Sharpening Kett Power Shear Blades

[BeSharp]

Customer asked if I can sharpen the double scissor blades on a Kett KD-400 power shear, used for cutting sheet metal for ventilation ducts.

The double shears consists of a curved center blade and a left and right blade. The curves makes sharpening the centre blade difficult. However, the left and right blades should be sharpenable.

The blades are A2 tool steel. The flat sides of Tormek diamond wheels, or some CBN wheels, are ideal for this job.

[BeSharp]

The rig consist of two frontal vertical bases, two Tormek USBs, a Tormek MB-100 Multi Base, and a Tormek SVD-100 tool rest:

[BeSharp]

I used an iGaging AngleCube to set up the Tormek Tool Rest. I started with a #80 CBN, the switched to a #160 CBN, then deburred the edge using a diamond plate atop my reference granite flat surface. Of course, Tormek's diamond stones will have an even wider grinding surface!

Customer says he has about 80 blades needing sharpening. Replacement cost is $15 USD each.

[BeSharp]

So for commercial sharpeners out there: try hitting up your local HVAC (Heating and Air Conditioning) contractors!

[micha]

Chip,

your use of two cascaded FVBs is really inspiring and might be useful for other projects, too. It looks like a really sturdy setup.
Thanks for sharing,

Mike

[RickKrung]

Indeed, intriguing.  Last spring (2021), I was working on figuring out how to mount an XB-100 on the back side of my T8 to achieve a similar operation of grinding on the back "side" of diamond wheels (downward traveling side).  Tormek support questioned the need.  It was part of my efforts to grind tooth facets on the hold-down tool I was working on for bamboo rod making.  Got stalled out when I moved to working with the Drill Bit Jig. 

Use of two, cascading FVBs is a creative solution to the same objective.  My sense is that an XB-100 mounted directly to the case that avoids the use of the FVBs would be slightly more rigid.  However, FVBs can be purchased, so using them would require no in-shop fabrication or machine modifications. 

Rick