So it's a Leatherman Wave and on my standard blade, there's dried super glue...actually gorilla glue. What's the best way of getting that off without damaging the blade? And while I'm thinking of it, what's the easiest/best way to sharpen that same blade? Thanks in advance! Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk
How much of the stuff have you got on it, is the whole cutting edge covered? I'm sure that it will come off in time during normal use, small pieces at a time no doubt.
Acetone dissolves most superglues also you can heat it with a a hot air gun and wipe it off. Whatever you do, do it in a well ventilated area and away from open flame.
You can try some chemicals to get it off. Steal some nail-polish remover from the wife/sister/random person in the mall to start off and if that doesn't work you can move on to stronger stuff. You can also try 'mechanical' removal, so scrape it off with a piece of metal (just make sure you use something with a lower hardness than the blades steel or you will make scratches, copper for example if fine) or like suggested by earthman just use the knife more and it will wear off eventually I got some mega strong epoxy on one of my leathermans once that was a pain to get off, i ended up heating the blade to get it clean but only do that if you know what you are doing as too much heat will negatively affect the material properties of your blade. And for sharpening the blade..... well... try a knife sharpening kit If you dont have any read up on the forums here, there's all kinds of sets for all kinds of tastes and different kind of people. I have a spyderco sharpmaker myself that i love to bits but if you dont have a firm hand that can keep the knife perpendicular to the table then something like a Lansky set could suit you more.
They sell superglue remover at most Hobby Shops and it makes easy work of removal. On the other hand it might be harder to find a Hobby Shop these days too? Just a thought. I would also think any razor blade scraper would slide it right off?
Don't know why, but I wouldn't even have thought to scrape it off with another knife...but now that a couple of you have mentioned it I do remember hearing the nail polish remover thing. I'll try the knife first. Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk
Just put a fresh edge on it. Whatever sharpener you use will take off whatever you've got on the edge.
Heating the dried glue to a temperature level where it can be scraped-off is not at the level where it can alter the molecular properties of the metal type of that blade. Use a heavy-duty Xacto blade, then acetone. Use heat if the two previous methods fail. Easiest way is to have someone else do it for you such as your local knife store.
Sharpening depends on what you've got available and what you like to use to sharpen. The blades on the Wave are 420HC, which is easy enough to sharpen on pretty much any system. If it's not too far gone, you might be able to touch it up on the unglazed ring on the bottom of a coffee mug or ceramic plate (be careful with the ceramic though, don't want to chip the glaze...), but if it's far gone and you don't have a sharpening system already, stop by Lowes and get either an Arkansas stone or a medium/fine diamond sharpening "stone" from Lansky. The Arkansas stone needs to be used with water, spit or light oil, the diamond can be used dry. Both will work fine, just be careful and take your time if you're not used to freehand sharpening. Hope this helps! ETA: With sharpening, the easiest way is not the best way. The easiest method is to buy one of those carbide/ceramic pull-through sharpeners and use it. Horrible way to treat your blades. They don't work very well in the first place and they mess up your knives to boot. You can see the steel being ripped off the edge by the carbide. The best way, however, is largely based on personal preference. I like freehand sharpening and I love my Sharpmaker. Lots of people like the EdgePro Apex or the Lansky version of the consistent angle sharpener. Others love the Wicked Edge or Work Sharp. I personally believe that one needs to know how to freehand sharpen because if you need an edge badly and don't have your system with you, you can improvise.
yep i use mine for breaking tape, scraping, pulling staples, and poking things where I don't want to bother my knife with
I have to second ManVsLawn's opinion about sharpening. Freehand is the way to go. I use a very old sharpening stone under a trickle of water from the tap. You can get those really cheap (and still perfectly good), then I do the last finish on an Arkansas with a bit of oil (this is optional,and not strictly necessary. On some knives, depending on type and use, I don't bother at all), followed by a quick stropping on the backside of an old leather belt. While I have very little experience with sharpening systems, the few I have used have been absolutely terrible (but there might be good ones out there), and they are often expensive. Sharpening stones for freehand use are very cheap, portable, and you can sharpen any kind of blade to your liking.
Question along the same lines. Does anyone have any tips for getting cured spray foam residue off of an LM. I managed to get some on the handles, fixed flat head, and plain edge blade of my LM Wave.
