[Noteworthy] Biax Carbide Scraper Blade, Shop Made

Ulma Doctor

Infinitely Curious
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Feb 2, 2013
Messages
3,540
Hello again,
this morning i had an itch to scratch, and i scratched it really good.
i purchased a beat up biax scraper a while back.
all the blades that i have for the unit are the short, very stiff shank with carbide blades with the exception of the longer, twisted carbide tipped blade that is used in dovetail work primarily.
the short stiff blade is good for a lot of things including hardened surfaces, but i have found it to be a little annoying to use on cast iron.
Cast irons lend themselves to scraping very nicely, a stiff blade is not usually necessary, a longer more flexible blade is more desirable in some and many instances.

Sure,
i could call dapra and get a new set of blades coming and spend a small fortune and still have to wait
OR
i had a flash of inspiration and a desire, plus the machines, materials and ability to make my own from a few materials i had laying around the shop.

You guessed it , it went with Plan B:

i started with mild steel, 1.500" wide x .187" thick x 7.250" long.
i laid out the general dimensions on the body using the short stiff blade as a reference
Shop%2BMade%2BBiax%2BBlade%2B1.jpg

using the industrolite M500, i milled the drive end of the blade...
Shop%2BMade%2BBiax%2BBlade%2B2.jpg
i then milled the center of the drive end fork.
then i used a .750" diameter slitting saw .090" thick to slit the pocket for a Sandvik 620-2530 insert.
i brazed the insert into the pocket with the oxy/acetylene rig with a low flame and Harris LFB 1/8" rod

Shop%2BMade%2BBiax%2BBlade%2B3.jpg

i did a minor hand fit job and cleaned up the blade a little with the flapper disc on the 4.5" grinder
and mounted er' up for a test flight.
Shop%2BMade%2BBiax%2BBlade%2B4.jpg

the added blade shaft length really made a nice difference in the performance, not to mention improved feel of the tool against the work.
i would liken it to more of a fluid scraping motion rather than a slightly jack hammering feel.
the blade will we able to be sharpened on my newly constructed diamond sharpener.
when it's worn down to a nub, i'll simply melt out the old brazing and pop another insert in it's place then braze it back up again for another 100,000 miles or so....

as always- thanks for reading!!!

feel free to participate, question and comment!
 
After watching everyone scraping with Richards Biax scrapers in his class last weekend, I've decided I need to change my blades to ones that are more flexible like the thin Biax are, the longer one's that is. Have a number of things in the back of my mind, just need to make time to try some of them.
 
Thanks Ulma, again you offer hope.

If anyone finds a deal on appropriate diamond wheels and or carbide inserts suitable to scraping please advise.
If anyone finds a deal on a quantity, then please note I will pay my fair share.
I've looked at diamond wheels on line and am seldom clear on the differences.

Daryl
MN
 
Mike my only suggestion would have bee a couple of squirts of Windex to complete the job! :grin: Nice work man, you have me looking at all the old machines on CL now hoping to find a deal.
 
Thanks Ulma, again you offer hope.

If anyone finds a deal on appropriate diamond wheels and or carbide inserts suitable to scraping please advise.
If anyone finds a deal on a quantity, then please note I will pay my fair share.
I've looked at diamond wheels on line and am seldom clear on the differences.

Daryl
MN


Hi Daryl,
i have found most of my treasures in regards to diamond wheels and carbide on Ebay.
from what i have read (and have now tested),
a bonded diamond wheel with 70-75% concentration and 600 or so grit works very well for this task of sharpening scraper blades.
other diamond wheels may work well too, i just have not tested them in order to give an intelligent summary.
i may add that a higher concentration of diamonds may load up a little easier if softer materials are inadvertently sharpened.
one other point i would make is that the faster you spin the diamond wheel, the greater the cooling that will be necessary.
my sharpener only turns approximately 200 rpm, i use a couple squirts of windex- heat is not a problem in the least.
i can keep a look out and see what i may find for you...
all the best
mike
 
Mike my only suggestion would have bee a couple of squirts of Windex to complete the job! :grin: Nice work man, you have me looking at all the old machines on CL now hoping to find a deal.



Lol!!! very funny!!!
thanks for the compliment!
Good, I hope you find treasure too!!!
they are out there if you look long enough....
all the best
mike
 
Hello again,
this morning i had an itch to scratch, and i scratched it really good.
i purchased a beat up biax scraper a while back.
all the blades that i have for the unit are the short, very stiff shank with carbide blades with the exception of the longer, twisted carbide tipped blade that is used in dovetail work primarily.
the short stiff blade is good for a lot of things including hardened surfaces, but i have found it to be a little annoying to use on cast iron.
Cast irons lend themselves to scraping very nicely, a stiff blade is not usually necessary, a longer more flexible blade is more desirable in some and many instances.

Sure,
i could call dapra and get a new set of blades coming and spend a small fortune and still have to wait
OR
i had a flash of inspiration and a desire, plus the machines, materials and ability to make my own from a few materials i had laying around the shop.

You guessed it , it went with Plan B:

i started with mild steel, 1.500" wide x .187" thick x 7.250" long.
i laid out the general dimensions on the body using the short stiff blade as a reference
Shop%2BMade%2BBiax%2BBlade%2B1.jpg

using the industrolite M500, i milled the drive end of the blade...
Shop%2BMade%2BBiax%2BBlade%2B2.jpg
i then milled the center of the drive end fork.
then i used a .750" diameter slitting saw .090" thick to slit the pocket for a Sandvik 620-2530 insert.
i brazed the insert into the pocket with the oxy/acetylene rig with a low flame and Harris LFB 1/8" rod

Shop%2BMade%2BBiax%2BBlade%2B3.jpg

i did a minor hand fit job and cleaned up the blade a little with the flapper disc on the 4.5" grinder
and mounter er' up for a test flight.
Shop%2BMade%2BBiax%2BBlade%2B4.jpg

the added blade shaft length really made a nice difference in the performance, not to mention improved feel of the tool against the work. if i were to liken it to more of a fluid scraping motion rather than a slightly jack hammering feel.
the blade will we able to be sharpened on my newly constructed diamond sharpener, and when it's worn down to a nub, i'll simply melt out the old brazing and pop another insert in it's place then braze it back up again for another 100,000 miles or so....

as always- thanks for reading!!!

feel free to participate, question and comment!
What is the grade of the carbide insert?
John York
 
Hi John,
i used a commercially available Sandvik 620-2530 H10 hand scraper blade.
i do not know the grade and haven't found much information in regards.
i have a Sandvik hand scraper that uses these carbide blades, so i figured that the inserts may be sufficient for my intentions.
so far so good!:D
 
a bit more info on the Sandvik scraper blade,
DK105 class K10 carbide
 
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