Paper Cutter Blades

[bisonbladesharpening]

Anyone attempted a paper cutter blade?
My first guess is to remove the blade and sharpen as a scissor blade
or planer blade.  I haven't seen the actual cutter yet, just was asked if I would consider doing it.

[Y-Not]

Anyone attempted a paper cutter blade?
My first guess is to remove the blade and sharpen as a scissor blade
or planer blade.  I haven't seen the actual cutter yet, just was asked if I would consider doing it.

While not being the most experienced or highest posting member here, I would have to see the blade before committing to sharpening it.
Once upon a time, a few lifetimes ago it seems, I worked with big paper cutters. The type that would hold an entire ream of paper and slice it.  Those blades simply would not fit on a Tormek.

Now the desktop type with the arm that lifts up and is designed to slice a few pages, maybe.  Again, I'd have to see it in person.

[Grizz]

the planer blade jig requires the blade to be wider than 13 mm. the planer blade I have are 1/2" or 12mm wide, so my planer jig wont work on my blades.

[RickKrung]

I asked about this back in Nov. 2017. 

https://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=3432.msg21263#msg21263

Didn't get much response then.  No one seemed to have any experience with it.  I have nothing more to add, been too busy and have not attempted to do anything with the paper cutter blades. 

Rick

[Elden]

   Not much to add from here. I attempted to to touch up one of the desktop units with a DMT diamond hone. Did not have much success, all though it was slightly improved however still not acceptable.
   In regard  to the large cutters bison mentioned, I am told the sharpening angle is Very finicky. A friend that worked in a printing shop, told of the sharpening angle being changed on one their blades by 1/2° from the manufacturing recommended angle (as I recollect). It did not work.

[Ken S]

I have not meant to avoid this topic. I sharpened a paper trimmer blade a couple years ago. I used my belt grinder. I do not consider myself experienced enough with paper cutters to comment intelligently. I believe I could have sharpened it with my Tormek and the platform jig. We do have some members who have sharpened machetes and lawn mower blades.

Ken

[Elden]

Ken,
   I have wondered if with the hones all I accomplished was a touch up, leaving it slightly rounded; while the edges needed a restoration of the crisp edge.

[Ken S]

Elden,

I have thought about making a clamp to hold a diamond file (similar to those used for jointing/leveling saw teeth for hand filing) for sharpening guillotine paper cutting arms. The paper cutter I sharpened is one of two at my grandchildren's school. The previous sharpening was marked on the bottom, and was in 2004.

The diamond file jointer device would make it easy to do quick (more frequent) tune ups without having to remove the arm.

The real issue with sharpening things like paper cutters is infrequency and lack of training. I see no reason why blades such as these can not be sharpened with the Tormek as easily as knives or chisels. The problem is that even for a weekend warrior farmers market sharpener, who might sharpen fifty to one hundred knives during a Saturday morning, how many paper cutters would he see in a year?

The other difficulty is that, in order to cut properly, the blade must be properly aligned. This is not difficult, if one has good training and some experience. Where does one get this knowledge and experience? A well done you tube video could solve this problem.

I use my DBS-22 drill bit jig very infrequently. It is, in my opinion, Tormek's best jig; I just do not use it often. Whenever I do, I always watch Alan Holtham's excellent video first as a refresher. A well done in depth video on paper cutters would be excellent refresher training.

Ken

[jeffs55]

I have not meant to avoid this topic. I sharpened a paper trimmer blade a couple years ago. I used my belt grinder. I do not consider myself experienced enough with paper cutters to comment intelligently. I believe I could have sharpened it with my Tormek and the platform jig. We do have some members who have sharpened machetes and lawn mower blades.

Ken

I could not get my lawn mower blades that are made for mulching on the machine. I mean I could not adequately access the edge to sharpen them. This was caused by the mulching capable geometry of the blade. The "things" that make the suction for mulching were in the way. Also, the Tormek is just not a good fit for this. At about 90 rpms it is way to slow. I bought a Rikon slow speed grinder which tops out at about 1750 rpm which worked wonderfully. I did not buy it solely for this purpose but rather to sharpen concavely shaped blades as its narrow wheel will more easily fit into curves. If you do not know what I mean, try sharpening a kukri on the Tormek. The drawback is that this is basically a freehand operation. The good part is the much higher speed without being so fast as to easily remove the temper of the steel. I recommend it.