Regular sharpening of the tip and blades and of your ice auger is a must!. A sharp blade will cut through ice quickly and effortlessly. It's simple with a few common tools and supplies.
- Polisher: you need a flannel polishing disk and rouge cutting grit to use with a bench top or hand held polisher. They can be purchased at a local automotive supply retailer
- Felt Tip Marker: mark the area of the blade that needs sharpening. Polish an area only long enough to remove the marker ink from the blade. This helps prevent you from cutting too much from the blade and changing it's cutting angle.
- Rouge Cutting Grit: apply a liberal amount of the rouge cutting grit to the flannel.
- Lightly polish the beveled side of the auger blade, concentrating on the leading edge of the blade. Don't spend too much time on one area or you could remove too much material from the blade and change it's shape.
If you don't feel comfortable sharpening an ice auger blade, have it professionally sharpened. Do not knock the blades against anything, including the ice; doing so could damage the cutting edge. Choose a rouge that isn't too aggressive cutting or it could change the blade's angle and require professional regrinding.
