Using Tormek to sharpen gardening tools as well as woodworking tools

[michaelco]

I am thinking about buying the Tormek sharpener, and in addition to sharpening chisels, planer blades etc, I want to be able to sharpen pruning tools.  As an example, http://hancockcofarmsupply.stihldealer.net/products/hand-tools/loppers/pl40/.

The blades are curved, and some pruning tools allow removing the blade (typically for replacement), but other tools are integral and wouldn't allow disassembling.
Is there a jig which would allow sharpening just the curved blade (e.g., removed from the rest of the pruner/lopper)?
Secondly, any strategy for sharpening the blade while still part of the pruner/lopper?  Or would it be too cumbersome to manage/maneuver?

If there isn't a good way to sharpen these tools on a Tormek, anyone know of a good way to sharpen these tools?  Workers use these in ways the tools aren't designed, and need to restore edges which are in fairly bad shape.

[Herman Trivilino]

The Tool Rest (SVD-110) would be the jig I'd use.  And it would be easier to do with the loppers taken apart.

Watch videos like this to get a good idea of what you can do with the Tormek.  http://tormek.com/international/en/grinding-jigs/

[michaelco]

Thanks for the suggestion.  Looked like it would be tough to sharpen the blades while bolted on the tool, but always good to check if someone has figured out a better way.

[Jeff Farris]

Michael,

There are basically two kinds of pruning tools, bypass and anvil. Bypass tools where the tool can be taken apart are relatively easy to sharpen. The convex blade is sharpened with the scissors jig SVX-150 while the concave blade is cleaned of debris and lapped gently on the sidewall of the stone, with nothing necessary on the inside curved surface.

Anvil pruners vary in blade design. Some have a single bevel and some have a bevel on both sides of the blade. Where the tool can be taken apart, the blades can either be sharpened with the SVX-150,  SVD-110 or (in the case of tools with a bevel on both sides) the SVM-45 knife jig.

All but the very cheapest tools can be disassembled for sharpening. If they can't be, they were designed to be disposable in the first place.

The very easiest to sharpen are those quality tools where the blade is completely separate from the handle. Just pop them out and sharpen them with the SVX-150.

[michaelco]

Thank you Jeff.  I could see the smaller blades like our Felco hand pruners being easy to manage, but not sure about loppers where the blades are fairly large - like the Hickok loppers - http://www.wilsonirr.com/ecommerce/pruning/loppers/replacement-blade-for-hickok-lopper.php. Would you expect these larger blade assemblies to be easy to maneuver?
There are only a couple specialty anvil styled tools that we use - one with a replaceable blade, and another that is used for very tight work which doesn't allow for removing of the blade - wouldn't be the worst thing if we weren't able to sharpen this one.

[Jeff Farris]

The linked tool would be pretty easy to sharpen using the SVM-45 knife jig.

[michaelco]

Thanks, I appreciate the insight/experience.