Sharpening garden shears with an angle grinder?

[mikehalmarack]

I recently saw a couple of youtube videos showing variations on sharpening garden shears with the type of thin disk used on angle grinders.

The first video

mainly shows how to build a metal jig for holding the angle grinder in an engineering vice, after which various sharpening and wire brushing operations are carried out using this set-up.

It looks impressive but I remember hearing several scare stories about grindstones and grinding disks which disintegrated with quite destructive effects when not used as intended.

Are there really suitable disks available for angle grinders, on which the sides of the disk can safely be used for grinding metal objects?

The second video

Shows a more heavy duty bench mounted setup also with a thin, large diameter disk, which seems to work well for grinding with it's flat face, rather than the edge.

Which, if any of these methods are considered reasonably safe?

[Tim Watts]

Dicking around with angle grinders like that is stupid when 20 quid will buy you a cheap and cheerful bench grinder:

OK - it's not going to be a precision bit of kit - but it will do the job in hand way better and much more safely (they go relatively slowly compared to an angle grinder).

I don't have a bench so I screw mine to the top of an old flat tree stump when I have a mower blade to sort out :)

[mikehalmarack]

I do have a normal bench grinder. I find 2 problems with this method when I want to grind a long blade evenly. One is that the blade angle and position tends to waver a little during each pass. The body of the grinder also tends to block a smooth pass of the blade across the edge of the stone.

With the angle grinder method the large surface area of the disk seems to help to keep the shear blade at a constant angle steadiness of pass.

[Tim Watts]

I think a more profitable solution would be to make some sort of guide (mounted either side of the grinder) that would help you pull the blade over the bench grinder :)

The angle grinder method sounds dangerous - as your face would be facing the business end of the grinder more than usual.

[Nightjar]

+1

[DerbyBorn]

"Nightjar wrote in news:Cq- dnSQbkJsyn1XOnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

I use a file on my 40 year old shears.

[meow2222]

Its quick & easy, but much safer to use a grinding disc (6mm or so thick) than a thin cutting disc. If you use a cutting disc, use the edge rather than side, and keep the disc side load to near zero.

NT

[Davey]

I inherited, and still use, something like this:

and it works just fine, thank you.

[mikehalmarack]

To say there's not much opinion in favour of the angle grinder method really is an understatement.

[meow2222]

I use it, its very fast, and safe if you take the usual precautions, ie avoid side loading the disc, stay out of line of fire, avoid getting the disc damp, use eyewear etc. 10 or 20 seconds a piece makes it practical for bulk sharpening.

NT

[Brian Gaff]

I'd not want to try it I know that much. Brian

[Nightjar]

I have one of those too. However, keeping at exactly the right angle throughout the sharpening is a fairly skilled job. Putting a guide on a grinding wheel removes the need for the skill.

[Tim Lamb]

My method is to fix the tool in the vice.

Angle grinder with grinding rather than cutting disc. Used disc so the contact face is convex. Visually adjust contact angle and allow time for heat to dissipate.

Any resulting *wire edge* can be tidied with the dry carborundum stone above.

>

[Mr Pounder]

So do I. The job only takes me 10 minutes and is probably quicker than finding and setting up an angle grinder.

[Capitol]

Works for me too.

[F Murtz]

Angle grinder disks are usually thicker and are designed to grind on the side and edge, the thin ones are cutting disks and are not designed to use on their sides.

[DerbyBorn]

Surely for a proper shearing action you don't need "sharp" edges - a close contact between the blades is more important

[Roger Mills]

I think you'll find that if you rounded off the edges, they wouldn't cut too well!

[DerbyBorn]

Roger Mills wrote in news: [e-mail]:

True - but not "sharp" in the usual sense of the word. Shears usually have quite a large angle rather than an acute edge.

[Davey]

My Dremel kit came with a jig to hold the tool at the right angle for sharpening something.