If the tips of your screwdrivers are too wide to fit in the small spaces you need to use
them, like in those tiny watch screws, or if they've simply become worn or dull over
time Esslinger-dot-com has the information you need to sharpen your screwdriver blades
and get them working once again.
How can you tell if you need to sharpen your blades? Look at the tips. Over time, your
blades can be chipped or have sections sheared off and lose their straight edge. To fix it,
you would simply grind off the uneven end, however that makes your blades too wide to
fit in most small screw heads and that is when you need to sharpen the blade. Be aware
that you can only sharpen flat-head screwdriver blades.
Things you'll need: A Loupe or other magnifier
A screwdriver holder A sharpening stone
And a Selvyt or cleaning cloth
First you will want to examine the tips of your screwdrivers to see which will need to
be sharpened. Position your loupe so you can see the magnified tips. If the blade tapers
to a blunt end instead of a fine tip, you will want to sharpen it.
Once you know which screwdriver blades need to be sharpened. Select one to start sharpening
and set the rest aside where you can reach them later.
Take your screwdriver holder and squeeze the ends together to reveal the hole for your
screwdriver. Hold the ends together and slide your first screwdriver into the holder.
Position the screwdriver in the holder so that the solid portion of the screwdriver
handle above the blade is sitting just inside the holder like this.
After you have the screwdriver positioned in the holder, you will want to align the
screwdriver blade with the holder so that you can sharpen it evenly. The blade should
be parallel or flat with the tool, like so.
Since there is nothing to obviously orient the blade to, you will have to eyeball the
correct position as best you can. We would recommend that you use your magnifier to check
the alignment when you think you have it in the correct place.
When you are satisfied with the position of the blade, take your screwdriver and holder
and place it over the sharpening stone so that the blade is on top of the stone itself
and close to one end of the stone.
Now you are ready to begin sharpening. Use your index finger to push the blade of the
screwdriver down against the sharpening stone as you grip the holder.
Be sure to use medium pressure as you press down on the blade. You want enough to keep
the blade against the stone and sharpen it, but not so much that you are grinding the
blade into the stone and risking breaking it.
Once you are comfortable with the position of the screwdriver you are going to slide
the blade back and forth across the long side of the stone to sharpen it. Keep the pressure
on the blade steady throughout this process.
Count each back and forth motion as one pass across the sharpener and start by making ten
passes across the stone with the first side of the blade.
Check your progress. You should be able to see where you have been grinding away at the
blade.
Then, turn the screwdriver and holder over so that you can repeat this process on the
other side of the blade to sharpen it to an even point.
Hold the blade to the surface of the sharpening stone with the same amount of medium pressure
that you used before, and make ten back and forth passes with the blade across the stone.
Check your progress again. You should be able to see where you've ground away a small
bit of the blade on either side. Wipe the tip of the blade with your cleaning cloth
to clear away any debris.
Examine the blade from the side so that you can see how fine the point is.
If the blade is still mostly blunt, repeat the process and grind a little more from each
side of the blade edge.
However, be careful not to over sharpen the blade. The sharper you make it, the weaker
it becomes, so you must aim to find the balance between a fine point and weak point.
Once are satisfied with the sharpness of the blade, you will want to examine the tip again.
It should be the smallest bit squared off at the end to allow it to grip in a screw
head.
If the blade is knife-point thin, take your sharpening block and hold it upright so that
you square off the end of the blade slightly.
Hold the blade tip perpendicularly against the sharpening stone and make a small number,
usually about five, of back and forth passes to correct the edge of the blade. Be sure
to check your progress often so as not to over flatten the tip.
When the tip is slightly squared, and the blade is the right thickness, wipe off any
remaining debris and you are finished. Repeat these steps to sharpen any of your other screwdrivers
that are getting a bit dull.
For other great watch repair tips and tricks, check out Esslinger-dot-com's Youtube Channel
today!