How do I Sharpen the Blades on a Wards Chipper Shredder?

Put your safety gloves on and remove the spark plug wire.

Grasp the handle of your chipper's upper guide extension and lower it to the down position.

Lift the chipper's housing and place a wooden block beneath it.

Use a 1/2-inch wrench to remove the four lock nuts that mount the leaf ramp to the side of the chipper and then pull the ramp away.

Use your crescent wrench to remove the bolts holding the back up plate on, then remove the back-up plate.

Grasp the blade retainer, located behind the blade, with your crescent wrench and hold it firmly. While doing this, use your 1/2-inch wrench to remove the blade's center retaining bolt. Also slip off the lock washer and flat washer, and slip the blade off.

Use and old rag and spray lubricant to clean the blade thoroughly before attempting to sharpen it. Remove all wood residue and dirt from the blade before sharpening.

Hold the blade at a slight angle above your wet stone sharpener. The Montgomery Ward chipper uses a single double-edged cutting blade. Power up your sharpener, and lower the blade so that the wet wheel touches the side of the blade you are sharpening first. Work the entire length of the blade up and down against the spinning wet wheel. Once you have sharpened one side of the blade, flip the blade over in your hand, and sharpen the other side.

Slide the blade back on your shredder, followed by the flat washer, the locking washer and the blade retaining bolt. Hold the blade retainer again with your crescent wrench as you use your 1/2-inch wrench to tighten the blade retaining bolt down.

Hold the back-up plate in place and insert its mounting bolts. Tighten the bolts with your crescent wrench.

Hold the leaf ramp back to the side of your chipper, and then slip the four lock nuts in. Tighten them down with your 1/2-inch wrench.