anyone sharpen sickle blade knives?

classicxl

Member
Was wondering if anyone has had luck sharpening
blades either on sickle mower or haybine, and what
is best to use, ive got a spare cutterbar with a
lot of dull knives.
 
My dad had a special wheel to put on the old grinder in the shop for sharpening the ones for the sickle mower. It was tapered upwards in the middle so it fit in between the sections. I still have it and use it some. It workes ok to get by a while rather than replacing all the sections. What do you have for implement?
 
As long as they are bottom serrated sections you should be able to sharpen them. I use don't use top serrated sections because you can't really sharpen them with any success. I use a 4 1/2in. grinder.
 
You can even 'sharpen' top serated.They wont last as long,but they will get you by.Sharpen some and find out.Just use a common 4 1/2" grinder
 
For how quickly you can replace the sections with new and use bolts, I'd just replace them.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
Back in the day when I still had a sickle type haybine, I learned I was quicker just replacing the sections than sharpening them. I had a jig set up that all I had to do was place the section in a slot on it, and shear the rivets by hitting the rear edge of the section with a hammer. Flipping it flat, the old rivet punched out of the back through a hole in the jig. New rivets and sections were placed on the back, and riveted into place with an air impact gun and a bit with a dimpled end to form the new rivet head. I usually had to rebuild several knives a year, and found it only took about an hour to do it that way.
 
Trade up to a discbine! LOL
Seriously, I use a 4&1/2" grinder, but I've seen old timers use a flat file!
I also have one of those "handy dandy" tools for replacing sections without removing the knives from the cutter bar.
Edit: Just to clarify what we're talking about
Section = triangular blade attached to knife/knives
Knife/knives = moveable bar that sections attach to
Cutter bar = stationary bar with fingers/guards that knives slide into
HTH, Dave
 
I bought a 2nd knife assy. I go through and replace ALL the knives and use the bolts. I also use the time the knife assy is out to check the guards and replace any that are or bent or otherwise screwed up, then I line all of them up with a string. Check all the hold downs too. Makes a big difference.
 
When I was a kid I used to turn the crank on the grinder while Dad sharpened the sickle blades. It took years before we got a grinder with a motor to sharpen sickle blades. The stone was "V" shaped so you could sharpen two sides at once. Haven't seen a "V" shaped stone in years, but they are probably still available.

I haven't tried it, but I think you might be able to sharpen blades with a 3" or 4" angle grinder.
 
Don't forget to sharpen the edges of the guards if they are rounded or replace them if too worn!

Also helps to sharpen the tip of the guard down to a pencil point.
 
Cannot understand anyone NOT sharpening them. With the price of the sections it does not make any sence to me to change out sections that only need a touch up sharpening.
 
The NH 489 sickle drive is not the strongest one other. So I would skip the sharpening and just install new sections. They are around a dollar each. That is not much money for "new".
 
LOL! "Hand Dandy Tool" I have one too. Now I use
the bolted sections. Find a good NH nugget now and
again...little ones fly forward out of the rolls
like a cannon shot! HAHA!
 
I'm running a NH 408 discbine now, so I only have to worry about sections on my old JD # 8 sicklebar mower!
The "handy dandy" tool is a pain, unless you have the right socket on an 18" breaker bar!
 
I sharpened mine for 50yrs. Last year, I had mine professionally sharpened by a sharpeniong service. 3 sickles cost $50. Made a wonderful distance.
 
Ten years ago I attended a very large farm estate sale that had multiples of just about every tool you could imagine and the deceased owners obivously went to every antique auction and always bought home a truck load. I went for the tools and wanted to bid on a vice mounted on a concrete filled drum. Took a long time to get to the vice and just before it was a electric motor driven sickle sharper with a good "V" stone. Auctioneer couldn't get a bid and finally asked if someone would give a bid. I wanted to move on so offered two dollars and got stuck with it. Offered it free to the local blacksmith shop that occasionally sharpens sickles but they declined. Electrical cord is pretty poor shape. Seems there is still interest in this activity so perhaps it will eventually find a good home.
 
You don't want an edge like a knife (v). You want the bottom of the section laying flat as it scissors with the guard plate.
 
I sharpen sickle sections with an angle grinder. I even square up the gaurds with the same grinder. Ussually only touch them up 2 or 3 times before replacing with new. I use to always run revited sections. Finally went to a bolted sickle just last summer. Finally got tired of pounding rivets on a 9' sickle.
 
(quoted from post at 05:46:26 03/23/14) Trade up to a discbine! LOL
Seriously, I use a 4&1/2" grinder, but I've seen old timers use a flat file!
I also have one of those "handy dandy" tools for replacing sections without removing the knives from the cutter bar.
Edit: Just to clarify what we're talking about
Section = triangular blade attached to knife/knives
Knife/knives = moveable bar that sections attach to
Cutter bar = stationary bar with fingers/guards that knives slide into
HTH, Dave

Dave, I was going to mention terminology, you beat me to it, except over here we have always called the bar and sections assembly the knife.
 
(quoted from post at 05:46:26 03/23/14) Trade up to a discbine! LOL
Seriously, I use a 4&1/2" grinder, but I've seen old timers use a flat file!
I also have one of those "handy dandy" tools for replacing sections without removing the knives from the cutter bar.
Edit: Just to clarify what we're talking about
Section = triangular blade attached to knife/knives
Knife/knives = moveable bar that sections attach to
Cutter bar = stationary bar with fingers/guards that knives slide into
HTH, Dave

Dave, I was going to mention terminology, you beat me to it, except over here we have always called the bar and sections assembly the knife.
 
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