How to Sharpen a Paper Cutter – Step by Step Instructions

Some people think that the importance of papers is fading away with the increase in technology and computers. But it’s not so. Papers are still important in the printing industry and offices.

So, if you’re working in an office or running a printing shop, you may encounter a bunch of papers. You may need to cut those papers into workable sheets. Paper cutters are used to cut those papers.

For effective paper cutting, the blade in your cutter should be sharp. A sharp blade allows the cutter to cut paper smoothly, ensuring that it passes through every page.

On the other hand, a blunt blade will lead to an uneven cut. If the blade of your paper cutter gets blunt, you should sharpen it. In this article, we’ll learn how to sharpen a paper cutter. Let’s see the easiest ways to sharpen a paper cutter.

Best Way to Sharpen a Paper Cutter

Before starting blade sharpening, you must know does your paper cutter needs sharpening.

Sometimes the thin cutting edge of your paper cutter gets bent after constant cutting. Due to this, it’s not cutting properly.

And you thought that it needs sharpening. But it’s not so. In this case, you can go for honing. Honing means reshaping the edge of your cutter’s blade.

You can hone your paper cutter by simply running the blade against sharpening steel. Further, you can also hone your cutter by cutting an aluminum foil.

If honing your paper cutter does not work properly, you should consider sharpening then. Now the question is how to sharpen a large paper cutter. Here are some methods to sharpen a large paper cutter.

Remove the Blade

Before starting, you must know how to remove the blade of a paper cutter. Because it’s a blade that needs to be sharpened, not the cutter.

  • Use a wrench to untie all the bolts holding the blade.
  • Always start removing the bolts from the sides and then move toward the center. It will help the blade to stay in place while removing it.
  • Remove the blade carefully as it may cut your hands.

Tip: If you are removing the blade for the first time, you can follow the manual instructions to help you in removing the blade.

Sharpening on a Stone

How to Sharpen a Paper Cutter

You can sharpen a paper cutter’s blade by grinding it on a stone. It’s the same method used to sharpen the knives conventionally. However, you need a larger stone to sharpen the blade, as they are much larger than the knives.

Sharpening the cutter blade manually with stones requires a lot of time. Moreover, manual sharpening may lead to an angle mismatch.

Once you’re satisfied with the sharpness of your blade, you can hone its flat side and reinstall it.

Tips: 

  • The blade of a cutter has two sides: a slating and a beveled side. You should sharpen only one side, not both sides.
  • Try to hold the blade at 200

Use a Grinder

How to Sharpen a Paper Cutter

If you need to sharpen your paper cutter instantly, you should consider a grinder. The wheels of the grinder rotate at a very high speed. A high-speed grinder can remove the steel from the blade.

So be careful while sharpening the grinder as it can weaken the blade. Moreover, you should wear eye protection to avoid eye damage.

You might be aware of the fact that controlling your cutter’s blade on the grinder is difficult. So, it’s advisable to use an attachment to hold the blade.

Tips: 

  • Maintain a uniform pressure for efficient sharpening
  • After you’ve finished sharpening the blade, you should straighten the bent edges.

Have It Done Professionally

If you don’t have done such a task before and don’t want to take the risk, you should leave it to a professional. You would find several sharpening surfaces in cities, even in a small town.

Always have a spare blade

If you need the paper cutting service daily, you cannot sharpen your cutter’s blade regularly as it’s a time-consuming process.

Moreover, waiting for a professional to sharpen the cutter’s blades for you can also be time-consuming. In such a situation, having an extra blade for your cutter can be helpful.

Conclusion:

Finally, we’ve learned that how to sharpen a large paper cutter is not a difficult task. You just need to remove the blade from your paper cutter. Afterward, you can use a compatible stone or grinder compatible with your cutter’s blade.

Moreover, ensure that you’re holding the blade at the right angle. After following all the steps properly, you can get a paper cutter like a new one.

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