Sharpening Diagonal Cutters – A Complete Guideline

Diagonal cutters are one of the essential tools that we use in our daily life. This tool is mostly used for cutting wires and small pins in stubborn corners and angles, which are unreachable through a large tool.

Diagonal tools don’t lose their sharpness easily, and once it does, most people prefer getting another diagonal cutter as it is affordable and hassle-free.

Wait! What if we tell you that you don’t have to get another diagonal cutter? If your diagonal cutter goes blunt, instead, you can get your diagonal cutter sharpened within no time.

Yes, and that’s why we have created this guideline on sharpening diagonal cutters. So, without further ado, let’s get started with it!

Things You Need For Sharpening Diagonal Cutters

Here is a list of few things that you should have around you while sharpening diagonals cutters-

• Vice Grips: It works for holding straight edges while sharpening.
• Emery board: A heavy object with glued emery paper.
• File tool: Works for hardware and metalworking
• Knife sharper: Mostly used for sharpening knives and edges of cutting tools.
• Electric polishing tool: Mostly used for polishing and waxing purposes.

Step-By-Step Guideline: How To Sharpen Diagonal Cutters

Finally, the section you were waiting for. So, we won’t delay anymore. Here is the following step by step guideline-

• Clean the blades properly and if it is rusty, clean the rust as well.
• Place the diagonal cutter in the vice grip in a position where you get access to the wire cutting blades.
• Choose the best tool for you within emery board, file tool, or a knife sharpener. If it has light rust, you can use an emery board, or If it has scratches, you can prefer a file tool or a knife sharpener. Now, you can choose the best tool for you according to your situation.
• If you want to reduce manual work pressure, then prefer using an electrical polishing tool. It will help you to sharpen diagonal cutting blades smoothly. However, don’t sharp it too much; otherwise, it will break down while performing hard tasks.
• If you want to do it manually, then you can simply set it in a vice grip and rub both blades with a smooth file.
• If you follow this manual step, you have to test the blades often to find if it meets your requirement or not and if it doesn’t, you have to repeat the entire process repeatedly until you get the sharp blades you were looking for.
• Once you have got the sharpness you need, it’s time to clean the blades again with soapy water or rubbing alcohol and dry it and once it’s dry, apply oil into it, and now you can store it.

Diagonal Cutter: Care & Maintenance

Here are some of the care and maintenance tips for sharpening your diagonal cutter. However, all these mentioned steps should be followed before sharpening your diagonal cutter blades.

Before getting into the care and maintenance section, here are some items that you should have for taking care of and maintaining your diagonal cutter blades. Here is the following list-

• Soapy water or rubbing alcohol: For cleaning the blades
• Thick Oil: To keep it rust-free.
• Thin-oil Liquid fluid: for cleaning stickiness.

So, these are the required items. Now, let’s get into the procedure-

Cleaning The Tool

The first part of maintenance starts with cleaning the diagonal cutter. For cleaning the diagonal cutter, you can use either soapy water or rubbing alcohol. Once you have cleaned it, now let it dry.

Cleaning Rust (If It’s Rusty)

For cleaning the rust of the diagonal cutter, you need a few natural ingredients and a toothbrush.

Either make a mixture of salt and lemon and apply it to the rusty surface or you can also make a solution with baking soda and water or mix vinegar with salt and apply it on the rusty surface for a few hours.

Now gently wash the rust with the help of the toothbrush. Keep doing it until all the rusts are gone.

• Drying properly

After cleaning the rust from the diagonal cutter, now it’s time to dry it properly. If you don’t dry it properly, then soon, it’ll be rusty again. That’s why drying it properly is essential.

• Oiling it

Oiling your diagonal cutting plier is essential before storing it. Oiling it with a thin layer of oil will protect the diagonal cutter from rust.

That’s why, if you want to assure protection for your diagonal cutting plier, there is no alternative to oiling it.

So, this is the procedure you have to follow in order to maintain or take care of your diagonal cutter. Before sharpening, you should clean the tool the way we shared above.

Conclusion

As we’re wrapping-up, hopefully now you have a clear idea about sharpening diagonal cutters and how to take care of and maintain it.

We believe this guide was helpful for you, and if you still have any queries regarding it, don’t forget to ask it in it the comment section below!