Proper material for shear blades?

DocsMachine · Jan 8, 2010

I have an older Edwards No. 10 'alligator' shear. It's a big (I'll bet 600+ pounds) manual shear with "scissors" type jaws (as opposed to a "guillotine" type.)

I just resharpened the blades- which is kind of an experiment- but I had to grind one down about 1/16" or more to get all the chips out. There's still room for another couple resharpenings, unless I get another nasty chip like that.

I'm considering making an all-new set. They're fairly easy, just two bars about 6" long, under 2" tall and just over 1/2" thick. I don't see any reason I can't buy some steel- presumably annealed- mill and drill them to fit, send 'em off to get heat-treated by some pros, and then give 'em a finish grind when they come back.

So, two questions: What would be a good steel to use for this sort of thing (and who might have some in less than 10-foot sticks) and where's a good reputable heat-treater that would take a small job like this?

Thanks.
Doc.

johnoder · Jan 8, 2010

What would be a good steel to use for this sort of thing

Carpenter's matched Tool and Die Steel booklet suggests their RDS (AISI L6) for "heavy duty shear blades"

For sheet metal shear blades they want more wear resistance and suggest their 610 (AISI D2)

John Oder

Glenn Wegman · Jan 8, 2010

Crucible lists shear blades as a use for A-2.

9100 · Jan 8, 2010

We made a shear for silicon steel transformer lamination strip from D2, expecting to eventually make a permanent carbide one. The D2 held up so well that we quit worrying about a replacement. Later, the customer wanted a spare and for reasons that I can't explain now, I made it from A2. It only would go a fraction of the time between sharpenings. Then we made another spare from D2. For the difference in material cost on a small blade, D2 is far more cost effective.

Bill

Disaster Area · Jan 8, 2010

I spoke to an Edwards rep. about No. 5 (3/4" square capacity), & No. 10 (1" square cap.) replacement blades (same blade). Apparently Edwards still makes replacement blades IIRC $110 or so (2007 price).

ihth

My blades were badly chipped (chunks of blade missing) at the notches that hold round stock (part of the blade is serrated). Prior owner may have attempted to cut something harder than 1018, HR steel.

HSMike · Jan 8, 2010

Doc,
We used to make shears long ago. If I remember right we used S-7 for the alligator shears.

Mike

9100 · Jan 8, 2010

I forgot to mention, you can get any size you want from Ford Tool Steel 314-772-3322 and we had the heat treat done by Paulo Products 314-647-7500, both in St. Louis. Ford keeps all the drops, no matter how small, I think because they sell to a lot of moldmakers and die shops who might need just a little piece, like when they scrap a part and didn't buy any extra material.

Bill

DocsMachine · Jan 8, 2010

Disaster Area said:
Apparently Edwards still makes replacement blades IIRC $110 or so (2007 price).

-The only Edwards references I found online dealt with their hydraulic ironworkers. I found virtually no references to the old manual shears, so I sort of assumed they were obsoleted. I might give 'em a call though...

I was kind of thinking S7 myself, but sounds like D2 might be as good or better. 9100, thanks for the phone numbers. I'll drop them a line and see what they've got on hand.

Doc.

gary350 · Jan 8, 2010

I have made a lot of shear blades for punch press dies. D2 works best. Tried S7 a few times it always broke. Tried A2 several times I always works but I end up replacing them after about a year. D2 holds up a very very long time.

cash · Aug 14, 2013

D-2 would be the best-I assume you are shearing thing gauge stuff since it is manual.

S-7 would be my second choice.

H-13-Last Resort.

A-2-NO.

Unless you want to go to the guy above-CHINA-maybe I could give you a price if you get me some dimensions.

My contact is on our website.

Industrial Knives

Madis Reivik · Aug 14, 2013

cash said:
D-2 would be the best-I assume you are shearing thing gauge stuff since it is manual.

S-7 would be my second choice.

H-13-Last Resort.

A-2-NO.

Unless you want to go to the guy above-CHINA-maybe I could give you a price if you get me some dimensions.

My contact is on our website.

Industrial Knives

As you (and your company) seem quite experienced, do you have experience with Uddeholm Sleipner ? They have stated that it is "improved D2" but maybe there are some drawbacks or nuances ?

cash · Aug 21, 2013

No-I have not heard of this steel. I have a meeting with mill reps next week so I will ask!

maxh · Aug 21, 2013

Another vote for D2.

Heavey Metal · Aug 21, 2013

D2 will chip before s7 not a bad thing for an aligator shear

Prolly going to want to grind some notches in the bottom blade.(the chips will keep the part from shooting out)

cash · Aug 21, 2013

cash said:
D-2 would be the best-I assume you are shearing thing gauge stuff since it is manual.

S-7 would be my second choice.

H-13-Last Resort.

A-2-NO.

Unless you want to go to the guy above-CHINA-maybe I could give you a price if you get me some dimensions.

My contact is on our website.

Industrial Knives

Kind of off the subject the the CHINA thread is gone.....

SIP6A · Aug 21, 2013

Cash: why do you say no on the A2?

pti · Aug 18, 2020

Shear Blade.

DocsMachine said:
-The only Edwards references I found online dealt with their hydraulic ironworkers. I found virtually no references to the old manual shears, so I sort of assumed they were obsoleted. I might give 'em a call though...

I was kind of thinking S7 myself, but sounds like D2 might be as good or better. 9100, thanks for the phone numbers. I'll drop them a line and see what they've got on hand.

Doc.

CPM V4 IS very good for wear resistant for hydraulic shear blade. But it's a little pricey.

Thunderjet · Aug 18, 2020

CPM or D2.

snowman · Aug 18, 2020

pti said:
CPM V4 IS very good for wear resistant for hydraulic shear blade. But it's a little pricey.

Where were you 7 years ago?

Seriously, most of the shears ever made, you can get new blades made up cheaper than you can buy the steel and heat treat it for.

I was blown away by what the local scrap yard paid for alligator shear blades on one of those motorized never actually shuts off shears...said he a guy popped in a few years back that said he could get him blades for anything he needed. Called him, gave him the model of the shear (likely 80+ years old) and got new blades in the mail two weeks later.

dana gear · Aug 18, 2020

maxh said:
Another vote for D2.

Me too, all our smaller 8' 14 ga squaring shears use D-2. Lasts for years before flipping , we use 4 edge blades.

Proper material for shear blades?

Titanium

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Cast Iron

Aluminum

Diamond

Titanium

Hot Rolled

Titanium

Hot Rolled

Titanium

Hot Rolled

Banned

Titanium

Titanium

Plastic

Stainless

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Similar threads