The Family Handyman – August 2019

FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM JULY/AUGUST 2019 21

1

DISCONNECT THE SPARK PLUG

Pull the wire from the spark plug. Remove the gas

cap, put a piece of plastic over the opening and

replace the cap. This will help prevent gas spills when

you flip the mower to access the blade.

2

SECURE THE BLADE

Clamp a block to the lawn mower skirt to stop the

blade from spinning while you unscrew the nut. Use

the longest wrench you can find to loosen the nut. It’s

likely to be very tight.

at a right angle to the blade and

grinding the edge of the blade flat

to remove the nicks. Use light pres-

sure and move quickly. It’s easy to

burn the thin edge. After you’ve

removed the nicks, go back to

grinding at the correct blade angle.

If your blade has deep nicks or is

cracked, bent or worn thin, don’t

sharpen it; buy a new one. Take

the old blade with you to get an

exact match.

3

GRIND THE BLADE

Grind the blade carefully with an angle grinder to

remove nicks and dents and restore the edge. Make

several light passes to avoid overheating the blade.

4

CHECK THE BALANCE

Hang the blade on a nail after sharpening both

edges. If it’s unbalanced, mark the heavy side. Grind a

little off the heavy side and hang the blade on the nail

to recheck it. Repeat until the blade hangs level.

and become brittle, and it won’t

hold an edge. Remove any nicks

and dents and create an edge

that’s about as sharp as a butter

knife. A razor-sharp edge dulls

quickly and chips easily.

Make several passes across the

edge with the grinder, checking

your progress frequently. Don’t

grind off more than necessary. If

your blade has a lot of nicks and

gouges, start by holding the grinder

Be sure to grind away the same

amount of metal from both sides

so the blade stays balanced. You

can buy a blade-balancing cone or

just hang the blade on a nail

(Photo 4). To correct an unbalanced

blade, grind a little metal from the

blunt end of the heavy side until it

balances on the nail. Reinstall the

blade with the marked side toward

you and tighten the nut securely.

Now you’re ready to mow.

Plug

wire

Plastic

under

gas cap

2x4

block