What are scraper blades made of?
What are scraper blades made of? |
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Steel |
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The majority of scraper blades are made of stainless or high-carbon steel. This is because steel is extremely hard and can withstand a great deal of force or stress.
The durability of steel is another property which makes it a suitable material for making scraper blades. |
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Stainless steel |
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One of the main reasons why many blades are made out of stainless steel is that the material is resistant to corrosion. | |||
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Stainless steel can be rolled into thin sheets, which are then cut down to size. | |||
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Stainless steel blades, resilient to weathering, are less likely to rust and so remain sharper for longer. | |||
Hardened (high-carbon) steel |
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The edge retention of high-carbon steel blades tends to be better than that of stainless steel blades.
However, in comparison to blades made out tungsten carbide, an even harder material, steel blades are more suitable for shorter, less-intensive scraping tasks. |
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Tools used for cutting or scraping are often made out of high-carbon steel because of its strength and high-resistance to wear.
High-carbon steel blades are easier to sharpen than stainless steel blades, so scraper maintenance is more straight-forward. |
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Tungsten carbide |
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After steel, tungsten carbide is the material most commonly used to make scraper blades.
In its most simple form, it is a fine grey powder, made by melting tungsten metal and carbon together. |
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It is then pressed and made into a variety of things, ranging from surgical instruments, to sports equipment such as the tips of trekking poles.
Tungsten carbide is commonly used to make jewellery, particularly wedding rings. However, it is also a suitable material for making floor and wall scraper blades. |
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Heavy-duty scrapers use mostly Carbide blades. This is because tungsten carbide is approximately 3 times stiffer than steel.
It is extremely hard, making it an ideal material for blades used to remove persistent marks from a floor. |
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Carbide blades are also resistant to abrasion. They maintain a sharp cutting edge better than those made from other materials, and so need replacing less frequently.
Tungsten carbide blades are the best choice if you are planning to use your scraper frequently. Steel blades are more suitable for less-intensive scraping tasks. |
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Because tungsten carbide blades tend to be sharper than steel blades, it takes less time to complete a scraping task using a scraper with a carbide blade. | |||
