Stiffie shears

What do you do if you get a pair of shears in the mail & they’re just too stiff for you to comfortably use? It’s not that they’re not sharp? I got a tool set recently & when it arrived it was literally dripping with oil. (smelled like 3n1) The oil was beginning to cake on to the blades etc. I have been randomly picking them up & trying to cut air with them. Thinking with some “use” they’ll loosen up, but this seems to be a very slow going process. Ideas?

Try working them submerged in kerosene. It will dissolve the rust preventer between the blades.

Paul

Shears are too tight: if the blades or hinges are gummed up, work them out by vigorously opening and closing with oil or silicone. You may not have this problem. If the hinge is rivetted too tight, you need to place a few steel washers with a large enough hole for the center pin to go through on a hard surface (preferably an anvil). There are typically two different sides on the pin: one that is attached to the arm of the shears and another that turns independently when the shears are opened and closed. The fixed side should face up in this part. Place the shears on top of the washers, the rounded edge of the bottom of the pin should not touch the anvil. Now, with the shears opened, stike with a hammer straight down on the top of the pin. This basically lengthens the pin a tiny bit by pushing it down while the washers hold the shears in place. Test it to see how it works and try again if you need it. Go slowly so as not to over loosen the hinge.

If the hinge is over loosened, you will have to do something different. With the fixed side against the anvil, use a ball-peen hammer to go around the edge of the pin (not the very top) with glancing blows and tighten the edges closer to the arm of the shears. Go slowly so as not to over tighten, or you'll have to go back to the first part and start over.

Here's a little picture I made to illustrate the point:


OR - return the shears to the place you purchased them. Good shears should meet well at the ends without "play" in the hinge, and should easily fall open when held in the hand. Anything else wasn't manufactured or finished correctly. That said, it's nice to know that any pair of shears can be adjusted if you need it. Hope this helps

Thx guys for all the help! I just got finished taking a few paper towels & some water to them to get the oil off of them as much as I could. Then I took an eye dropper & dabbed in some camellia oil & worked it in as much as I could. I think I’ll take these to the tool shed tomorrow before I bother returning them. I know I got some cheapie tools, but I’m trying to work with what I got for now until I can save up for some good stuff. Too I don’t want to go through the effort of returning something by mail. Besides if all it takes is a few taps to fit my preference then so be it. Chris

I've retensioned even some of the supercheap mini shears that come with the "Bonsai kit" that I found in a thrift shop. Sharpen the blades with stones and they work as excellent bud snips. It just takes a little time, but the process is instructive. One thing though.. some of the supercheap shears are rivetted on both sides, so don't have a fixed or welded side. These can still be tightened/loosened, but it's harder to get it right because everything seems to move on you all the time.

Good tip Joey. I am filing this in the back of my mind in case I need it. Thanks for sharing!

I had a stuck pair of scissors like this once. I tried all sorts of oils to loosen it and nothing worked. A visiting master took a look and said he could loosen them up. He took a piece of copper wire, mid sized - maybe 12 gauge, I dont remember for certain, and cut it right at the very base of the shear next to the nut. The pressure from doing that forced the 2 sides apart enough that it loosened right up and has worked fine since.

- bob