On May 9, 7:14*pm, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Tim Wescott fired this volley in news:ibSdnfQjcb-
:

I've seen someone here report on doing it just that way for commercial
mowers.

That'd be me.

Oregon makes the blades for the Scagg 61" commercial mowers. *They are
_adamant_ about milling them with a face mill rather than grinding them.

They supply them as new milled, and they specify the angle and remaining
width of cutting backup area for new milling. *Until they become narrower
than spec, you just keep on milling new faces. *I get about 30 acres per
sharpening for a three-blade set now, up from my original 18. *It has
more to do with the fact that I've finally cut up and and not now re-
cutting all the thatch than with the method.

I built up a permanent angle jig out of a block of 6061 to hold mine, and
use a small carbide insert face mill to produce the edges.

One benefit is that it never overheats the metal. *The other is that they
come out virtually perfectly balanced every time.

LLoyd

Many years ago when I was clearing property with a Gravely two wheel
tractor, I used hard surface welding rod to build up the cutting edge
of the 30" mower. Never had to sharpen that blade again. One time I
hit a piece of RR track buried in an anthill. Busted a two inch chunk
from the RR iron but the blade did not even get a nick. Been 45 years
ago and I do not remember what rod I used, just that I used an
electric rod but applied it with a torch.