Countryboy39067 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Hey guys. Can anyone tell me what kind of steel grader blades are made of. I live on a gravel road and found it in the road ditch near my house. It similar to the blade on the common 3 point hitch box blade. It has some spring to it so I'm really excited finding such a large piece. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Well, we have had threads on this before. Apparently they tend to be some really tough stuff. Coming in large chunks, as they do, and considering the very tough alloys that they are made of, most who've tried them have discarded the idea. With a small forge and sans power hammer they are just too much to handle for most of us. The steel is likely to have silicon in it as well as other alloying elements to create high shock resistance (which means it'll be mighty tough to move under the hammer). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BM454 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 It could be something like AR 400 which is Abrasion Resistant. I've welded several of these over the years and it seems like they have a small bit of chrome in them as well. Chrome added to steel is one way of making it tough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy39067 Posted March 22, 2011 Author Share Posted March 22, 2011 Sorry if this is a repeat thread. I did a search and had no results before I posted this. No worries. If it's not forgeable I can always find a use for it elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I was curious, so I got my search engine going. One supplier of blades for Caterpiller and Komatsu says that their blades are either high carbon steel or boron steel. Further searching mentions that boron in a quite small amount (0.0005%) can be added to medium carbon steel allowing the steel to behave like high carbon in end use. I could find no information on carbon content. As with all junkyard steeel, it is still a crap shoot. http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I understand its the boron that makes it super tough, It's used in lawnmower blades as well........I forged a knife from a lm blade once and it held an edge like nobody's business, it also was a little hard to sharpen, good blade. Go ahead ad mess with it.......I hope you have a power hammer...........mb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy39067 Posted March 22, 2011 Author Share Posted March 22, 2011 Go ahead ad mess with it.......I hope you have a power hammer...........mb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy39067 Posted March 22, 2011 Author Share Posted March 22, 2011 I was curious, so I got my search engine going. One supplier of blades for Caterpiller and Komatsu says that their blades are either high carbon steel or boron steel. Further searching mentions that boron in a quite small amount (0.0005%) can be added to medium carbon steel allowing the steel to behave like high carbon in end use. I could find no information on carbon content. As with all junkyard steeel, it is still a crap shoot. http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools So spark test and have fun huh? I'm thinking it will make good tools and such. I'm new at this and just getting my shop set up. That's the reason for my 100+ post and questions on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 My experience with road grader blade is that it is a high carbon water hardening steel it behaved similar to w1. I like it, was not so hard to forge got glass hard when quenched in water. As found it cut easily in my band saw with a good quality blade. It must be tempered very soft as they use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I used some of a grader blade to make the hot cut dies for my guiletine. Works great and I have not had to resharpen the cutting edge with over 4 years of a lot of use. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 It's a favorite for bending wrenches and forks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy39067 Posted March 22, 2011 Author Share Posted March 22, 2011 I used some of a grader blade to make the hot cut dies for my guiletine. Works great and I have not had to resharpen the cutting edge with over 4 years of a lot of use. That's what I wanted to hear! I had in mind to make hardy hole tools and a hot cut guiletine as well as a fuller guiletine for daggers and swords later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 They used sections of grader/bull dozer blades for the tops of the shop built anvils at the community college I went to. Those were around 1/2" thick. I have a chunk, or two, that I have found over the years, but never messed with it in the forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy39067 Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 They used sections of grader/bull dozer blades for the tops of the shop built anvils at the community college I went to. Those were around 1/2" thick. I have a chunk, or two, that I have found over the years, but never messed with it in the forge. Thanks for the idea! I've been thinking about how I might get a demo anvil. I might just use some of this to face a block and make my own demo anvil. Man it's such a blessing having all these smiths so connected and willing to share!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrous Beuler Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I would take it back to their shop, in person, and make some friends. They will no doubt be happy to get their blade back (valuable to them) instead of you wasting your time with something you cannot use (worthless to you). Explain that you are a blacksmith and would very much appreciate any scraps in the future. The art of the scrap hound is learned in the environs of the shops which cast off the gold you seek, grasshopper... (showing up with the occaisional dozen doughnuts can work wizardry). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I think I'll give grader blades a try. I wonder where I could find a used one? Hmmmmm Current employer: NC DOT Mark<>< ps, If you are wandering around the countryside and happen to see a grader blade stuck upright in the ground, DO NOT take, borrow, fetch, etc.. that blade. They are used very commonly for property corner markers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy39067 Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 I'm a country boy so I know all about the odd things used as land corner markers. This was pushed up in a dirt pile where they had trenched for the water run off into a creek. It looks to have been buried atleast 10 years ago and was on my sisters land not in the road rightaway. No worries, I get my metal off of family land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 These blades are pretty heavy and it seems fairly common that they just dump them on the roadside when they put a new one on in the field. I have one that I got that way. They were working on the subdivision nearby but dumped it on my place (along with a lot of less desirable trash). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 For something so "valuable" they sure seem to get dumped/left all over the place. Don't recall living anywhere where I didn't find a couple that looked to be discarded alongside the road somewhere. (And we moved around so much folks asked if my father was in the military!) OTOH getting into good graces with a group of folks who generate *nice* scrap on a regular basis doesn't hurt! I'm currently using a "short" section of wide blade under a large postvise in the shop extension. It has a sand/gravel floor and so the vise's leg acorn fits in the mounting hole and provides a "solid floor" for the vise. My long term plan for it is to weld up a frame to hold it at a convenient height and use it as a "hammering table" with the Sq holes that will hold hardy tooling or armour making stakes---just waiting on electricity to the welder... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy39067 Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 These blades are pretty heavy and it seems fairly common that they just dump them on the roadside when they put a new one on in the field. I have one that I got that way. They were working on the subdivision nearby but dumped it on my place (along with a lot of less desirable trash). My case is this land has been in our family since around 1860 so lots of scrap has been piled. It makes me smile!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew T Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 In my local steel supplier handbook they are listed as 1055 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy39067 Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 In my local steel supplier handbook they are listed as 1055 Cool! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe C B Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Grader blades and the like are made of Abrasion Resistant steel....AR series steels. These are hign Manganese alloy. Typically .25% carbon and 1.5% manganese. Very tough stuff to work with conventional cutting tools. The Ar steels wear harden with abrasion... if your drill bit slides, your done! Joe B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy39067 Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 Grader blades and the like are made of Abrasion Resistant steel....AR series steels. These are hign Manganese alloy. Typically .25% carbon and 1.5% manganese. Very tough stuff to work with conventional cutting tools. The Ar steels wear harden with abrasion... if your drill bit slides, your done! Joe B In your opinion what would it best be suited for? As you might have already guess I'm new at this so any ideas on it's best uses is welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I live on an old farm. As with all old farms, out back there is the storage field where all old farm machinery and equipment goes to die. There are RR tracks, grader blades, tines, discs, even my old Lancaster crank blower was found out there half buried in dirt. Cleaned it up and it works great. Mark<>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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