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It’s important to hone the blade of your flooring cutter because it will help the metal blade stay sharp and durable. Metal is malleable, meaning with regular use, the thin sharpened edge of your cutter’s blade will roll into a burr. This will throw the blade out of alignment, resulting in poor cutting performances. Even if the blade is sharp, it can feel dull because the sharp edge has been pushed to the side. When used properly, the hone stone will realign the edge of the blade, doubling its life! An added bonus to honing your cutter blade is that it is quick and easy to do!
How to Hone the Blade
Press the handle of your cutter down until the blade is just above the blade stop (approximately 1/8”). Lay the wide, flat side of your hone stone against the flat side of the blade and run it back and forth two or three times. This will remove any burrs or accumulated residue.
Please Note:
- Blades are not covered by warranties, so honing is crucial to an extended blade-life.
- Your blade should always be mounted with the flat side facing the table.
- Always use hand protection when handling the blade – it’s very sharp!
- When honing, it is not necessary to remove small nicks or chips from the blade edges.
When to Hone the Blade
Hone the blade after the 1st cut, 5th cut, 10th cut, and 100th cut. After 100 cuts, you will need to hone your blade once per job for the rest of the cutter’s life.
Honing vs. Sharpening
Many confuse honing and sharpening, but there is a distinct difference. Honing pushes the sharpened edge back into position. Sharpening removes and shaves down the blade to create a new, razor-sharp beveled edge. When necessary, the blade can be sharpened using a fluid-cooled power griding process to restore one side of the knife edge. Please note that the blade should only be sharpened on the beveled side.
Honing is an important process to keep your cutter blade sharp so you can keep it running efficiently for a long time. It is an easy task that takes no time at all.
