red again and quickly douse in the oil. Wash and then reheat once again, but this time to a point just before it turns red. Quickly douse it in room temperature water to temper it. You're done. The case harden steel will take and hold an edge better and longer. If you don't have any experience doing this, don't do it, because you can burn yourself. Take all the safety precautions that are necessary.

tabman

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[richbat]

Thanks for the tip Tabman.

 

[gunsil]

I'll touch up my Wilcox a few times a year,gotta keep them sharp.

The metal in the Wilcox hand trowel is not worth much, it's too soft and won't take or hold a good edge. Heat the lower 2 or 3 inches of the blade with a blow torch until it's a bright cherry red and then quickly douse it in USED motor oil. Clean with soap and water and file a good edge on it. Then reheat to a bright cherry red again and quickly douse in the oil. Wash and then reheat once again, but this time to a point just before it turns red. Quickly douse it in room temperature water to temper it. You're done. The case harden steel will take and hold an edge better and longer. If you don't have any experience doing this, don't do it, because you can burn yourself. Take all the safety precautions that are necessary.

tabman

I believe the Wilcox is stainless steel and one can only case harden carbon steel, not stainless, especially lower grade stainless as used in trowels. Stainless knives which are intended to keep a fine edge are made of stainless with a large carbon content and will rust in some conditions. These knives are actually hardened by freezing the steel to -250 degrees. Oil Quenching after heating is for high carbon steel, and only some high carbon tool steels, some are meant to be water quenched. The proof here is that you can file an edge onto it after your "hardening". Case hardened steel will not be ground with a file. Of course if you feel you have made your tool hold a better edge that is your prerogative even if it's not possible to harden that type of stainless. And the color for drawing the temper on tool steel is a straw color. As to the original question I use the Gator Razor Edge diggers and they need a good sharpening right out of the box to be efficient.

 

[tabman]

I'll touch up my Wilcox a few times a year,gotta keep them sharp.

The metal in the Wilcox hand trowel is not worth much, it's too soft and won't take or hold a good edge. Heat the lower 2 or 3 inches of the blade with a blow torch until it's a bright cherry red and then quickly douse it in USED motor oil. Clean with soap and water and file a good edge on it. Then reheat to a bright cherry red again and quickly douse in the oil. Wash and then reheat once again, but this time to a point just before it turns red. Quickly douse it in room temperature water to temper it. You're done. The case harden steel will take and hold an edge better and longer. If you don't have any experience doing this, don't do it, because you can burn yourself. Take all the safety precautions that are necessary.

tabman

I believe the Wilcox is stainless steel and one can only case harden carbon steel, not stainless, especially lower grade stainless as used in trowels. Stainless knives which are intended to keep a fine edge are made of stainless with a large carbon content and will rust in some conditions. These knives are actually hardened by freezing the steel to -250 degrees. Oil Quenching after heating is for high carbon steel, and only some high carbon tool steels, some are meant to be water quenched. The proof here is that you can file an edge onto it after your "hardening". Case hardened steel will not be ground with a file. Of course if you feel you have made your tool hold a better edge that is your prerogative even if it's not possible to harden that type of stainless. And the color for drawing the temper on tool steel is a straw color. As to the original question I use the Gator Razor Edge diggers and they need a good sharpening right out of the box to be efficient.

Whatever happened to the steel, it now takes a sharp edge and keeps it after a lot of hard digging. Before I treated it, I couldn't even file a good sharp edge on the soft steel to start with and what little edge I got curled after using it for a short time, making it very difficult to use.

I'm super happy with the results, because I prefer using the Wilcox in softer soil over the Lesche. http://www.ehow.com/how_4579248_harden-steel-motor-oil.html

tabman

 

[matthias]

I sharpen all my tools regardless of brand as needed. Yes, it sure makes a difference. HH. Matt

 

[Songdog]

I sharpen mine right out of the box and touch up when necessary.

 

[Fletch88]

Quite regularly. 4 1/2 flapper wheel on a grinder and a file to hone any sharp edges.

 

[Roscue2]

I haven't sharpened my kbar knife in almost 5 yrs, but I know it needs it.