IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Equipment => Ice Augers => Topic started by: jopes on Jan 25, 2014, 02:14 PM
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We got some tough ice out here, well not really the stuff is full of sand from out light breezes we get.
No matter how well you look you end up hitting some sand which will destroy a set of blades. So I am on the hunt at trying to learn this myself. I found this on IS on how to touch them up but I have a set which is really in need of some help and metal has to come off to get the edge back on the ice. What is the best way to do so?
They are Eskimo 10" blades for a Z71.
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=18854.0 (http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=18854.0)
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Here's how I've done mine from day one...Get a hard (white) Arkansas 4" stone and some good honing oil. (Gun oil works too) Oil FLAT side of blade. Lay flat side on stone. "Sweep" stone from front of cutting edge to back of blade in a semi-circular motion. ( I have chipper style, Quantum's), repeat three or four times, then check blades, repeating as necessary. Do NOT attempt to do this on the angled part of the blade. If you do this from day one with new blades, you'll maintain proper angle and edge. Impossible to re-set angle this way if your blades are really dull or chewed up, get a new set, then follow the procedure. I know a lot of us do it this way... and it helps if you've been doing it for 30 years with knives too. ;D
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ya, this set is pretty beat up. The set on the auger now has less than 20 holes on them and they need some helping as well. I have bought 2 sets this year. It's cutting into the bait budget.
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ya, this set is pretty beat up. The set on the auger now has less than 20 holes on them and they need some helping as well. I have bought 2 sets this year. It's cutting into the bait budget.
I think the ol' swap and exchange program is best then...!!
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I think the ol' swap and exchange program is best then...!!
X2!
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If they are pretty beat up (chips and chunks taken out) then they won't exchange them (fish307). If they are just dull then they will take them as long as they are not rusted to heck. If they are rusted then they will just resharpen them, but not exchange.
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no chunks, just looks like some one tried to sharpen the bottom side of them instead of the top. if 307 is going to be that picky, maybe I will look into trying this set myself. can't loose nothing on them. :D
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In the recent past, Dags bait & Sebago bait, both sponsors in Maine offered free sharpening for $5.00 postage. ;)2
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Chipper blade works alot better on dirty ice than shaver blades....
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My Jiffy really needed some help this year as I've had to really put some weight on it.I took the blade off and clamped it with a vise grip then clamped the vise grip in a bench vise. Put a small grit sanding wheel in my 4.5 in hand grinder.I sharpened this way,and holy cow does this thing cut thru now. You'd never believe this was the same auger.Gotta know what your doing,alittle common sense goes a long way..
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What is the angle ? If it's not extremely far old from a knife I pretty sure the blades would fit in the vise you get with knife sharpening kits. Mine only goes out to 30%
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if the blades are beat up, you can use a flat file to rough sharpen them. use the stone to clean them up after, ditto on sharpening the flat side only and don't forget to sharpen the center point as it is pretty critical to reducing the pressure needed to drill
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Found this today while doing endless searching. They say to never touch the bottom?
http://setthehook.com/icefishing/bladesharpening/index.html (http://setthehook.com/icefishing/bladesharpening/index.html)
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Hi Jopes
The link you posted has a lot of good info. I was a tool & diemaker for 12 years, and while I haven't sharpened auger blades (yet) I have sharpened countless tools and agree that you do NOT want to stone the bottom of the blade enough to try to sharpen it.
If the blades are really bad, rough sharpen them with a file or a bench grinder - cutting TOWARD (into) the cutting edge. The natural inclination is to sharpen down the slope to the edge, but that throws a big burr which will break off leaving a dull edge. As was suggested, finish sharpening with an oil stone. If you can feel a burr on the blade take a fine stone laying FLAT on the blade and lightly hone it off stroking toward (into) the cutting edge.
Good luck, and let us know how they turn out.
P.S. We pm'ed some last year on walleyecentral about making spoons, and I finally sent you the info for making your own wire forms a couple weeks ago.
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That makes a lot of sense..I used 1000 grit wet sandpaper and finished with 4000 going around the bevel in a semicircle,Used this also to polish the underside a little..No Burr at all,and shaving sharp.
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Jopes, I have the exact same auger. I just take the blades off one at a time, clamp then in a vise and then sharpen them with knife sharpening stones. I start with the rough stone and work down to the fine stone just like I would sharpen a knife. I ONLY sharpen the top side (beveled side) of the blade as the bottom needs to stay flat and at the correct angle. I then just re-attach the blades and they are good to go. Have done it half a dozen times and it works like a charm and never messes anything up...cuts SOOO much better after sharpening.
Just note that it is best to only take one off at a time and note the correct way to put them back on :)
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I sharpened a set of blades that wouldn't even begin to cut. They are on a Mora hand auger from a yard sale.
The instructions on how to sharpen blades were included with a set of NOS blades that I purchased.
I will look for those instructions, and get one of the young guys I fish with to post them. I do know it said to NEVER touch the bottom, and to sharpen them in a circular motion, in one direction only.
I tried this method, using a stone, and it cuts every bit as well as other hand augers with good blades on them.
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Here's the instructions courtesy of darkeyez...
(http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa408/niteeyes83/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps8030f9c3.jpg) (http://s1196.photobucket.com/user/niteeyes83/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps8030f9c3.jpg.html)
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120 or150 grit on a belt sander. Place the belt sander upside down...in a vice if you can....blacken the angled area of the blade with sharpie or similar permanent marker. That way you will be able to see what you are taking off and at what angle. Once your angle is acheived, put downward pressure on the blade....a few seconds is all you need. After sharpening , stroke the blade back and forth with a piece of leather to break the burr back and forth till its gone. you will be left with a very sharp auger blade.
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Diamond hone and Arkansas are the best IMO.
LOOK>>>>> http://eze-lap.com/products/diamond-hone-stone/
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P.S. We pm'ed some last year on walleyecentral about making spoons, and I finally sent you the info for making your own wire forms a couple weeks ago.
I will have to check it out. Not been on there in a while.
Alot of good info on blades.
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ive been told even a file will do the trick not sure why it wouldn't
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slabhappy, your're in the wright site for ice fishing info. hang on for a great time spent on good info.
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I picked up a cheap belt sander to do the rough work. Going to have to get some finer belts as the ones I got currently are far too course. I took the set of blades where you could see the bottom side was no longer flat and sanded the top side back some to remove that. The bottoms are now flat again to the point. I then used a polishing wheel and compound on the dremel to really sharpen the leading edge.
I will have to see if they work, as right now if you lay them flat on your finger you can feel them grab your skin.
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you do understand that you are only taking off a minute amount of steel here. Not sure how bad your chunks missing are but you may have to shell out for new blades
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Already have new blades. So if I am unable to get these to cut I am still fishing. ;)
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2x on the diamond Eze Lap sticks.
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just ordered some jiffy blade sharpeners
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Well I must have done something right. The first set I tried cut the ice like a hot knife in butter.
Can't wait till my finer grit sanding belts get here cause I am going to try sharpening a knife next.
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thanks for the inspiration!
i'll give mine the work over too
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The 1st time I tried free handing and trashed a set of blade- I've since found that a Lansky knife sharpening system's top hole on the guide is a perfect angle for auger blades (30 degrees?) great for touching up dulled blades though the season.