Making boxblade shank tip tips

[Paulinkansas]

I've got an old rear hinged boxblade, there are half a dozen or so scarifying shanks on the boxblade. Each shank has a tip. The tips "used" to have a nice rectangular portion that was the first part to come in contact with the soil. The "tip of the spear" so to speak. The rectangular portion is about the size of a playing card on a new one.

Now the tips are pretty much rounded off and oval in shape.

I have some 3/8 inch x 2 inch generic flat iron. There is a scapyard here, and they sell angle, flat tube iron; nothing special or exotic. I wondered about cutting some playing card sized pieces off and welding them to the old worn out tips.

Here's my 4 questions:

Is this steel too soft?
If it's too soft, do I need to harden or treat it somehow?
Are the old tips hardened or treated somehow that would effect welding the new tip face on to it?
Is there any special method to weld the new tips on?

I have a 220 mig welder with gas and basic .035 solid wire, and a 220 stick welder. I can get just about any kind of stick here in town.

 

[BCnT]

i've built them back up using hard surfacing rods...cant recall #offhand but your welders supply should be able to fix ya up.

cold rolled flat bar stock would last awhile if you can find some scraps.

 

[Ecnerwal]

My suggestion:

Go to a spring shop and get some (new, not used) leaf spring scrap. Used is easy to find, but may be "pre-cracked" from use. Still, if you have more time than money, you can start with used leaf spring - but be aware that it may crack on you. This is a bit better stock than the generic steel.

Weld it on with 7018 rod that's actually dry - if you don't normally store your 7018 with great fuss, either from a new can, or bake it in the oven for a while. This will allow you to weld the high-carbon spring steel to the shanks which might (or might not) also be high carbon without getting cracks.

For a nice job and to do the job less often, hardface the front faces of the new tips. For light use, probably more bother than it's worth.

 

[vapet]

Maybe cut up some pieces from a plow share?

 

[Az Jim]

go to a const.parts house, replacement teeth avail. #23 fit mine.$4.79 ea. last year Jim

 

[johns48jdb]

never weld on spring steel. it will break. look around for some repacment tips or some for a small chiesel plow and then cut them in half and weld then in place.

 

[oldhousehugger25]

If you have old lawnmower blades or shredder blades torch off some chunks and weld those on. Mower blades are hell for stout.

They sell all kinds of new stuff but it feels better if you make it for free.
John

 

[CLTX]

I have seen old cotton picker spindles used in a similar fashion, but, even if applicable, they might be hard to find. C.L.

 

[Keith Molden]

E-7018 is a Low Hydrogen hard surfacing rod that will work quite well. Keith