# Big lot of biax scraper blades on ebay



## Sblack (Jan 21, 2019)

This lot has dozens of used scraper blades. Some brazed carbide, some insert type. Not my auction - I am not affiliated in any way. Just search for biax scraper and you will find it. Buy it now $500. Seems like a lot, but these things are expensive and there are a lot of them. Might be right for somebody.


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## middle.road (Jan 21, 2019)

Gone already...   -=- LINK to Original Listing -=-


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## Bob Korves (Jan 21, 2019)

Wow!  The value in my mind of what I have on hand just went way up, or maybe P.T. Barnum was correct...


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## cjtoombs (Jan 21, 2019)

I bought two new ones about 6 or 7 years ago, they were $89 each then.  I saw them after they were gone, they look like the less desirable older heavy shank blades.  The lighter weight shanks flex a bit and seem to be easier to scrape with.  Still, whoever  bought it can easily recoup their money, those will probably go for $50 each or more.


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## wcunning (Jan 22, 2019)

I have several sticks of flat bar and a bunch of old solid square and rectangular carbides that I'll be brazing on for my Biax in a couple months. Maybe I should just go into (side)business competing with Dapra on the price of those damn things...

Rich has long written about how the longer, slightly flexible blades are strongly preferred, and that's just 1" x 1/8" flat bar at $5/8 ft stick from my local metal supplier. Does anybody have strong opinions about how long a blade should be?

Cheers,
Will


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## Bob Korves (Jan 22, 2019)

wcunning said:


> Does anybody have strong opinions about how long a blade should be?


The Biax flexible ones are 150mm long, approximately 6 inches.  They work well.

Went out to the shop and grabbed one of the preferred thinner and more flexible ones.  Over all length 150mm.  Carbide blade 25mm wide, 2mm thick.  Width of center portion of shank 20mm, thickness 2.5mm.  The attachment end is also 20mm wide, but 4mm thick and 40 mm long.  The slot for attaching it to the Biax power head mount is 5.4mm wide and 21 mm long.  Hope that helps.

It is not so easy to find good micrograin carbide 2mm thick by 25mm wide.  Thicker carbide takes more time and effort to grind initially, and also to sharpen it during use.  I recommend using carbide around 1.5mm to 2.5mm thick.  C2 carbide is a good grade for scraper blades for cast iron and for general work.  Micrograin carbide is optional, but recommended for a better finish on the work.  The Sandvik blade inserts work great if you can find them at a realistic price.


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## cjtoombs (Jan 22, 2019)

wcunning said:


> I have several sticks of flat bar and a bunch of old solid square and rectangular carbides that I'll be brazing on for my Biax in a couple months. Maybe I should just go into (side)business competing with Dapra on the price of those damn things...
> 
> Rich has long written about how the longer, slightly flexible blades are strongly preferred, and that's just 1" x 1/8" flat bar at $5/8 ft stick from my local metal supplier. Does anybody have strong opinions about how long a blade should be?
> 
> ...



As Bill said "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?". As Bob stated in the previous post, they start out thicker and are machined in several areas.  I suspect they are not just 1018, either, probably 4140 hardened to some level.  The carbide also brazes into a v groove.  I suspect that the time to build these if you were trying to sell them would would mean you would make very little or nothing trying to undercut Dapra's price.  Also, it's a niche market, so not many buyers.  I suspect Dapra could just drop thier price long enough to put any would be interlopers out of business, then raise the price back up.  Doesn't make for a good business plan.


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## Bob Korves (Jan 22, 2019)

There are many ways to make a scraper blade for a Biax, or to make a hand scraper.  Home shop built ones are common, just do not go too far away from the tried and true until you have enough experience to truly understand what you need and have learned through enough practice to know pretty well what works best for you.  A chunk of carbide brazed or silver soldered or clamped to a 1 x 1/8" shank, and a file handle or similar at the other end, and you have a scraper ready to go to work after the blade is ground into something useful for scraping.  The tools are not the big thing, the knowledge of how to test machinery and surfaces, along with how to work the surfaces to something correct for the application, is where training and practice and mentors become quite important.  In my experience, none of this comes naturally, it is learned from those who understand it.


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## Rex Walters (Apr 7, 2019)

cjtoombs said:


> I suspect that the time to build these if you were trying to sell them would would mean you would make very little or nothing trying to undercut Dapra's price.  Also, it's a niche market, so not many buyers.  I suspect Dapra could just drop thier price long enough to put any would be interlopers out of business, then raise the price back up.  Doesn't make for a good business plan.



The thought of a price war and monopolistic, predatory pricing in the lucrative power scraper accessory market made me chuckle. 

It reminds me vaguely of the old Monty Python bit about The Crimson Permanent Assurance (which would be my choice for a company name).

I doubt Will was serious about going into business, but I'd have to agree with you about it not being a great business plan. Why, I bet you could make hundreds ... well, tens ... *TENS* of dollars in profits selling inexpensive Biax blades!

The professional market for power scrapers and accessories can't be terribly large to begin with. For about half the cost of a decent 3/4" carbide end mill, I doubt any professional would blink at the price of a scraper blade from Dapra. Home shop machinists are likely an even larger market in terms of headcount, but if ever there's been a market that prefers build to buy, it would be us!


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