← Tools and machinery H05-03 · Module 3 of 7 · Pages: 21 · Worksheets: 6

Sharpening, peening the scythe and tool care

How to sharpen a spade, hoe, axe, secateurs and saw, how to peen and hone a scythe step by step, and how to keep tools free of rust

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Sharpening, peening the scythe and tool care

In short

  • Follow the existing bevel the manufacturer gave the edge; don't create a new one.
  • A file cuts only on the push stroke; the tool is held firm in a vice, hands behind the edge.
  • A scythe is honed every 10–15 minutes of mowing and peened when the whetstone no longer brings the edge back.
  • Peen from heel to tip with even blows, never on the very edge.
  • A grinder overheats steel: a blue edge means the temper is lost.

What's inside

Chapters

  1. When and how often to sharpen
  2. Sharpening kit
  3. Basic rules of sharpening
  4. Spade, shovel and hoe
  5. Axe
  6. Secateurs and knives
  7. Scythe: honing while you mow
  8. Peening the scythe step by step
  9. Hand saw
  10. Grinders and powered sharpening
  11. Cleaning and storing tools
  12. Common mistakes
  13. Printable checklist

Worksheets

  • Sharpening kit by homestead level
  • Maintenance cost calculator
  • Sharpening map of my tools
  • Sharpening and peening log
  • Tool maintenance calendar
  • Checks before sharpening and before the season

Fields and checkboxes can be filled in with Adobe Acrobat Reader (desktop and mobile), and the calculator adds up by itself. Filling in may not work in some browsers. A print version comes with the screen PDF.

This guide in other languages:

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