This devotional is designed to be used while you are sharpening a lawn mower blade or knife. This should take about 30 minutes for you to do the task and to discuss this lesson.
Read Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”
Discuss with your kids the job you are about to do:
How your goal is to sharpen a dull blade.
How a dull blade is inefficient, ineffective, and actually does damage to the lawn (or whatever
you are cutting).
Steps to sharpen the blade of your lawn mower:
Safety
Prior to attempting
Teach about lawn mower safety
Blade can cut and is extremely dangerous
Motor can be hot and should be touched with caution
Danger of debris from the mower discharge
Wear gloves & safety glasses
Pull spark plug connector from tip and bend away from the mower
Drain the gas tank to avoid spills
Confirm your blade needs sharpening
Grass blades look torn and not cut
Grass tips are brown
Uneven lawn cutting
Dents or nicks in the blade
Removing and cleaning the blade
Carefully turn the mower on its side.
Be sure that the air filter and the carburetor are facing up
Find the nut that holds the mower blade to the deck
Use a board to hold the blade in place
Blade may try to move as you are attempting to remove the nut
Use a wrench to loosen the nut until the mower blade releases
Take a dry rag and clean the blade before sharpening it
If the blade is exceptionally dirty or caked, spray it with some penetrating oil and scrub with a stiff brush.
Tip: To avoid re-installing the lawn mower blade upside down, mark the bottom area of the blade with spray paint or a permanent marker.
Sharpening the blade
Note: Mower blades have a 3- to 4-inch cutting edge on opposite sides of the blade.
Clamp the mower blade into a vise or onto a worktable with the first cutting edge facing up
Examine the blade and decide if it is better to sharpen it or replace it
If your blade has dents or cracks, replace it
Blades that are damaged won’t respond to lawn mower blade sharpening.
Lawnmower blade sharpening can be done either by hand with files or with a machine like a bench grinder.
Only sharpen to a “butter knife” level of the blade.
Trying to achieve a razor-sharp blade will make it dull more quickly.
Sharpen by Hand
Sharpen the edge of the mower blade using a 10-inch file or grindstone, keeping the file at roughly a 45-degree angle
Sharpen from the top side of the cutting edge
Push the file in one direction along the blade - Do not saw back and forth
You should be able to feel the file teeth on the blade as you stroke.
If you do not, apply a little more pressure on the file.
Follow the angle of the blade edge.
Even out any rough spots.
Most blades can be sharpened with less than 50 strokes of the file.
Finish one edge of the mower blade, then release it from the vice - turn it over to the other edge and repeat
Balancing the blade
Mowers run smoother when the blade is balanced
Sometime, sharpening will remove more metal from one end, causing the blade to not be balanced
Check the balance by supporting the blade under its center. You can suspend it from a rod or dowel clamped to the worktable. You could also hang it from a wall nail
For more precision, purchase a blade balancer and add it to your mower maintenance tool kit
Hold the blade horizontal, then let go - It should remain level
If the blade drops down in either direction, it means that the blade is unbalanced
Take a few strokes off the heavier end to remove some metal, then retest
Reinstalling the blade
Wipe the area under the mower clean before reinstalling the mower blade
Look for the mark you made earlier - this should make it easy to find the right blade position
Use your wrench to tighten the bolt
Make sure the mower blade is secure
Set mower upright on the ground
Reconnect your spark plug wire
Post job discussion:
Question for your kids - What did the file do to the blade?
Discuss how using the metal file allowed you to sharpen the dull metal mower blade
Remove dirt and grime
Smooth the rough edges
Bring the edge back to life
Discuss how the mower will do a more effective job since it can cut better
Discuss how it can now do the job it was intended to do – effectively
Discuss the scripture above and how we as Christians need to allow:
The importance of listening to Godly wisdom
Expose areas we need to “clean up”
The accountability of others sharpens us for God’s work
Accountability makes us more effective in our spiritual work