How to Sharpen Electric Sheep Shears?

There are 13 blades installed with the electric sheep shears. These blades are made of steel that contains high carbon or high chrome. That’s why the edge becomes sharp when making friction with metal or stone. However, sometimes blades of electric sheep shears become blunt because of random use or improper maintenance. To sharpen these dull blades, learn here how to sharpen electric sheep shears?

You can sharpen the electric sheep shears with coarse honing stone, hand file, and an angle grinder. However, before we start the sharpening process, let’s find the equipment we need to sharpen the shear blades.

What Will You Need to Sharpen the Shear?

Check the following equipment that we have listed below. Make sure you have all of them to complete the task. Otherwise there won’t be perfection if you skip any of these.

• Screwdriver
• Sharpening stone or angle grinder
• Cleaning brush
• A large and small magnet
• Paper towel or wet cloth
• Grit dry or wet sandpaper
• Warm water

How to Sharpen Electric Sheep Shears?

To sharpen the electric sheep shears, you can use a file, stone, grinder machine, etc. Here, we have described the sharpening process with a stone and grinder machine. Now let’s prepare the shear:

• First, disconnect the electric shear from the electric outlet to avoid an accident.
• Unscrew all the screws with a screwdriver, take out the clipper blades to separate every part.
• Remove junk and rust from the blade and clean the shear with a brush to sharpen the blade edge quickly.
• Get some isopropyl alcohol or warm water to wash the dirty blades properly; before sharpening, make sure to dry the blades.

Sharpen Electric Shear With a Stone

You can use a flat stone to sharpen the shear; you may think that it is an ancient way of sharpening but an easy method described below.

Step 1: Placing the Shears

Use a magnet to pick up the blade; different types of blades and magnets are available. Use the magnet according to the blade size, a bigger magnet for the bigger blade, and a smaller magnet for a smaller blade. This magnet will protect the blades from falling while you move forward.

Step: 2 Run the Shears Over the Stone

You have all the equipment, the magnet, and blades are attached, then follow the below instructions to start sharpening.

• Place the flat stone on the table and make sure it doesn’t move aside.
• Put some paraffin oil to dump the stone so that it doesn’t create severe heat during friction.
• Hold the magnet attached to the blade at a 10-15⁰ angle and move the blade edge back and forth. Do it for a couple of minutes.
• Check it; if not sharp enough, repeat the process for another 2-3 minutes.

Step 3: Reassemble the Clippers.

When you finish sharpening, use dry or wet sandpaper to smooth the blades. Next, use a cloth or a towel to wipe the shears and assemble the blades tightly with all the screws.

Sharpening Electric Shears With a Grinder

A grinder is a powerful tool that runs with a round disc to sharpen the blades. Here we will demonstrate how to sharpen electric shears with a grinder.

Step 1:  Start the Machine.

Already, you have unscrewed the clippers and blades, and have the grinder machine ready, now do the following to start the process.

• Use a newspaper to spread under the grinder machine to protect the grits from spreading.
• Attach a magnet on top of the blade and start the grinder machine.
• Hold the magnet over the grinder disc gently for 10 -15 seconds to make friction with the edge of the blade and disc.
• Deattach the blade from the magnet and turn over the blade edge. Again attach the magnet and repeat the process.
• Use a dry cloth to wipe the edges of the blades to clean grits before reassembling the machine.

Step 2: Reassemble the Shears.

Reassemble the shears after you have done sharpening. For better performance, use a few drops of oil to prevent the blades from overheating. Then, turn the shear machine on for a couple of minutes to check whether it is working correctly or not.

Things to Remember While Sharpening the Shears

Taking some safety precautions before starting the process is a wise thing. That’s why we are suggesting some prerequisites to follow to protect yourself. Here are they:

• Use gloves while using the grinder machine that will protect your finger in case of slip or fall of the magnet.
• Put a goggle to protect your eyes from grits that spread out from the disc, made of frictions between the blade and disc.
• Don’t touch the blade just after sharpening as it becomes scorching heat due to friction that may burn skin.

Electric Sheep Shears Maintenance Procedure

You may be using the best electric sheep shears to cut wools, but it won’t last for a long time without proper maintenance. Therefore, here we have some maintenance guidelines for your electric sheep shear.

Clean the Air Filler Screen

Clean the air filler near the cord after every use. If it is greasy or stuck with dirt, it won’t get enough airflow that will overheat the machine.

Add Oil to the Ports on Your Shears.

Most electrical sheep shear has some ports; use some heavy-duty motor oil in these ports to keep them lubricated. Usually, people use the  30-weight motor oil, but we recommend you to use the Marvel mystery oil, which is aromatic engine oil that lasts for longer. Moreover, the right amount of marvel oil can reduce the waste of oil.

Grease the Internal Gears

Take off the clipper head and put a good amount of grease inside the shearing head. Then, reattach the shearing head and screw them. Do it 1-2  times a year to keep the motor running free from junk.

Check the Tension Before Use.

The cutter should be tight enough so that it doesn’t fly off the shears and should have enough space to move freely. On the other hand, If the edge is too close, the blade will be hot with friction that can be uncomfortable for your sheep and makes your blade dull. We recommend using the Oster Kool Lube that never stains sheep wool and keeps the blades free.

Clean and Store Combs and Cutters Properly.

After every use, clean the combs and cutters. We recommend soaking the blades and combs with boiling water to loosen the grease and dirt. Use a stiff-bristle brush to clean the grease after cleaning dry, or wipe them with a towel. Next, use some oil to protect them from rust before storing.

Conclusion

Sheep may become sick because of excess heat and weight; that’s why wool needs to be cut. While cutting the wool, sheep may kick you if the blades of the electric sheep shears are not sharp enough as it hurts the sheep. Therefore, check your sheep shearing blades and sharpen them with the methods we have explained, but don’t forget to take precautions.

On the other hand, your best electric shears may not work correctly without proper maintenance. Therefore, take care of your cutter and ask in the comment if you have more queries about how to sharpen electric sheep shears, we will be right back to you.