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FAQ
- How many times can I sharpen my shear blade?
- How do I know when my shear blades should be sharpened?
- How do I know when my shear blade should be replaced?
- Can I shim on both the width and thickness?
- What type of shim material should I use?
- What clearance should I have my blades set at?
- What types of material are used for shear blades?
- What are tool steels?
- What does Rc mean?
- What is the difference between through hardening
and surface hardening? - What is the difference between hardness and toughness?
- What type of fasteners should be used for my shear blade?
This depends on how much material is removed each time the blades are sharpened. A quality sharpening facility will remove as little material as possible to give you a sharp cutting edge. We sharpen shear blades as few as 5 times for poorly maintained blades, and as many as 20 times.
How do I know when my shear blades should be sharpened?
Dull blades will tend to tear the material as opposed to cutting. This can result in roll over, heavy burring, work hardening of the material being cut. This will result in greater stress on your equipment.
How do I know when my shear blade should be replaced?
Each of the shear manufactures should have this information on their specific shear model. However a general set of guide lines would be:
| New Shear Blade Dimensions |
Minimum Width | Minimum Thickness |
| 1” x 3" | 2.625” | .75” |
| 1” x 4” | 3.625” | .75" |
| 1.125” x 5” | 4.625” | .875" |
| 1.5” x 5.5” | 5.125” | 1.25" |
| 1.75” x 6.5” | 6.125” | 1.5" |
Can I shim on both the width and thickness?
Most 4 edge shear manufactures have designed their equipment to be shimmed in both directions.
What type of shim material should I use?
A good quality hardened shim material should be used. Mild steels can compress or distort in service. This can cause the blade to cant or tilt in service, shortening its service life or causing the blade to chip.
What clearance should I have my blades set at?
The chart below is a good starting place for common materials. We have this chart available in a magnetic form for use on the side of your shear.
| Thickness | Mild Steel | Alloy- High Chrome/ Carbon | Aluminum | Stainless Steel |
| .005”-.015” | .0005”-.001” | .0005”- .001” | .0005”- .001” | .0005”- .001” |
| .016”-.032 | .001”-.003” | .001”- .002” | .001”- .0015” | .001”-. 0015 |
| .033”-.075” | .003”-.006” | .003”- .010” | .001”- .002” | .001”- .010” |
| .062”-.125” | .004”-.011” | .005”- .017” | .002”- .008” | .005”- .020” |
| .126”-.187” | .008”-.018” | .007”- .027” | .006”- .012” | .010”- .030” |
| .188”-.250” | .013”-.023” | .013”- .035” | .010”- .018” | .014”- .041” |
| .251”-.352” | .018”-.028” | .018”- .046” | .013”- .022” | .019”- .053” |
| .326”-.625” | .023”- .037” | .023”- .088” | .017”- .042” | .027”- .100” |
| Over .625” | .045” to min | .045” to min | .035” to min | .055” to min |
What types of material are used for shear blades?
Most shear blades for the metal fabrication are made from tool steel, with some being made from high chrome or high carbon steel. Scrap shear blades are often made from low alloy steel. We produce knives and blades from a variety of these materials designed to suit your application.
What are tool steels?
- Tool steels fall into several different categories
- “O”and “L” series tool steels are oil hardening
- “A”and “D” series tool steels are air hardening
- “S” series tool steels are shock resisting
- “H” series tool steels are heat resisting
- “M” series tool steels are a high speed steel with molybdenum
- “T” series tool steels are a high speed steel with tungsten
What does Rc mean.
There are different varieties of hardness testing; Rc stands for “Rockwell” hardness test, “c” scale. There is also a “b” scale used for softer materials. Brinell, and Vickers are also used.
What is the difference between through hardening and surface hardening?
- Through hardening as the name implies has the steel heated thoroughly in excess of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, rapidly cooled in air, water, or oil. The steel is then tempered by reheating and cooling to increase the stability of the steel. When finished the steel is approximately the same hardness throughout.
- Surface or case hardening heats just the surface of the steel often by torch or induction to similar temperatures. The steel is then tempered in a similar way. Surface hardness may also be achieved by nitriding or carbonizing. Surface hardened blades allow for a hard cutting edge, but being less brittle are also less prone to cracking. Please keep in mind that the sharpening if these blades are limited to the hardened surface depth only.
What is the difference between hardness and toughness?
Most steels can be hardened to some extent; however the resulting blade may be very brittle and unstable. To avoid this alloying materials are added (alloy and tool steels) to allow for a hard stable blade. Hardness can be directly measured and expressed as Rc, Brinnell or others. Toughness is a bit harder to describe, as it is related to the steels unwillingness to be cut. Nickel is a good example as a tough material, it is quite difficult to machine, but can be dented with a hammer! The trick with blades and knives is achieving the hardness required to hold an edge, and not be as brittle as fracture on use. To this end alloying materials are added in different amounts and combinations to achieve the best balance for your application.
What type of fasteners should be used for my shear blade?
The size and length are specific to your shear; however you should always use a high quality high strength fastener. This would be a ANSI grade 8 or a ISO 12.9 nut and bolt combination.