Adjusting A Scythe Tang
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- čas přidán 9. 08. 2016
- www.BaryonyxKnife.com
Heating and bending the tang of a scythe blade for proper lay, using a mini induction heater. We adjust our blades on an individual basis to best match them to their user, snath, and mowing conditions! - Zábava
I didn't have any fancy whatchamathinger like you do.
I had to keep my propane torch blowing on the thing while I bent mine. Otherwise it would cool too fast and I couldn't bend it.
I used a pair of vicegrips to grab it and bend it.
Propane doesn't do a good job of heating the metal quickly to prevent the spread of heat into the cutting portion of the blade. If using propane, we'd suggest taking steps to ensure the blade stays cool in the process, such as by submerging it in a water tank while doing the heating, using a coolant mister (with a shield in place to prevent overspray onto the heated portion of the tang) or thick soaking-wet felt blocks laid over the edge. Otherwise, it would be better to use an oxy-acetylene torch. Most folks without the means to DIY it or purchasing through us have had success with having a local mechanic do the job.
Thank you for the great video, I was wondering why I wasn't getting good results I'm going to try this technique hopefully it'll solve my problems.
In addition to getting the lay correct (about 1 finger's thickness above the ground in use is a good guideline) the blade also needs to be ground sufficiently thin and the apex kept crisp. Edge angle should be about 7-9° per side and without any ragged burr or wire edge. The blade will also need to be hung on the snath properly and swung with proper technique. It's more akin to sweeping with a broom than swinging a golf club, and the blade should ride the ground in use under most circumstances. If you're not easily wiping the grass from the earth with each stroke, adapt your tuning, your technique, or both.
@@FortyTwoBlades thank you I'm not giving up, only my gas powered lawnmower! I know I need better technique and more practice I'll keep in touch for more pointers.
This did the trick. I heated the tang using a mapp gas - oxygen combo and got it red hot and bent it a bit and now it lays pretty well. Cutting fine too. Was out today scything some weeds because it was windy enough to keep the skeeters mostly at bay.
BTW, where did you buy that induction heater you used? It heated your tang in what, 1 min? My mapp gas torch took at least 15 minutes to get the same result.
Glad it was of assistance!
www.theinductor.com/
Late to the party, but thank YOU dkeith45, for using MAPP gas.
I have a torch in the garage, and a scythe whose tip rides high. I was thinking I may need a new snath but was hoping for another option.
You and the OP made it happen.
Hello. Your videos are very informative, thank you for them. Im just getting into using a scythe on my homestead.I have a Seymour SN9 (I believe it is, I bought it used so im 100% sure of the model) aluminum snath. I have a 26 inch Seymour weed blade mounted (using for medium and light brush). I am 6 foot 1 and not doing too well with it yet. I know a lot of it comes with time and i need to refine my cutting and shaprening skills but I feel like i should adjust the angle of the blade. I can get it to cut but really have to get low to get the angle right. I have seen you use a rig that looks to be the same in some of your videos, and wondered what your thoughts were on if i need to adjust the tang due to my height? Thanks again for the info in your videos.
At your height you would definitely need to adjust the tang angle, and will probably want an angle of about 20-25°. You can tell if your snath is a No.8 or No.9 by the diameter of the aluminum tubing: 1.25" for the No.8 and 1.5" for the No.9
Hope that helps! :)
Thanks a lot! Its 1.5 so it is a #9. Just ordered a stone off your site and liked your FB page. Thanks again.
Thanks... this is very helpful video
Had a question about the post cooling..... do you dunk it, or let it cool naturally?
Allow to air-cool. DO NOT quench it! That would cause the metal to harden and become brittle.
Is it possible to cold bend a tang without it snapping on a ditch blade?
Cold bending is possible on laminated blades but whole steel blades will generally not respond well to it because they're heat treated throughout and high carbon steels are less willing to bend than plain iron. The fact that you said "ditch blade" instead of "weed blade" makes me suspect you're referring to a European style blade, and an amateur performing cold bending on one of them would be likely to damage it if not properly clamped to prevent torquing the web of the blade. Although I hear some do have success with cold-bending the tangs on European style blades I wouldn't recommend it personally.
@@FortyTwoBlades well I am amateur at the scything thing but 25 years in tool and die and machining. No ego intended, just so you know I have understanding of metal properties. I do not know however if there is any heat treating on the tang. It is on a 28 inch...what they call a Peter and Heidi blade from scythe supply.
@@leesmith7012 yes all of the Fux-made blades have a heat treated tang. Heating before bending is generally going to be the way to go, and the annealed tang will be plenty strong afterward. The form of the tang is designed for it. A 28" blade is generally going to be a considered a grass blade.
@@FortyTwoBlades ok. Thank you for the info. I was generally worried about metal tension after heating. It is good to talk with someone that knows what they're talking about.
What is the brand of that blade?
It's an American pattern Seymour 30" grass blade, produced under contract by Schröckenfux of Austria.
@@FortyTwoBlades just subscribed thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question. I have one with that same brand marking and it's only 20 in. do you know if that would be considered a weed/ bush blade instead of a grass blade? Or how to tell the difference between a grass blade and a weed/bush blade?
@@hellsitch4768 20" would be a weed/bush blade, yes. Grass blades are 30"+