how to sharpen the mini dike cutters and nipper cutters used in
electrical & electronic work?

They're too small to handle with jigs, and the blades don't even open
very widely. Yet, their utility is directly proportional to how
recently they've been sharpened/honed.

"Alan Horowitz" wrote in message
om...
how to sharpen the mini dike cutters and nipper cutters used in
electrical & electronic work?

They're too small to handle with jigs, and the blades don't even open
very widely. Yet, their utility is directly proportional to how
recently they've been sharpened/honed.


Unlike scissors, the effectiveness of these cutters require a mashing
action between two wedges that are perfectly parallel and precisely
aligned with each other. If there are gaps, nicks, or misalignment
they will not cut cleanly and you might as well throw them away.

I've never known anyone to sharpen them. Removing material will
only make the gaps bigger. I don't think they can be sharpened.

Don

how to sharpen the mini dike cutters and nipper cutters used in
electrical & electronic work?

They're too small to handle with jigs, and the blades don't even
open very widely. Yet, their utility is directly proportional
to how recently they've been sharpened/honed.

Unlike scissors, the effectiveness of these cutters require a
mashing action between two wedges that are perfectly parallel and
precisely aligned with each other. If there are gaps, nicks, or
misalignment they will not cut cleanly...

Yep!

and you might as well throw them away.

Huh? :/ The handles might get a little closer together but just
about any of them can be fixed up. I use small, thin #4 files
(7/16" wide, 6" long and about 1/16" thick). Nobody I've known
calls them needle files they are wider then needle files. I've
found needle files are too narrow for this job.

My favorite "improvement" is to grind the crap out of the "round
face" and make the cutting edges close to the new surface.
Sometimes like for cutting pin material for knife work the round
face and edges are very close, too close for other work. But still
almost all dikes get that treatment at least somewhen they pass
through my hands.

See? I fix up more old junk than just broken pocket knives.

I've never known anyone to sharpen them. Removing material will
only make the gaps bigger. I don't think they can be sharpened.
Don

Don, if you said "I don't think I can sharpen dikes" then I could
agree with you on that one. Otherwise, nope. :/

Out of over two dozen sets of dikes I've owned over the years (give
most of them away) only a couple were bought by me brand new. They
can be had (good name brands!) for 50c to a $1 at the swipe and
swap. Soak the rusty ones in phosphoric acid first.

When sharpening them you just have to pay attention... Don's -first-
(and excellent) observations above are as good as any.

Just make sure of what effects you are making, in my case...
magnification is the key to success.

Alvin in AZ
ps- even an ice pick works better if you sharpen it up sharper
pps- screw drivers too... anything with an edge for that matter

"Don K" wrote in message
...
"Alan Horowitz" wrote in message
om...
how to sharpen the mini dike cutters and nipper cutters used in
electrical & electronic work?

They're too small to handle with jigs, and the blades don't even open
very widely. Yet, their utility is directly proportional to how
recently they've been sharpened/honed.


Unlike scissors, the effectiveness of these cutters require a mashing
action between two wedges that are perfectly parallel and precisely
aligned with each other. If there are gaps, nicks, or misalignment
they will not cut cleanly and you might as well throw them away.

I've never known anyone to sharpen them. Removing material will
only make the gaps bigger. I don't think they can be sharpened.

I suppose it's possible to sharpen the beveled portion, but do it so the tip
gets sharpened more and the very back end not at all, thus making a flush
closure, just with the handles squeezing a little more. That would be a
real PITA though and depending on the tool you might not have much room to
work with. I vote for toss it and get another.


---
Update your PC at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.556 / Virus Database: 348 - Release Date: 12/26/2003

How about using those small, flexible sanding disks that one uses with a
Dremel Mototool. I use them for sharpening bandsaw blades mounted on the
bandsaw. Works great for them. You should be able to work them between the
narrow confines of those nippers and dikes!

Leif
"Alan Horowitz" wrote in message
om...
how to sharpen the mini dike cutters and nipper cutters used in
electrical & electronic work?

They're too small to handle with jigs, and the blades don't even open
very widely. Yet, their utility is directly proportional to how
recently they've been sharpened/honed.

"Alan Horowitz" wrote in message
om...
how to sharpen the mini dike cutters and nipper cutters used in
electrical & electronic work?

They're too small to handle with jigs, and the blades don't even open
very widely. Yet, their utility is directly proportional to how
recently they've been sharpened/honed.


Buy Craftsman or Klien and you wont have to worry about that...

"Carl." wrote in message ...
"Don K" wrote in message
...
"Alan Horowitz" wrote in message
om...
how to sharpen the mini dike cutters and nipper cutters used in
electrical & electronic work?

They're too small to handle with jigs, and the blades don't even open
very widely. Yet, their utility is directly proportional to how
recently they've been sharpened/honed.


Unlike scissors, the effectiveness of these cutters require a mashing
action between two wedges that are perfectly parallel and precisely
aligned with each other. If there are gaps, nicks, or misalignment
they will not cut cleanly and you might as well throw them away.

I've never known anyone to sharpen them. Removing material will
only make the gaps bigger. I don't think they can be sharpened.

I suppose it's possible to sharpen the beveled portion, but do it so the tip
gets sharpened more and the very back end not at all, thus making a flush
closure, just with the handles squeezing a little more. That would be a
real PITA though and depending on the tool you might not have much room to
work with. I vote for toss it and get another.


---
Update your PC at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.556 / Virus Database: 348 - Release Date: 12/26/2003


Sharpening them is often an experiment in futility. Give it a try and
then pitch them. Occasionally it works with a Dremel and a small wheel
or carbide tool. And I have a diamond stick that helps a little. In
some you have to remove material in the crotch, for lack of the proper
term, so the tool will close tightly. If you are using the tool for
your livelihood, buy a new quality piece.

In rec.knives MaxAluminum wrote:
Sharpening them is often an experiment in futility. Give it a try and
then pitch them. Occasionally it works with a Dremel and a small wheel
or carbide tool.

Oh heck. :/ Using a dremel on the jaws would be a recipe for making
them worse instead of better, in my opinion. I use a small flat #4
file and finish up with a metal finger nail file. (the kind with the
grit soldered to it... either saphire or diamond)

And I have a diamond stick that helps a little. In some you have
to remove material in the crotch, for lack of the proper term, so
the tool will close tightly. If you are using the tool for your
livelihood, buy a new quality piece.

I've only ran across one set so far that was so good it couldn't use
touching up, they are little ones for electonic work and they say
"NWS Solingen Germany" on them and the return springs are two little
leaf springs. (instead of those with the crappy little coil spring)

Most of the ones I get and fix up are Kleins but all of them (save
that one set) could use some "hand work" for improvement.

Alvin in AZ
ps- retired/retarded (same thing) railroad signal-ape

Alan,

I once tried to sharpen an old pair of diagonal cutters. (I know, not the
same tool, but perhaps the same principle is involved).

I wasn't successful in my sharpening efforts, but I was able to speed up the
need to purchase a new pair quite a bit. After my misguided sharpening
effort, the old ones wouldn't work at all. Heck, there was close to an
eighth inch gap between the jaws when they were fully closed. by the time I
finished.

Almost anything can be done, given enough time and effort, but some things
just aren't worth it. I suspect this project of yours may well be one of
the latter.

Barry


"Alan Horowitz" wrote in message
om...
how to sharpen the mini dike cutters and nipper cutters used in
electrical & electronic work?

They're too small to handle with jigs, and the blades don't even open
very widely. Yet, their utility is directly proportional to how
recently they've been sharpened/honed.

wrote in message ...

Don, if you said "I don't think I can sharpen dikes" then I could
agree with you on that one. Otherwise, nope. :/


OK, I was wrong to say it can't be done. Obviously, with effort
and a little luck, you might be able to reface the edges to
regain performance over some portion of the cutting edge.

At work, we toss out defective tools so as not to damage
the product.

Don

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 22:18:37 +0000 (UTC), wrote:

a metal finger nail file. (the kind with the
grit soldered to it... either saphire or diamond)

Where do you find diamond nail files? I haven't been able to find one
in years. I grew up using diamond nail files (on my nails) and
everything else ("newer" and "improved" not!) feels wrong. I had 3 or
4 of them at one point, and have lost all but 1 over the years. I
would really like to buy at least 2 more, if I could find them!

jc

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 19:39:41 -0600, "Barry N. Turner"
wrote:

I wasn't successful in my sharpening efforts, but I was able to speed up the
need to purchase a new pair quite a bit. After my misguided sharpening
effort, the old ones wouldn't work at all. Heck, there was close to an
eighth inch gap between the jaws when they were fully closed. by the time I
finished.

Some tools of this type have a "stop" in the jaw, so that when the
stop is closed the blades are almost, but not quite, touching. If you
sharpen the blades on this type of tool you need to grind back the
stop so that when you are done, the edges again *almost* touch.

Hoof nippers (used by farriers) are this type of tool. The good ones
cost ~$150 to buy, and ~$75 to have them rebuilt because of how tricky
it is to sharpen and realign the cutting edges. See:

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=GE+nippers+rebuild

jc

JC Dill wrote:

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 22:18:37 +0000 (UTC), wrote:

a metal finger nail file. (the kind with the
grit soldered to it... either saphire or diamond)

Where do you find diamond nail files? I haven't been able to find one
in years. I grew up using diamond nail files (on my nails) and
everything else ("newer" and "improved" not!) feels wrong. I had 3 or
4 of them at one point, and have lost all but 1 over the years. I
would really like to buy at least 2 more, if I could find them!

Rite-Aid sells something like the Diamond Deb files, but they wear out
sooner.

--
Cheers,
Bev
---------------------------------
aibohphobia - fear of palindromes

some links for diamond nail files.
http://www.cameobeauty.com/Merchant2...tore_Code=Came
o&Product_Code=2111&Category_Code=newpedi
http://www.skincarecatalog.com/tweez...e--3421-p.html
http://www.tropicalshops.com/vcs/Diamond-Nail-File.htm
http://www.dermadoctor.com/product.asp?productid=623
Where do you find diamond nail files? I haven't been able to find one
in years. I grew up using diamond nail files (on my nails) and
everything else ("newer" and "improved" not!) feels wrong. I had 3 or
4 of them at one point, and have lost all but 1 over the years. I
would really like to buy at least 2 more, if I could find them!

jc

On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 06:01:52 GMT, Reyd Dorakeen wrote:

http://www.skincarecatalog.com/tweez...e--3421-p.html

WOW! That's it! The other ones aren't the right kind, but this one
is. I haven't seen one like it in years. The last time I tried to
Google to find one all I found were the other type. I'm ordering
several tomorrow. Thanks for the link!

jc