# Sharpening your own auger blades?



## JoeLansing (Oct 30, 2005)

I'm dying to try and sharpen some auger blades. I got a $35 Harbor Freight 1 x 30 belt sander and a bunch of belts from 180 to 1200 grit, and a leather strop belt that came with some compound. The edge I can put on a knife after just a little practice is amazing. I guess I could take my old 6" Mora in the back yard and try and dirt auger with it till it's crap, then sharpen it? I know to not change the angle. Just lightly sharpen the side with the angle, then just lightly knock off the burr on the flat side. Has anyone else tried this? A Mora blade looks simple to sharpen. The blades on my Razor look a bit more difficult, but still not hard unless they are really trashed or bent.

- Joe


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## Buckbaker (Aug 3, 2015)

Years ago I tried to sharpen my mora auger. I don't remember just how I tried, but I remember buying new blades.


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## taizer (Feb 6, 2009)

if you know how to work with your hands meaning you have a brain then they are pretty simple to do. I usually do them when I feel the blades sliding around on the ice. takes very very little sanding to make them cut new again. it should only take about 3 swipes on a grinder. And yes the angle must be pretty damn perfect. 

Some blades have 2 angles too. 
I sharpen drill bits alot so im pretty good working with the grinder


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## Gnoyes (Jan 23, 2013)

I sharpen my mora blades by hand. The curve doesn't lend itself to sharpening on the bench grinder. 

I use small diamond stones of varying grits, and finish with a 4000 grit water stone. Take the blades off the auger, clamp to the edge of your bench, and hone the blade with circular motion as you would with an axe. 

It doesn't give you that new machined grind, but allows for a couple seasons between grinds even with heavy use (I only use my mora, and fish as much as possible). 

Just follow the existing curves and angles and you'll be all set. As for auguring dirt...?


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Just send them in. It will save you a lot of grief..


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## catfish4829 (Mar 13, 2004)

Don't sharpen the bottom angle, it needs to be perfect. You can get them to cut pretty decent, but not as good as new blades.


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## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)

I have an old 5" mora that my dad bought in 1976?. That is still on the original blades.
I would mark the top of the blades with a marker, take them off, bolt them to a handle that I made & sharpen them like you would a knife. But just sharpen the marked side


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## Adamj (Oct 26, 2016)

If you aren't well versed at sharpening then you probably won't be happy with your efforts. Have them sharpened. On a side note it is totally possible to sharpen the blades BETTER than factory.


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## taizer (Feb 6, 2009)

yeah you could sharpen the blades better then the factory but is it worth the time to go through that many stages of sharpening.


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## Adamj (Oct 26, 2016)

Depends on how bad they are. Touch ups aren't bad at all. Completely trashed blades will take some time.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

Your better off stoning your blades to sharpen them. Easier to maintain even removal of stock and hold your angle. You can do a lot of damage in a hurry with a sander or grinder.


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## Martian (Apr 28, 2011)

I found a hardware store in holly, they will send them out, get them back the next day. $7,50


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## dieselx1 (Apr 19, 2016)

i struggled with a stone for 20 years trying to re-sharpen blades. one day i went out on the lake and an old-timer saw me struggling with a dull auger. he walked over, pulled a flat bastard-file our of his coveralls and gave it about 4 passes, winked and walked away. that thing drilled like brand new. i walked back over to him and thanked him and asked why it worked so much better than a stone. he said that you actually ding your blades pretty good when you drill, there is algae or wood, weeds, and even sand and grit if there is no snow before the ice comes and it blows on. the stone simply doesnt remove enough "bad" material. i keep a bastard file with me all the time now. it was really a game-changing lesson for me. give 'er a go once, eh? ps: its also pretty easy to keep that same angle with the file laid flat across your cutting surface...its much easier than a guy thinks


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## johnthefisherman (Dec 20, 2010)

A couple years ago I was using one of the hand held sharpeners and all the sudden index finger slit down to the bone walked back to truck and found some electrical tape went fishing and then to the er. A nickels worth of free advice wear some sort of thick glove


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

if your not great at holding your angle with a stone or file this is what you need
http://lansky.com/index.php/products/std-3-stone-system/


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## cb223 (Mar 28, 2010)

This is what I use . Except I made a fixture at work that the blades bolt to. Works great.




scooter_trasher said:


> if your not great at holding your angle with a stone or file this is what you need
> http://lansky.com/index.php/products/std-3-stone-system/


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