[Billygoat]

Here's some pics of the wear edge I made for my blade. I used 5/16" AR plate and sandwiched 5/16" urethane under it. I'm hoping the urethane will help slow the wear on the edge and act somewhat like a squeegee when pushing snow on asphalt. If I need to push dirt, I will probably remove the urethane.

 

[Ariena]

Go into production!
:canada:

 

[Billygoat]

Making the urethane strips is no problem. The AR plate is another story. Most of the material I make things out of are scrap from work. They don't mind me using a little bit for myself but would frown on me selling projects to others. I surely don't want to take advantage of the privilage and lose it.

 

[Hydriv]

The term "scrap" is highly subjective.

I knew this welder by the name of Les and he ran a little welding shop not far from me. This guy could do it all. I was in his shop one day and I used the term "scrap" when I picked up a short piece of steel laying over in the corner. Les cocked his head and squinted his eyes as he said: "Tom, as long a piece of steel can be used somewhere on a project, then it isn't scrap. It's just a short piece that's saving you from having to cut one from a full length."

The only time a shop considers any steel to be scrap is when THEY toss it into the container that is picked up by the metal recycler.

 

[Rockdog]

Or when its worth more selling it than keeping it around for future use. Only time I through ANYTHING like that away is when my wife finally spazzes.

 

[InTroubleAlltheTime]

Nice work BillyG, please let us know how it works. You'll probably get to test it soon!
:222: :446: Best Regards, Rich

 

[Billygoat]

Nice work BillyG, please let us know how it works. You'll probably get to test it soon!
:222: :446: Best Regards, Rich

Other than getting seat time, I hope I never have to. :sidelaugh: :sidelaugh: :mowlawn:

 

[GBACBFan]

Very nicely done and well thought out.

Just a quick question so I know for future projects... where did you buy the bits to drill the square holes? :lolno:

 

[Bill.H]

Just a quick question so I know for future projects... where did you buy the bits to drill the square holes? :lolno:

You laugh ... BUT! Google "Watts drill". Looks sorta like the rotor from a rotary engine.
In Russian but still understandable.

 

[InTroubleAlltheTime]

Just a quick question so I know for future projects... where did you buy the bits to drill the square holes? :lolno:

You laugh ... BUT! Google "Watts drill". Looks sorta like the rotor from a rotary engine.
In Russian but still understandable.

Bill: I heard of it, but never saw how it works. Pretty darn neat, thanks for sharing that video.
:222: :446: Best Regards, Rich

 

[Billygoat]

I cut them with a plasma cutter. Made a template from 10 ga. steel with a 4 1/2" grinder and cutoff wheel. The hole was something like 3/4" x 3/4" to guide the cutter torch. What ever size hole it was, I ended up with a 5/16" square hole. When cutting the template, the grinder made the template look like a tic-tac-toe game. Doesn't hurt anything as the hole inside is the "working" part.

 

[Billygoat]

First test with the urethane edge was an utter failure. Slight uphill, slight downhill, level, all with down pressure and in float. The blade jumped around like it was on pogo sticks. This was all on asphalt both dry and wetted down with a hose. I removed the edge and put a 45 deg. bevel on it leading back from the top. This helped immensely and now in the same situations, it just has a vibration. My question is, it it somewhat normal without a load on the blade to have a vibration on asphalt ?

 

[InTroubleAlltheTime]

BG: It's going to be a pretty rough ride on raw asphalt, banging along, noisy,but vibration I don't think so.
:222: :446: Best Regards, Rich

 

[Billygoat]

No banging along or noise. The urethane keeps it relatively quiet. I guess considering the contact angle of the edge and the fact the urethane is pretty live, some vibration would be "normal" in this case. It's not a really bad vibration, the ends of the blade move about 1/2" to 3/4". All factors considered, maybe I'm not being realistic in my goals to have it be super smooth and absolutely steady. :ugeek: