OldTools Archive
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122289 | John Lederer <john@j...> | 2003‑09‑25 | Sharpening scissors |
I have an old pair of scissors that say "C.W. Dahlgren Eskilstuna" that I use in the shop. They used to cut very well, until I used them on fiberglass. I was going to resharpen them...and realized I really don't know a good method -- I have always followed my Mother's advice of cutting aluminum foil to sharpen scissors, but I suspect something more is needed here. What is a good method? Is there a scary sharp equivalent for scissors? Is the dulling process similar to that of a chisel or plane blade, or is it different? And while I am at it.. |
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122293 | Jim Thompson <jdthompsonca@s...> | 2003‑09‑25 | Re: Sharpening scissors |
I have no clue as to the "right way" to sharpen scissors. But I sharpen them all the time around this house. I have a medium grit diamond plate 3" X 8" that I use. I carefully place the scissor blade on the plate at the already established angle and then just sharpen away until I get a slight burr. SWMBO is quite happy with the results. We sort of collect old scissors for her sewing stuff. Quality old ones seem to be better than the new stuff. Some of the old scissors have laminated blades much like old planes. On Thursday, September 25, 2003, at 03:13 AM, John Lederer wrote: > I have an old pair of scissors that say "C.W. Dahlgren Eskilstuna" > that I use in the shop. They used to cut very well, until I used them > on fiberglass. > > I was going to resharpen them...and realized I really don't know a > good method -- I have always followed my Mother's advice of cutting > aluminum foil to sharpen scissors, but I suspect something more is > needed here. > > What is a good method? Is there a scary sharp equivalent for > scissors? Is the dulling process similar to that of a chisel or plane > blade, or is it different? > > And while I am at it.. |
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122291 | Nichael Cramer <nichael@s...> | 2003‑09‑25 | Re: Sharpening scissors |
John Lederer wrote: > [John asks about sharpening his new scissors.] Hi John I can't answer this specifically, but if you don't have the book, I'd heartiliy recommend getting a copy of Leonard Lee's book on Sharpening. Covers just about everything you could want to know about sharpening just about anything. Heck, there's even a section on tuning up tweezers... > My wife cuts the family hair -- she sees it as a time when the kids >(and me I guess)-- can't really duck questions. I have twice bought her >expensive hair scissors. Both times she has reverted to an old pair of >German scissors, and I have to admit that they cut better than the >expensive new ones I bought, yet I don't understand why. One small point here is how a scissors should be sharpened depends on how it's going to be used. For example scissors used on paper or material need nice, mirror sharp edges. On the other hand, scissors for hair need small serations (otherwise the hair "squirts" out as you close the scissors). Anyway, see Lee's book. He says it all much better than I can. N |
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122309 | Bill Kasper <dragonlist@i...> | 2003‑09‑25 | Re: Sharpening scissors |
On Thursday, September 25, 2003, at 03:13 AM, John Lederer wrote of his scissors: > I was going to resharpen them... just don't run with them, ok? god knows, you of all people might have some sort of hilarious (in *hind*sight) bloodletting accident... bill felton, ca |
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122310 | scott grandstaff <scottg@s...> | 2003‑09‑25 | Re: Sharpening scissors |
I love shears and must have sharpened dozens if not hundreds over the years. Scissors are like 2 chisel edges coming together, only worse. You never, ever touch the long, hollow ground inside surfaces of the blades. Never. You aren't going to get the geometry right so leave em alone. In fact, this is what you look at when considering an old pair of shears. Many people get confused and run a file or stone to the inside edges and you'll have to grind all the way to the bottom of this to get the damage out. Shears that want to spread and not cut have many times been messed with in this way. The outside, chisel bevel edges are the only ones you work on. The pivot screw usually won't come out. Most are peined over. So, just open the scissors as wide as they'll go and grind or rough stone the bevel at approximately the same angle. If they've seen hard service you'll have to take off some meat. Enough to form a good burr. From there I go to a finer stone and work the same bevel only. Don't be tempted to "flatten the back" remember. You can keep going as far as you like or the job demands, right up to stropping on a hard surface. For chopping up sandpaper or trimming hedges or something, don't bother, they'll cut fine right off the roughest grinding. But for everyday, general purpose from hair to cloth I'll go to at least about 180 except I use a stone but sandpaper would do as well. The first time you close them, it shears off whatever is left of the burr you formed. Don't pull up the pivot too tight. Better too loose than too tight but obviously, super loose isn't in order either. Kind of medium loose, easy swinging is what you're after. Start with some old plain cast iron scissors for practice. Millions upon millions were made. Anything that was 1/2 decent with a goodly thickness of blades when made (Wiss, Kleen Cut etc etc. If they weren't proud enough of them to mark them, get a better pair. It's the same 25cents at the yard sale either way) These will be your favorite scissors once sharpened, until you move up the ladder to finer and finer pairs, but the cast iron ones will cut smooth and perfect and you haven't risked anything. I'm usually not a huge fan of stainless steel, but the first, original Fiskars were great shears. Made em famous. The hard smooth orange handles. Later ones with the pebble grained orange or blue can be made to work pretty good but you'll have to have an old pair to copy the grinding on and reshape the blades to match. Even then, they'd cut back the thickness of the steel so they'll never be as good. You'd think, if you made something so well it put your company at the top of a very old game and made you rich you'd be tempted to leave well enough alone. Bean counters, ugh. yours, Scott ******************************* Scott Grandstaff Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca 96039 scottg@s... http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html |
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122316 | Ron Hock <ron@h...> | 2003‑09‑25 | Re: Sharpening scissors |
You can freshen up scissors quickly with a burnisher (one of ours, of course). Not for edges that have been seriously trashed (fiberglass?!?) -- just "cut" the burnisher with the scissors, pushing and pulling the burnisher in and out of the blades, re-forming the cutting edges on both blades at the same time. Rev. Ron PS: My mother said her mother would use the neck of a milk bottle for the same effect. She didn't have one of my burnishers... John Lederer wrote: > > I have an old pair of scissors that say "C.W. Dahlgren Eskilstuna" that > I use in the shop. They used to cut very well, until I used them on > fiberglass. > > I was going to resharpen them...and realized I really don't know a good > method -- I have always followed my Mother's advice of cutting aluminum > foil to sharpen scissors, but I suspect something more is needed here. > > What is a good method? Is there a scary sharp equivalent for scissors? > Is the dulling process similar to that of a chisel or plane blade, or is > it different? -- Ron Hock (ron@h...) HOCK TOOLS -- http://www.hocktools.com 16650 Mitchell Creek Drive Fort Bragg, CA 95437 (707)964-2782 toll free: (888)28-BLADE [282-5233] fax (707)964-7816 |
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122317 | Jim Thompson <jdthompsonca@s...> | 2003‑09‑25 | Re: Sharpening scissors |
Fantastic tip! I would never have thought of that! Thank you. On Thursday, September 25, 2003, at 10:32 AM, Ron Hock wrote: > You can freshen up scissors quickly with a burnisher (one of ours, of > course). Not for edges that have been seriously trashed (fiberglass?!?) > -- just "cut" the burnisher with the scissors, pushing and pulling the > burnisher in and out of the blades, re-forming the cutting edges on > both > blades at the same time. |
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122325 | Michele Minch <ruby@m...> | 2003‑09‑25 | Re: Sharpening scissors |
> > You can freshen up scissors quickly with a burnisher (one of ours, of > course). Not for edges that have been seriously trashed (fiberglass?!?) > having spent several years laying up f*b*rgl*ss boats in the late 70's, I am familiar with scissors for this endeavor. You can by "knife-edge" scissors that work very well for this job and are very easy to re-sharpen. They have one blade that has the normal be(v)(z)el angle that looks like 75-80 degrees, and one blade that has a "knife edge" of about 25 degrees on it. My place used Wiss, good big professional ones, and they were very satisfying to use on that 24 oz roving that looks life burlap made out of glass. On regular scissors, I just open them up wide and step through SS to about 400-600, attacking only the be(v)(z)el and not the back. Ed Minch |
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122327 | "Steve from Kokomo" <stjones@k...> | 2003‑09‑25 | Re: Sharpening scissors |
Michele (actually Ed) Minch said: > They have one blade that has the normal be(v)(z)el angle Geeks know that the proper form for this is be{v|z}el OT Content: The bevel/bezel controversy applies mostly to old tools. Most Normites haven't heard of a bezel. Except on watches, of course. -- Steve - another Kokomo galoot feeling wasteful, bandwidth-wise; sorry. |
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122348 | "Jeff Gorman" <amgron@c...> | 2003‑09‑26 | Re: Sharpening scissors |
: -----Original Message----- : From: scott grandstaff [mailto:scottg@s...] : Sent: 25 September 2003 17:26 : To: oldtools : Subject: [oldtools] Re: Sharpening scissors : : ....... So, just open the scissors as wide as they'll go and : grind or rough stone the bevel at approximately the same : angle. If they've seen hard service you'll have to take off : some meat. Enough to form a good burr. Just a thought, and confessing to experience, remove the burr before closing the blades. Forgetting does no good to the edge. The burr is removed with the insides dead flat on a stone of course. Jeff -- Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK http://www.amgron.clara.net |
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