Okay, confession time...I was digging through my toolbox yesterday looking for my favorite chisel (you know, the one that actually cuts instead of just denting the wood), and I realized it's been ages since I properly cleaned or sharpened anything. Like, embarrassingly long. 😅
Usually, I'll just wipe stuff down real quick after using it, but actual sharpening or oiling? Um, yeah...not so much. And now I'm paying the price—my chisels are duller than a butter knife, and my pliers are getting kinda stiff.
Got me wondering how everyone else handles this stuff. Do you guys have a regular routine for cleaning and sharpening your tools, or do you just wing it like me and wait until things get desperate?
Quick poll for curiosity's sake:
How often do you clean/sharpen your hand tools?
1. After every use (you're my hero)
2. Once a month or so (pretty responsible)
3. A couple times a year (when guilt kicks in)
4. Um...never? (solidarity, friend)
Feel free to share any horror stories or tips you've picked up along the way. Maybe it'll motivate me to finally get my act together...or at least make me feel better about my laziness, haha.
I'm probably somewhere between option 2 and 3. I mean, I try to keep things sharp-ish because dull tools drive me nuts, but honestly...life happens. Usually, it's when I'm halfway through a project and realize my favorite scraper is just smearing glue around instead of removing it. Then I sigh dramatically, sharpen everything in sight, and promise myself I'll do better next time (spoiler: I don't).
