Selfsufficientish.com

Over here I have a tutorial on sharpening secateurs and the like because over here in my part of Oz it is pruning time.

Grab your tools (or in my case, have your lover give you a mountain of tools that need sharpening)



Give them a good scrub with a wire brush.



Using a file stroking away from your body, make about 4 or 5 strokes maintaining any angles on your blades..







A light spray with some silicone will add some decent protection.



Can also use the same technique to sharpen shovels, spades, axes etc etc

Guys, this is a real babe magnet

I have had soooo many offers from friends who do not seem to own a $8 file (sorry, do not know the exchange rate) but that is not a lot of money for an item.

Anyhoo, must go, the cricket starts in half an hour and it seems to be raining

Love, peace and mungbeans

Doc

Impressive!

Which reminds me - I've been meaning to buy a wire brush for a while now...

Hi Ina

If you do not own a wire brush, you can use steel wool (brillo pads) for the same effect.

A note to all the English here:

And on a serious note, the cricket...a summer sport...what kind of bloody summers do you poms have over there...no play because of the rain?

live long and prosper

Doc

Looks good Doc,

My Dad taught me years ago, I can even sharpen Grandpa's old scythe!

You got to admit, not many girls can do that!

Lois

Dear Doc,

Doc wrote:And on a serious note, the cricket...a summer sport...what kind of bloody summers do you poms have over there...no play because of the rain?

I may be liable to prosecution under the terms of the Official Secrets Act here but .....

The rain is specially ordered and delivered from Harrods! (SHHHHH!) We do it deliberately to wind up the OZ!

(Won one, drew two, only two to go, you'd better really try on Friday!)

Love and Peace
Jim

I'd like to add what i feel would help no end our gardening friends to keep spades/forks/ etc both clean and oiled at the same time and it's this.
I have an old 45 gallon oil drum cut down to about a 1/3 of it's size and i've filled this with sand and oil (every winter i change the oil in the ride on mower, the rotovator, etc and all this used oil goes into this cut off drum) and its mixed with tha sand, now this cut off drum sits just inside my workshop doorway and every time ive finished for the day i plunge the spade or fork /hoe etc into this mix of oil/sand and give it a few push/and pulls pre putting the tools away (all cleaned and oiled) ready for the next use and this drum and mix last for years, a well worth while tried and tested bit of simple kit.

jansee wrote:I'd like to add what i feel would help no end our gardening friends to keep spades/forks/ etc both clean and oiled at the same time and it's this.
I have an old 45 gallon oil drum cut down to about a 1/3 of it's size and i've filled this with sand and oil--.

now That I like

jansee wrote:I'd like to add what i feel would help no end our gardening friends to keep spades/forks/ etc both clean and oiled at the same time and it's this.
I have an old 45 gallon oil drum cut down to about a 1/3 of it's size and i've filled this with sand and oil (every winter i change the oil in the ride on mower, the rotovator, etc and all this used oil goes into this cut off drum) and its mixed with tha sand, now this cut off drum sits just inside my workshop doorway and every time ive finished for the day i plunge the spade or fork /hoe etc into this mix of oil/sand and give it a few push/and pulls pre putting the tools away (all cleaned and oiled) ready for the next use and this drum and mix last for years, a well worth while tried and tested bit of simple kit.

How did I not spot you'd joined the forum before? Welcome old buddy!