Tuesday Tip #58...Scissor Problem

This is a quick tip if you ever have issues with your scissors loosening, or tightening up as you scissor.

For the first time ever, I actually had a pair of scissors fall apart while I was scissoring a dog.

Fell completely apart!

I was so exasperated with these scissors.

The problem was, they were the only straight pair of scissors that I had at the time.

All of my other scissors had been sent out to be sharpened.

I don't usually send all of my scissors out at once, but there had been a problem after the  last person had sharpened them, that I found myself down to only a couple scissors while I was still trying to find someone else to try.

I had heard and read many good reviews for Northern Tails Sharpening.

I had sent just about every blade and scissor that I owned to him to have them sharpened and fixed.

(I should have my blades and scissors back tomorrow and will let everyone know if I am happy with the sharpening.)

Meanwhile I needed to fix the scissors that I still had.

Jeff from Northern Tails Sharpening give me the tip that I am about to share with you.

I can't believe that I have groomed for 30 years without knowing this tip.

 

In this picture you can see just how loose my scissors were.

If I tightened them too much they would tighten up as I scissored, to the point that I could hardly open and close them.

If I left them a little looser, they would become so loose you could not scissor at all.

It was enough to drive me crazy.

This was Jeff's tip.

First, remove the screw from your scissors.

Cut a piece of plumbers tape about an inch, or a little more long.

Then split (cut) the piece of plumbers tap right down the middle.

It should be just the right size for the small scissor screw.

Being careful not to twist the tape, carefully wrap the tape around the threads of the screw.

I wrapped the tape one and a half times around the threads tightly, then cut off the excess tape.

Before screwing the screw back into the scissors, I made sure to press the tape (with my fingers) into the threads.

This is what the screw should look like.

The tape will help the threads grab and hold so that the scissors should not loosen or tighten while scissoring.

Now the blades are the way they should be.

This tip/trick worked like a charm.

The scissors no longer loosened or tightened while I was scissoring.

I did have to adjust the screw a couple of times until I got just the right amount of tension on them for me.

As I said before, this tip comes from Jeff at Northern Tails Sharpening.

I hope that this tip helps other groomers. :)