Take Care of Your Tools

by Bill Sullivan

Before beginning to recondition or to sharpen your tools, you should have on hand:
Cleaners:

1.Soap and water, rubbing alcohol, Clorox, WD-40, and/or lighter fluid.
2.Rust eraser.
3.Wire brushes (hand and power).
4.Steel wool.
5.Fine emery cloth, wet/dry.

Sharpeners:
1.Water or oil stones (coarse and fine). Water stones need to be well soaked. You will need both flat and round stones.
2.Honer (porcelain knob and tube insulators are great).
3.Power brush and grinder.
4.Hand files (coarse and fine).
5.Vise

Reconditioners:
1.Ball peen hammer and anvil (or piece of heavy metal).
2.Naval Jelly (follow instructions; use mask and safety glasses).
3.Gun Blue (Minute Man cold chemical; follow instruction).
4.Plastic Dip (PDI).
5.Light oil (Three-In-One).

    If you clean your tools after each use, they should never need major work.
Tools should be cleaned thoroughly with soap and water or rubbing alcohol after
each use, and then dried carefully.  A Clorox mix can also be used to clean and
sterilize.  WD-40, (a rust preventative oil) and lighter fluid are good for
removing the "gook" from the cutting surfaces of the tools left by pines, ficus,
and other plants which exude a sticky sap.  Always dry your tools and oil
lightly after each cleaning.

    When it becomes necessary to sharpen or repair your tools due to use or misuse,
then by following the instructions given, you can return the tool to a
serviceable condition. There is no sense in massacring your five-hundred dollar
tree with tools that are not in good condition.

    The appearance of a rusty tool can be materially improved by the use of a "Rust
Eraser."  This product will remove rust and polish up your tools after initial
heavy cleaning.  This is a new, but highly effective device which may be
purchased through several dealers. Naval Jelly is used for the removal of heavy rust, and will also provide an element of protection.  Following the manufacturer's instruction, it is wise to use gloves, mask and safety glasses.  Be sure any residue is carefully washed and rinsed away. For the removal of especially heavy rust, sandpaper or wire brushes should be used.  Steel wool is effective, but hard on the hands.  Power wire brushes are great for both cleaning and polishing.  I cannot stress too strongly that safety glasses and masks should be worn when using caustic materials or power tools.

    Study your tools carefully before doing any sharpening.  There are bypass
blades, anvil, beveled, and blades that meet, but are beveled inside and out.
Stainless steel tools are difficult to sharpen, because they are so hard.  Be
sure to check the manufacturer's angle of any tool before you start.  That angle
is the one you want to maintain.

    Sharpening stones need to be smooth and flat when used.  A worn stone with
curves or waves is worthless.  A wooden block with raised ends will elevate your
stone, hold it firmly, and save your knuckles.  A "stop" should be secure to one
end of the block to keep the stone from sliding off the work bench.  Oil and
water stones both do the same thing, remove metal in such a way as to provide a
sharp cutting edge.  Heavy work, such as removing a nick in the blade, should be
done with coarse or medium stones, and the finishing touches can be done with
the fine stone.  A tungaloy carbide sharpener can be used, but this cuts away
excessive amounts of the metal, and should only be used sparingly.  Be sure to
clean stones after each use.

    In sharpening bypass blades, you are removing metal from the cutting edge, so
use pressure only on the forward strike, beveled side down against the stone.
Do not attempt to correct the "overbite" of concave tools!  With anvil blades,
sharpen only the top blade, which is beveled on both sides.  Use the same
procedure as:  before, but remember to do both sides.  Concave cutters are
sharpened on the inside only.  Lightly roll the outer concave surfaces against
the stone, one side at a time.  The interior surfaces should be sharpened with a
round or half-round stone, and finished with a honer.  The honer does not
sharpen; it just smoothes the surfaces.  Tools with blades that meet, like root
pruners, may need to be adjusted for proper closure by filing the stop pin just
enough to allow the blades to touch.  Wire cutters need to be sharpened on both
sides, but because the blade movement is so restricted, it is best to use a fine
file.  Use the file cautiously.  If you remove too much metal, they will not
close properly. 

    Power grinders should only be used for "heavy" removal of metal, although the
experienced craftsman could use it for fine work.  Be sure the tools you are
sharpening do not get hot!  Heat removes the temper, rendering a tool "soft" and
incapable of holding an edge.  A vise is essential for holding most
curved-bladed bonsai tools while working on those angles.  Left-handed tools re
hard to find and require special care.

    If you need to adjust the rivet to keep the closing tension tight, it may be
tapped lightly with the "peen' side of the hammer.  For best results, the tool
should be held firmly against an anvil or piece of heavy metal.  If the closing
joint is too tight, work an abrasive material, like Liquid Wrench into the area
by moving the handles back and forth.

    Gun Blue renews the surface look and provides rust protection.   It can only be
used on areas that have been completely cleaned.  Not even a fingerprint can
remain.  I suggest that cleaning solution be used to decrease the metal before
applying the bluing solution.  The "blue" can be painted on with a Q-Tip swab,
covering the exposed metal parts.  Follow the package instructions and avoid
skin contact.  To give a better "feel" to the tool, the grip area of the handles
can be immersed in "plastic dip."  Follow the package instructions carefully.
After dipping a handle, turn it rapidly up and down, up and down, to keep a glob
from forming at the tip.  This dip protects the metal, provides a cushioned
grip, and (because it comes in at least seven colors), helps in tool
identification.  Probably no more than two coats of this material is necessary.
Use the Gun Blue before you dip the handles.

    After cleaning, sharpening and reconditioning tools, they should be oiled
lightly.  Excess oil should be wiped away.  Regularly cleaned and oiled tools
will not rust!  Who can work in bonsai without getting their tools wet and
dirty?  Properly cared for and sharpened, your bonsai tools can remain
serviceable for decades.