Clodbuster
Aluminum
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
- Location
- Tri-Cities, WA, USA
I'm trying to extend wear life on various farm equipment that handles grain or runs in fresh harvested wheat stubble. Our equipment is just getting absolutely killed with abrasive wear. On the inside from grain, chaff, dust, etc. And on the outside, the underside of the machinery, from straw rubbing it as it drives through the field.
This is serious wear. The straw will cut the heads off of bolts that stick out, wear the bottom out of a transmission in a couple seasons. And mild steel seems to take it the worst of all materials. So I'm looking for a relatively easy way to put material back on large surfaces.
I know flame and arc spraying, etc. are out there, but haven't done either. What processes are best for primarily sheet metal work? Ideally something cool enough not to warp thin parts, that will stick well to highly polished surfaces (the bottom and inside of my header are shined like a mirror). A process that deposits long-wearing alloys, etc. on to steel, stainless, even aluminum. If it comes off, I want it to come off in little bits, not peel off in big chunks that will wreck machinery.
Whether this is a machine I can buy and use ourselves, or hire a shop locally to do is fine, but share what you know please!
This is serious wear. The straw will cut the heads off of bolts that stick out, wear the bottom out of a transmission in a couple seasons. And mild steel seems to take it the worst of all materials. So I'm looking for a relatively easy way to put material back on large surfaces.
I know flame and arc spraying, etc. are out there, but haven't done either. What processes are best for primarily sheet metal work? Ideally something cool enough not to warp thin parts, that will stick well to highly polished surfaces (the bottom and inside of my header are shined like a mirror). A process that deposits long-wearing alloys, etc. on to steel, stainless, even aluminum. If it comes off, I want it to come off in little bits, not peel off in big chunks that will wreck machinery.
Whether this is a machine I can buy and use ourselves, or hire a shop locally to do is fine, but share what you know please!