effective job can be done by disassembling theshears and sharpening one shear at a time. Thebottom shear has a more blunt angle than theupper, so exercise care in the cutback or angle ofsharpening. Also in sharpening, start at the pointor toe of the shear and move toward the heel ofthe shear. This drives the heat, generated ingrinding, to the heel of the shear where there ismore metal to radiate the heat. To grind towardthe toe or point drives the heat to the lesser metal,and it can result in burning the metal and drawingthe temper out.After grinding the shear,reassemble it loosely at first so that, on the firstclosing, the wire edge resulting from the grindingis removed.Another type of shears you will use is knownas pinking shears. This tool is used for cutting aseries of Vs along fabric edges to prevent fraying.If pinking shears become dull, they should bereturned to the manufacturer for sharpening.Remember, always keep the shears sharp.Don’t drop your shears, as this springs the bladesand reduces their cutting ability. DON’T use themto puncture metal objects or to pry things open.DON’T use shears as a knife to remove stitching;you may injure yourself or damage the stitchesyou are cutting. (For this job, use an upholsterer’sknife or a stitch cutting tool.) When shears arebeyond shop maintenance capabilities, returnthem to supply for a replacement.FOOT-OPERATED GROMMET PRESSWith the foot-operated grommet press, asshown in figure 10-6, you can install grommetsby mass production. The press itself stores the twoparts of the grommet, leaving your hands free toposition material while your foot applies theneeded pressure. The important parts of this pressare the chuck and die. For each type and size ofgrommet, there is a corresponding chuck and die.The chuck is the upper tool; the die is the lowertool. Use the adjustment screw, located either atthe top or bottom of the foot-operated press, toprevent pressure damage to the chuck and die.When set correctly, this adjustment screw will setthe clearance of the chuck and die to 1/32 inch,about the thickness of bond typing paper, whichis adequate for most grommets. Some foot-operated presses have been in service for as manyas 25 years and still require only the replacementof the chuck and die. The foot press may also beused in the shop to install glove fasteners.However, if a portable glove fastener installationtool is needed, you can use the hand press.239.371Figure 10-6.-Foot-operated press.HAND PRESSThe Durable Fastener hand press, as shownin figure 10-7, mates the two female portions ofthe fastener (socket and button) and the twofemale portions (stud and eyelet). You will usethis often as you replace Durable Fasteners onsoundproofing, cushions, or other related itemswhere a portable installations tool is required.KNIVESA knife, because of its familiarity, can be oneof the most abused tools. At its best, a knife has10-10
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