9

Technology and Livelihood

Education
Quarter 1, Wk.2 - Module 2
AFA-AGRI CROP PRODUCTION-
Sharpening Tools
 What I Need to Know

At the end of the module you should be able to:

1. Check farm tools, materials and equipment for faults and defects based on the
manufacturer's list;

2. Enumerate faults/defects of farm tools and equipment; and

3. Apply sharpening activity to a specific farm tool.

ii
 What I Know

Take this test.

I. Direction: Read each item carefully and use your notebook to write your answer.
Write the word or group of words that fit the statement.
_______1. A tool used to harvest crops.
_______2. Before sharpening, check the ______ nut of the cutting tool.
_______3. What holds the vise firmly in a vise when sharpening?
_______4. When sharpening, try to maintain the ____ factory bevel or angle.
_______5. Keep the blade flat and move it in a ______ motion.
_______6. Serious injuries or kills many people every year. In fact farm fatalities are
on the rise.

II. Give examples of design defects.

1. 3.
2. 4.

Note: If you get 100% correct in this pre- assessment, skip the lesson but if not and only get
50% to 99% correct, then proceed with the lesson.

1
 Lesson

2 Dangers of Farm Equipment

Working with heavy machinery and equipment on a farm brings risks. In
fact, even the locks require regular maintenance to ensure safety. However,
sometimes that is not enough. Faulty parts and defective farm equipment
can cause serious and even fatal injuries.

What’s In

Why are farm tools in agricultural crop production beneficial to the famers/farm
workers?
How are you going to avoid being inflicted with the different hazards associated
with exposure? to the exposed parts of farm machineries?

Notes to the Teacher

This contains information about sharpening tools that will help
you in guiding the learners to make a job much easier, help save
time and effort.

2
 What’s New

Answer the following questions in your notebook.

1. Why is agriculture dangerous?

_______________________________________________________________________

2. What would happen if a certain part of a machine is exposed?

________________________________________________________________________

3. Which is safer to use, blunt cutting tools or sharp cutting tools?

Why? Explain.

_____________________________________________________________________

4. How are you going to maintain your cutting tools to

their optimum condition?

____________________________________________________________________

5. What are you going to do with blunt cutting tools?

___________________________________________________________________________

3
 What is It

Types of Defective Farm Equipment

Most farmers understand that agriculture is dangerous. They respect
and try to be as careful as possible while working. However, many are
injured, and it is beyond their control. These injuries are from defective farm
equipment. These can include hay balers, plows, tractors, harvesters and
other equipment.

DESIGN DEFECTS
When a company designs equipment without proper safety guards,
shut off switches and protective enclosures agriculture workers are at risk.
This happens all too often.
Some examples of design defects are:

1. Pinch Points

- points at which two objects on the

machine make it contact, with at
least one of them moving in a
circle.

4
2. Wrap Points

- any exposed rotating machine

component attached at one end to
a piece of equipment. These can
catch on clothing and one end to
a piece of equipment. These can
catch on clothing and limbs
pulling them into the machine.

3. Freewheeling
Points

- after a farmer turns off the

machine power, equipment parts
such as rotary motor blades and
baler flywheels, continue to rotate
long after it is has been switched
off.

4. Spring Points

- released springs that cause

injury.

5
5. Hydraulic lifts and
Hoses
- hydraulic lifts that raise and
support heavy objects and assist
in steering and braking
equipment can and crush a
worker. The equipment also can
eject high-pressure blasts of oil
that can burn eyes and skin.
Leaky hydraulic hoses can emit
toxic fluids that can burn.

PROCEDURE IN SHARPENING TOOLS

One of the common defects of a farm tool is the malfunction of some
parts. Here, the procedure in sharpening a cutting tool/pruning shears is
stated.

Step 1
Tighten the pivot nut. Before sharpening,
check the pivot nut. It could be loose,
making the blades drift apart while
cutting and tearing the twig instead of
cutting it clean. The nut should be snug
with no play in the pivot. With the nut
tightened, check the tool: if it cuts
clearly, it doesn’t need sharpening. If it

6
still cuts poorly, look down each blade to make sure it’s not bent. If a blade
is slightly bent, loosen the pivot nut and separate the blades. To straighten
the blade, put it in the vise, slip on some thick leather gloves and tweak it
until it’s straight.

Step 2
File the edge to expose clean metal. Clamp the blade firmly in a vise. Examine the
factory edge. Hold the file with both hands and mimic the direction of the bevel like
a golfer taking a practice pull. Now, move the file in one brad stroke away from you
along the entire cutting angle. To reiterate, move the file in one direction away from
you. Don’t use small jerky strokes or you’ll lose the factory edge. As you work, you
can see the clean metal path left by the file. Adjust your angle as needed to file the
entire edge evenly. Repeat the motion several times until you expose clean metal
over the whole edge. Usually it’ll take only about 10 strokes. Do the same with the
other blades.

Step 3
Sand the backside of the
blade. Place a sheet of
300-grit wet/dry
sandpaper on a smooth
flat piece of plywood.
You’ll be able to feel the
burrs (be careful –
they’re sharp) on the
backside of each blade
cause by the filing
action. To remove them,

7
lightly sand the backside of the blade. Keep the blade flat and move it in a circular
motion. After making several circles pick the blade and gently feel the edge. When
the burrs left by the file disappear, assemble the blades, and lightly oil the moving
parts with 3-in-1 oil.

Step 4
Perform housekeeping.

NOTE: Tools that are worn out should be separated and be fixed
immediately to avoid an accident.

What’s More

I. Design Defect

Select one design defect. Explain and give an illustration of your

chosen design defect. Use a short bond paper for your output.

II. Sharpening of tools

(1) Try to find or borrow a cutting/pruning shear for you to perform “Checking of
faults and defects”. Then perform the procedure in sharpening the blade of
the shears.
(2) While performing the activity you need to assess your performance following
the rubric below:

CRITERIA
The blade is properly sharpened. 25%
The nut is properly removed and returned. 25%
The step by step procedure is correctly followed. 30%
Safety precautions are properly observed. 20%
TOTAL 100%

8
Note: let your parents observe you while performing the activity and let them
write their comments in your notebook. Document the activity by taking
pictures while performing.

What I Have Learned

I have learned that…

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________

What I Can Do
I have realized that…
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________

I will apply…
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________

Assessment

I. Direction: Read each item carefully and use your notebook to write your answer.
Write the word or group of words that fit the statement.
_______1. A tool used to harvest crops.
_______2. Before sharpening, check the ______ nut of the cutting tool.
_______3. What holds the vise firmly in a vise when sharpening?
_______4. When sharpening, try to maintain the _______ factory bevel or angle.
_______5. Keep the blade flat and move it in a ______ motion.
_______6. Serious injuries or kills many people every year. In fact farm fatalities are
on the rise.

9
II. Give examples of design defects.
1. 3.
2. 4.

Answer Key

.4 spring points
.10 A
points
.9 D
.3 freewheeling
.8 B
wrap.2 points .7 B
.1 pinch points .6 B
.II .5 A
.4 D
equipment .3 D
.6 defective farm
.2 B
.5 circular
.4 original .1 B
.3 clamp A.
.2 pivot nut
ASSESSMENT
knife/bolo.1
.I
graded using the .rubric)
What I Know WHAT I CAN DO (It will be

10