The main task of a paper shredder is to tear a sheet of paper into small pieces so that it becomes unreadable. Therefore, the machine involves the task of cutting and tearing. Naturally, these tasks will require a sharp object. The shredder blades do this job. One must have noticed that when a knife in the house is used frequently, its sharp edges wear out after a few days.
The blades of the shredder are also almost the same as those of the knives. Since they are used in the task of cutting papers, they can wear out due to the frictional force developed between the paper and the edges of the sheets. The friction force is the force that develops between two bodies that are rubbing. As a result of this force, the molecules on the sheet change their usual position. Therefore, the molecules on the edge of the blades also change position. Finally, the sharpness of the blades decreases.
To sharpen paper shredder blades, all you need is kitchen aluminum foil. Kitchen aluminum foil can be any brand. Tear off a portion of the aluminum foil and keep it near the shredder. Then you may need a pair of scissors to cut the foil to a size of 8.5 x 11 “. You can also fold the foil to the required size. Then the shredder needs to be plugged into an electrical point. Then turn it over the aluminum foil is now placed on top of the shredder. Now pass the aluminum foil through the shredder. Do it as you do with other normal papers.
Aluminum foil acts as a sharpening agent. The molecules in the aluminum foil are arranged in such a way that they produce a different type of friction force on the friction body. As a result, the part of the body that comes into direct contact with the blade becomes sharpened. The same theory is followed to sharpen the shredder blades.
The blades of a shredder should not be sharpened regularly. This will reduce the quality and strength of the blades. The shredder should not be overloaded to avoid wear of the blades.
