[TheForge] Lawn Mower Blade also Bush Hog Blades

[David E. Smucker]

> Speaking of which, what are bush hog blades? 5160?

Like anything else today not all bush hog blades may be 5160 but most are. 
If you think about it the stock is produced in a good size for bush hog 
blades and it is a very tough steel that can take hard service.  Most truck 
springs (leaf) that I know of are still 5160.

A large number of "new" bush hog blades were given to the John C. Campbell 
Folk School a few years back by Vance Baker.  That came from a production 
run where they were made to the wrong size and just scraped.  Vance picked 
them up and gave some of them to the Folk School.

Dave  Smucker

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Ayen" <ayen at homeport.org>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 9:58 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Lawn Mower Blade


> Thus Spake David E. Smucker (davesmucker at hotmail.com):
>> I have had a Gravely for about 15 years now -- still has the original 
>> blade
>> on it.  I don't use it near as much as I use to but it had a least 10 
>> years
>> of heavy use.  Blades are 5160, and heavy like a Bush Hog blade.  You can
>> forge out the cutting edge and then grind, no need to heat treat.  This 
>> is
>> done all of the time with Bush Hog blades.  After working on you blade 
>> you
>> should balance.  Only problem I have had on the Gravely is breaking some
>> teeth of the bevel gear set that drive the blade out of the main gear 
>> box.
>> I haven't replaced them yet but know I should so it is on my to do list.
>> Gravely keeps parts for units that go back many many years -- but of 
>> course
>> they are never cheap.  (All of this is based on the assumption that you
>> Gravely is of the type with the cutting deck out front of the gear box,
>> wheels and engine.  This is the original type of Gravely, they also make
>> other designs too.)
>>
>> Dave Smucker
>
> Speaking of which, what are bush hog blades? 5160?
>
> Thanks.
>
> --doug
> (got a piece I forged out from such a blade that's come out much better
> than I'd hoped -- what was going to be the prototype/test piece might as
> well be the final, if I can figure out a good heat-treatment for it.)
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