Dull tools don’t cut it — literally. When the success of your business rests on the sharpness of your tools, you need to be sure your workers have the best blades possible. Still, amidst the chaos of the universe, dullness is an inevitability for even the best tools. If your cutting tools are rapidly becoming useless due their blunt edges, you have a few courses of action to remedy the situation.
Replace Them
The absolute easiest thing to do with dull tools is to get rid of them somehow and get new ones. Any new tools you buy are sure to be as sharp as you need — they usually just came from the manufacturer and thus have experienced no work to dull their edges. If you buy the same make and model of tools that you have been using, you can trust the sharpness of tools you’ve already purchased before, and you know exactly where to go to find the new ones.
Alternatively, if you think your tools could have been sharper or had other features to make your job easier, when you replace your dull tools you have an opportunity to experiment with new brands or products. Plus, you have a variety of options when it comes to what to do with your old blades.
Throw them away. This can be the simplest method, or it can be very complex. Different cities will have different rules about what exactly can go in the trash, so it would be wise to do some research before just chucking your old tools in the bin. If it turns out you can’t simply junk your dull tools, you may need to find a service that disposes of them properly.
Donate them. Plenty of pleasure metal workers scour thrift shops for cutting tools they can use for their hobbies, and though your tools are dull, they would be cheaper than the new tools many amateurs can’t afford. Additionally, charities and non-profits might be able to utilize your old tools in their good public works, perhaps in artworks or even construction.
Swap them. Some organizations that take old, dull tools that can’t be tossed out might be able to actually exchange your old ones for new, or at least re-sharpened, tools. Much like printer ink cartridges or propane tanks, cutting tools don’t necessarily go bad when they aren’t sharp, so swapping can be good business sense.
Sharpen Them
Of course, buying new tools every time your old ones get dull can be prohibitively expensive. When you’re a big business with ample product to cut, you probably can’t to replace tools at the surprisingly fast rate they lose their edge. Instead of being wasteful in money and resources, invest early in a machine to sharpen your cutting tools. These machines range in size and functionality, so you can find one that fits your needs; you can even find machines that perform a variety of services for a variety of tools, so you don’t need to purchase a sharpener for every tool your workers use. For example, an Edge Prepping Machine by MET can sharpen, drill, polish, and more, so you can have seemingly brand-new tools any time you need them.
A blade in less than prime condition can’t do its job as easily, meaning your employees will have to make up the rest of the effort. The increase in human power is bound to lead to an increase in mistakes, and mistakes lead directly to injuries. If you only manage the business side of things, you may not realize all the different ways tools can go bad. Blades can go dull, but they can also rust and chip which can cause just as much danger in the shop.
Edge preppers and blade sharpening machines may seem like a large expense, but you need to weigh this one-time upfront expense with the countless purchases you’ll make replacing tools over the lifetime of your business. Just as it’s more economical to use rechargeable batteries, it’s better to reuse tools you already own and keep them in working condition through simple maintenance.
Though it may seem counter intuitive, if you don’t want your employees to lose their fingers (or worse) its best to keep the tools they work with in the best condition. If that means spending more on tool replacement or machine edge sharpeners, you should adjust your budget to keep your workers safe.