Plow edge material

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,300]

  Bought what I thought was a brand new 48” plow edge, turned out to be a brand new 56” plow edge. My fault for not noticing.
  My question is: What’s it made of? Hardened steel?  How tough will it be to cut it to length and then drill out the mounting holes (and no, they don’t line up with the 48” plow edge holes).

[oilwell1415 563]

It will be pretty tough stuff, but if you have a torch you could anneal it in the areas where you need to cut and drill without ruining the whole thing.  Or as long as you have the torch out just cut it and blow the holes out.

[ebinmaine 67,265]

Should be hardened. Yes. Only the vendor can actually answer that. I've heard it both.

 

if there is a metal fab shop near you they would probably PUNCH the holes and slice off the end for just a few bucks.

[857 horse 2,581]

MIKE,,,,,WHEN I NEEDED  A NEW EDGE,,,,I STOPPED AT THE STEEL SECTION IN LOWES.....WAS IS HARDENED..??   NO !!!    BUT IT WAS ABOUT 30.00 AND RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME............HOWEVER !!!!!!    I WAS AT THE DUMP ...MAN WAS DROPPING OFF AN OLD WORN DOWN EDGE FROM A PICK UP TRUCK....YEP.....7 FEET OF HARDENED STEEL.....IM GONNA CUT IT WHEN WEATHER LETS UP IN THE SPRING..48 INCHES AND 4 HOLES.....I WILL LET YOU KNOW  HOW IT PANS OUT......DROP SAW SHOULD DO THE TRICK,,,,,BUT A NEW HARDENED BIT MIGHT BE NEEDED FOE THE 4 LUCKY HOLES..!!!!

FILM AT 11 ...................

[lynnmor 7,302]

A cheap way to drill hardened steel is to use a masonry drill bit.

[857 horse 2,581]

34 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

A cheap way to drill hardened steel is to use a masonry drill bit.

I DIDNT KNOW THAT !!!!!!!!!!!!

[DougC 2,641]

Just send it to me with the dimensions and holes you want and I will have my wife glare at it and make it so.....

[oilwell1415 563]

It just occurred to me that you were talking snow plow edge, not a plow shear.  I doubt a snow plow edge is hardened, but a dirt plow would be.  A simple way to tell is to take a grade 8 bolt and see if it will scratch it easily.

[wallfish 16,983]

A file will skate off hardened steel and bite in on mild steel. Forged and Fire!

The expensive spline shank masonry bits will get the carbide tips melted right off when they hit rebar or any other steel and someone keeps on drilling it. They stop cold on the steel and will not drill it except for leaving a nice shiney circle. There's probably $400 worth of chisels out there from my guys not wanting to give up on a hole. They'll keep drilling for 5 minutes when it only takes less than 2 minutes to drill a new one. Same thing for drilling small holes for tapcon screws.

I grind the splines off and shape the edge to use them as chisels but rarely have a use for using them.

It might work for drilling an open hole, thin roll pin out but doubt you can start and get a 3/8" new hole through 3/16" hardened steel with one. or two or 3...

Just my experience with them but maybe my bits are made of something different. Please let us know how you make out if you try it. Maybe the stuff smoking my bits isn't hardened

[ebinmaine 67,265]

41 minutes ago, DougC said:

Just send it to me with the dimensions and holes you want and I will have my wife glare at it and make it so.....

SOLVED !!!!!

 

[Lee1977 6,642]

If the holes will bolt up your best bet is a metal cut off disk on a side grinder.  I have cut grader blades for a road grader by grinding the surface off all around and sawing with a cut off band saw.

[DougC 2,641]

The best part of this thread is you can re sell the hardened part advertising it as the correct length for the correct dozer blade and make  about  50$ on the deal and the buyer pays shipping and handling.

[Cvans 1,009]

56 minutes ago, wallfish said:

It might work for drilling an open hole, thin roll pin out but doubt you can start and get a 3/8" new hole through 3/16" hardened steel with one. or two or 3...

I've drilled holes in leaf springs with a cheap carbide bit. I think a started with one a 1/4 inch or smaller and then went to 3/8 inch. Just saying. 

Might be easier to drill new holes in the snowblower. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by Cvans

[Ed Kennell 38,021]

Cut 8"" off one end with a 4 1/2" X 1/32"  cut off wheel.       Then drill new holes to match.....in the plow blade.

[wallfish 16,983]

3 minutes ago, Cvans said:

I've drilled holes in leaf springs with a cheap carbide bit. I think a started with one a 1/4 inch or smaller and then went to 3/8 inch. Just saying. 

Might be easier to drill new holes in the snowblower. 

Maybe the smaller ones work like that but the 3/4 or bigger ones I have get smoked. $50-$100 each too.

 

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,300]

I am torn about “wrecking” a brand new 56” plow edge. 

  But...my dad does have a horizontal band saw and a heavy duty floor mount drill press. If I do attempt this I’ll be using those to get it done. 

  Appreciate the ideas. Will update this thread with how it goes.

[wallfish 16,983]

Here ya go. Proof is in the pudd'n! That's tool steel. Wonder if it's because the steel is mild is what's melting my big bits

 

[8ntruck 6,991]

The tool makers I've worked with over the year's have used masonry drill bits in heardened tool steel on occasion.  We used a lot of D2, A2, and S7.

 

I'll guess that the plow edge material will me more of an abrasion resistant steel rather than a tool steel.  It will be harder than mild steel, and softer than fully hardened tool steel.

 

If a file cuts it, you should be able to drill it with a good quality drill.  My tool of choice to cut it would be an angle grinder and cut off wheel.

 

Good luck.

Edited January 31, 2020 by 8ntruck

[Retired Wrencher 5,441]

13 hours ago, Sparky said:

I am torn about “wrecking” a brand new 56” plow edge. 

  But...my dad does have a horizontal band saw and a heavy duty floor mount drill press. If I do attempt this I’ll be using those to get it done. 

  Appreciate the ideas. Will update this thread with how it goes.

Can you return it Mike?

 

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

13 hours ago, wallfish said:

Here ya go. Proof is in the pudd'n! That's tool steel. Wonder if it's because the steel is mild is what's melting my big bits

 

Well thanks for that video! I was never aware of using Masonary bits to drill through hardened steel.!

[Stormin 9,981]

 Tad off topic, but masonry drill bits are handy for drilling holes in glass as well. I've drilled a hole in the bottom edge of  a Jack Daniels bottle, for wire to make a lamp.

[Pullstart 62,783]

13 hours ago, wallfish said:

Here ya go. Proof is in the pudd'n! That's tool steel. Wonder if it's because the steel is mild is what's melting my big bits

 

 

I’m amazed it worked so well.  I’m shocked he didn’t take the time to center his bit a smidge better.  Thanks for the video John!

[bds1984 1,429]

I have some random generic wrenches laying around I feel the need to try this.  While I have never used a masonry bit for anything other than cement, I have successfully drilled through hardened circular saw blades with cobalt bits quite easily.  A few years ago I made some knives out of 12" miter saw blades and drilled holes for the rivets in the Jarrah wood handles.  When it came time to drill holes in the tangs for the handles, every titanium bit I used did nothing but walk around the center punch marks but the cobalt bits cut through like the steel was butter.  

[wallfish 16,983]

8 hours ago, bds1984 said:

I have some random generic wrenches laying around I feel the need to try this.  While I have never used a masonry bit for anything other than cement, I have successfully drilled through hardened circular saw blades with cobalt bits quite easily.  A few years ago I made some knives out of 12" miter saw blades and drilled holes for the rivets in the Jarrah wood handles.  When it came time to drill holes in the tangs for the handles, every titanium bit I used did nothing but walk around the center punch marks but the cobalt bits cut through like the steel was butter.  

Now I'm kinda obsessed with this. I need to figure out why my expensive masonry bits are getting destroyed when they hit metal. Talked to the guy about it today and he turned off the hammer action on the last one he burnt up. I was thinking the hammering might be the cause but now it's back to sq 1.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

If I were to buy/use solid carbide drill bits I prefer spade bits over twist JMO working in a machine shop... https://www.regalcuttingtools.com/products/twist-drills/carbide-drill-bits ...