Gardening: Annual maintenance helps tools last lifetime

Recently my friend Butch Slaughter got to organize new tool shed at a church on the South Hill. It was a big step up for the motley collection of tools that were scattered about in storage areas and people’s garages. Slaughter has some advice for anyone in the same predicament with a garage full of tools.

For Slaughter, it starts with a thorough cleaning of each tool. Dried on dirt, tree sap and rust all impact the usefulness and life of the tools. A stiff wire brush and some water will remove caked on dirt from digging tool blades. “I begin the process of removing any loose paint and/or rust by sanding with flat orbital sander with 80-120 grit sandpaper,” said Slaughter. If you don’t have a sander, it is easily removed by rubbing the surface with a medium grit sandpaper or steel wool. Check the cutting blade on the tool; if it needs to be sharpened, set it aside to sharpen. Spray the tool head with a light coating of lubricating oil.

Next, Slaughter addresses the tool handles. Wood handles especially can take a lot of abuse. If the tool seems in good shape, just run a piece of medium grit sandpaper down the handle to remove any rough spots and or potential splinters. Then coat the handle with light coats of lubricating oil or polyurethane. “I like to refinish it with several coats of water-based polyurethane because it’s tough and dries very quickly, thus allowing for the application of several coats in s single day.”

If a tool needs more than a sanding and oiling, Slaughter will take apart heads and handles and repair or replace them. Replacement tool handles are readily available at hardware stores. “When possible, I remove the handle from the working end of the tool to deeply clean out any remaining dirt or debris from the space between the handle and working end,” said Slaughter. “Most good quality tools will last a lifetime if they are well taken care of on an annual basis,” he added.

Reshaping or sharpening the tool blades will reduce the amount of effort needed when its used. Shovel and edger blades can get slightly bent with use so it’s best to put them on a hard surface and tap them back into shape with a hammer. “If the working end of the tools requires sharpening, I take it to my bench belt sander to make the process go quicker than say, using a file,” said Slaughter. Otherwise, a good metal working file and a vise will work just fine. When sharpening pruning clippers and loppers, anchor the blade in a vise and then follow the bevel of the blade to restore its sharpness. For shovels and edgers, again lock the blade in the vise and run the file across the face of the cutting edge until its sharp.

Slaughter finishes his process by painting the tools a bright color so they can easily be found if left in the garden.