Background
My garden secateurs have had a tough few years and did not get the winter maintenance they deserved and as a result of the neglect they almost fell apart in my hands when i was using them as i had not noticed that the main securing bolt was coming loose. They were also developing some small areas of rust and the handle grips were a little tatty. Although they originally only cost a few pounds rather than replace them i decided to refurbish them and start giving them the maintenance they deserve.
Here the rust and neglect can be seen. The handle grips had also become quite tatty and often got in the way while pruning.
Here secateurs have been stripped down into their constituent parts. The rust on the main cutting blade around the pivot point can clearly be seen. Fortunately the rust was mostly surface and had not penetrated deeply. If the secateurs had not been stripped down and oil had simply been applied, over a period of time the rust and dirt would have acted as an abrasive wearing away the metal resulting in a poor fit and ruining the cutting action.
The vinyl grips on the handles were a bit tatty and sometimes caused jams while pruning. The excess damaged are was carefully cut back and then peeled back down the handle. The dirt and grease were removed and the surface roughed up to provide a key for the repair.
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The vinyl handle was rolled back into place on the handle then 2-3 turns of red electrical insulating tape were applied to hold the vinyl in place. This gave a neat clean finish. The spring was also re-installed.
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After just an hours work the secateurs were back in the condition they should have been ready for another seasons pruning and the money saved repairing them can be used for something else in the greenhouse or garden!