Sharpening Button cutter

[baileyuph]

Button material cutters, They get dull, are there ways to sharpen them?  Something to hold
the cutter and spin it while sharpening seems to be the requirement????

Be effective if there was a way to chuck the cutter and spin it while sharpening the edge.

They are not expensive but a touch up when needed would keep a cutter going longer.

Doyle

[gene]

I have a friend who has a horizontal mill and several years ago he chucked up my cutters and put a very sharp edge on them.

Since I bought my WorkSharp, I have used that to put a very sharp edge on the cutters. I take the plastic guard off and hold the cutters with my hand, I turn the cutter very slow and it does an excellent job.

I just used the WorkSharp today to sharpen the hex blade on my electric fabric cutter.

I hate to give additional information unless it's really, really off topic, so please forgive just this once: I just ordered a cutting pad from Sailrite. I'm thinking it may help my cutting dies to last a bit longer than using a 2 x 4 piece of wood.

gene

[SteveA]

A soft pad is a good idea - mine came with a maple block.  I think I'll use poplar instead from now on.
You can sharpen the edge with 320 or 400 silicone carbide paper and mineral oil.  Fold it over the edge and follow around the circumference -
Grinding can alter the shape quickly if you are too aggressive. 
I remember a ways back doc had a good tip for sharping cutters but I forget his post. 
SA

[gene]

I remember a ways back doc had a good tip for sharping cutters but I forget his post.

Wasn't that the one where he posted a video and you could see the blood squirting out of his fingers?  :o

gene

[sofadoc]

I remember a ways back doc had a good tip for sharping cutters but I forget his post.

Wasn't that the one where he posted a video and you could see the blood squirting out of his fingers?  :o

gene

I'll have you know I only severed 3 fingers.......hardly worth mentioning.
Anyway, here's the video. A #36 cutter just happened to fit snugly on my drill chuck.

[Darren Henry]

If a person had one of those little drum sanders for your drill the right diameter * to fit inside the cutter , you could sharpen them on any thing. Whet stone, sand paper, what ever. I'm talking about the ones where you slide the abrasive tube over the rubber body and then tighten a nut to swell it up to tighten it against the drum.

* If it's a little too small; I'd wrap it in hockey tape, [some times called friction tape] and then make several cuts down the length of it to allow it to expand. Picture that gadget they use in the garage to flare exhaust pipes.

another little "hack" is to get/make a wooden dowel that fits snugly inside the cutter and leave it stick out the business  end. This minimizes the burrs that  form inside the cutter and then have to be removed with emery cloth. The second time you use it it also gives you a longer "term of reference" to make sure you are maintaining a consistent angle as you sharpen.

[Mike]

thanks for the vedio  sofa as soon as I can im going to order one of those Work Sharps ive ot a lot of dull scissors around

[brmax]

Picked up one of the 12" pads its a black rubber/vinyl based for the purpose they say, I do know about mud flaps and this is much better but should be for the money.
I will check out the video sofa thanks.
I wonder if you all have seen the expandable rubber plug type items. They expand by tightening a nut or screw compressing between metal washers that are a bit smaller than rubber section.
If one was to find one of proper size fitting in button cutter and then using the bolt to chuck in drill press or lathe on slow safe rpm this could be used.
good luck
Floyd