Lawn Mower Blade Sharpening
SHARPENING
Mower blades
Free the blade of any grease, dirt,
or clippings prior to sharpening.
Check the blades to make sure
they are not bent or cracked.
Using a blade balancer, check the blade for its balance. When
sharpening start by grinding the light end of the blade and
then follow with the heavy end.
Move the blade in one direction only. Assuming that
you have a standard mower blade, your direction
would be from left to right. Rest blade on table, gently
move blade into rotating wheel and draw the blade to
the right. Multiple passes are required to achieve the
edge desired. Minimal pressure to the contact wheel is
recommended. The idea is to have the belt do the cutting,
not by using force against the contact wheel. Make
rapid passes, each pass should only take seconds in total
time. If you are not moving the blade across the wheel
in a rapid fashion, you will create hot spots in the blade,
and the blade will not move easily across the wheel.
After sharpening the rst edge, use the slack area
of the belt to remove any burrs that may have been
created in the sharpening procedure. Next, move to
the second edge and repeat the procedure. Check the
balance of the blade to ensure proper stock removal.
WARNING:
If a belt is damaged or shows excessive wear,
immediately stop use of the belt and discard it.
Mulching blade sharpening
Remove the vertical platen by
removing the two Allen bolts
that attach it to the contact
wheel guard. It is important to
readjust the contact wheel guard to remove the pinch point
created by removing the platen. By removing the platen you
create a large "slack" free belt area. By using a exible back
belt (J weight) or a narrow sti back belt you will be able to
use the slack area to sharpen the blade. The operator will
freehand the desired angle. After sharpening the rst edge,
use the slack area of the belt to remove any burrs that may
have been created in the sharpening procedure. Next, move
to the second edge and repeat the procedure. Check the
balance of the blade to ensure proper stock removal.
Rotary-style o set ail blade sharpening
Free the blade of any foreign
substances. Depending on style
of the blade, balancing the blade
maybe di erent than described in this manual. Most rotary
blades can be balanced using a simple balance-style scale.
Since there is no other way to check for balance due to the
o set hole style of the blades, use of a scale is to make sure
that the blades are all equal in mass. Using a scale allows you
to make sure each blade weighs the same amount, keeping
the blades in balance.
You may also choose to check the blades using a standard
scale. Once again, start with the lightest blade and then
sharpen the heavier blade, checking the blades for balance.
12
Attach the galvanized tubing (Item 1, page 10) to the
worktable, using two button head black oxide screws
(Item 18, page 10) and two kep nuts (Item 14, page 10).
This changes the angle for the rotary-style blade to a
factory recommended angle. As with mower blades, it is
recommended to move the blade in one direction only.
If the blade has deep chips, use the contact wheel to
"face the blade." Move up on the contact wheel a couple
of inches to the centerline and run the blade back and
forth several times to even the edge of the blade. Next
you will rest the blade against the tubing and start the
sharpening process. Again, use only light inward pressure.
The belt and speed of the belt will do all the work for you.
Chipper blade sharpening
Free the blade of any foreign
substances. Depending on style
of the blade, balancing the blade
maybe di erent than described
in this manual. Most chippers require all blades to be the
same height. Start with the shortest blade and use it for a
reference, then move on to the others in the set.
Only sharpen blades that are long and wide enough to safely
hold on to. As with any sharpening process on the grinder
move only in one direction and apply minimal inward force.
GRINDING BELTS
OREGON® recommends using only a 3M or Norton 24
or 36 grit ceramic belts to sharpen blades using the
blade attachment. (3M 987FI or Norton Blaze R980.)
These belts contain cooling aids and are constructed
for heavy stock removal. Replacement belts can
be ordered from your OREGON distributor.
Remove any burrs on the back of the blade by
making a couple of passes on the slack portion
of the belt. This will reduce the e ort required
when moving the blade across the table.