For anyone interested, Frank Deluca's address, contact info is shown in the attached picture. I recently had my Nils auger head sharpened by Frank. It costs $20 plus shipping and I got it back in about a week. May be a little longer turnaround time when it gets closer to ice season. Give Frank a call or email him, and he'll take care of you.
![[Image: De-Luca-Nils.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/wh3n4gG/De-Luca-Nils.jpg)
(09-26-2021, 08:48 PM)joatmon Wrote: [ -> ]For anyone interested, Frank Deluca's address, contact info is shown in the attached picture. I recently had my Nils auger head sharpened by Frank. It costs $20 plus shipping and I got it back in about a week. May be a little longer turnaround time when it gets closer to ice season. Give Frank a call or email him, and he'll take care of you.
Good to know, I've had my nils for 4 ice fishing seasons so far and it's still cutting strong, how many years did you get out of your nils before sending it in? How much did the shipping cost?
(09-27-2021, 04:56 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: [ -> ] (09-26-2021, 08:48 PM)joatmon Wrote: [ -> ]For anyone interested, Frank Deluca's address, contact info is shown in the attached picture. I recently had my Nils auger head sharpened by Frank. It costs $20 plus shipping and I got it back in about a week. May be a little longer turnaround time when it gets closer to ice season. Give Frank a call or email him, and he'll take care of you.
Good to know, I've had my nils for 4 ice fishing seasons so far and it's still cutting strong, how many years did you get out of your nils before sending it in? How much did the shipping cost?
I've only had mine a couple of years, but think I got some bad ice this past year at Flaming Gorge (may have had small chunks of dirt/rock off the cliff face). I think just monitor it, and send it in during an off-season before you really need it.
He asks you to include shipping for return via USPS. I think the shipping total was under $25 (total for both ways). Again, probably not something you need to do every year or even every other year. Overall cost may be comparable to replacing blades every year or so?
I know Frank from my days in Minnesota. Great guy. I usually just enclose $30 cash or so. I've told Frank to keep the change but he always returns it. He has special equipment he got from Nils and it doesn't take long to get the blades razor sharp. Even in the middle of ice season he gets it back to you quick.
I wasn't carefull with my first 8" Nils, and dulled it after one year. I had to send mine to Frank 11 years ago. It irked me to have to pay that much, just over $50. I only paid $100 for it bran new. So I have been sharpening them (I have a 6" now also) my self ever since. I use a Work Sharp knife sharpening tool and a small diamond file.
(09-29-2021, 03:04 PM)fast_randy Wrote: [ -> ]I wasn't carefull with my first 8" Nils, and dulled it after one year. I had to send mine to Frank 11 years ago. It irked me to have to pay that much, just over $50. I only paid $100 for it bran new. So I have been sharpening them (I have a 6" now also) my self ever since. I use a Work Sharp knife sharpening tool and a small diamond file.
If you are careful with your drill blades and cover your auger after your done using it, most should last for a number of years. Randy, how do you go about sharpening your nils now to get the right angle on the blade? Do you just dress it up where you see dull spots or do you have some other method, like a jig of some sort?
Don’t lend your auger to a newbie, almost 100% of the time they pound it on the ice a couple times thinking they need to do this to start a pilot hole.
Even dropping it gently on the ice dulls the cutting edge.
These people need a frozen 4” Perch tucked in to a hidden coat pocket to be discovered next spring.
I don't have a jig, I just make sure to keep the same angle. You don't want to change anything, just razor sharp. I haven't had any chips to get out yet. And I don't let anyone use mine either. That's part of the " lot more careful " with mine now. And because they are so sharp, and I always have my dog with me, I keep the covers on for dog safety.