Seeking Clarification on Weapon Material

Ok so the rule is a bit Vague.

Hit anything hard enough it could break i guess.... Putting "MAY SHATTER" is a grey area..
Is Hardox a no then as a weapon ? What is Carbides spinning bar made of ?

I have access to Hi Impact IRON ORE Machine Strips, extremely hard wearing and impact resistant strips that are 1 inch wide and 10mm edge. IF they are strong enough for this application They "won't" shatter.. how can i prove this on inspection ? or does that not matter.


*********** ZEE RULE i am referring too.

12.4 Hardened Blades Commercially manufactured, hardened steel blades that may shatter are not allowed.

Materials that shatter under heavy blows are not allowed.

Hardox will bend and even rip, but not shatter.

Hardox it is then ta v much

Hi Katch,

I'm going to put my technical hat on for a moment.

Do you have a material designation or access to a chemical composition sheet for this material? This would help in giving a more informed answer.

Commercial blades and such tend to be made from medium to high carbon steels with minimal alloys, which makes them cheaper, and then hardened to a level which would allow them to retain an edge for longer. Unfortunately, this also increases there chances of shattering. As Mario has said Hardox and similar materials do not to shatter because they are manufactured with higher alloy contents.

Hope this helps,

Ian

Hi katch,

It seems you posted whilst I was typing. Going for Hardox is a good choice.

All the best,

Ian

Thank you Ian,

The metal is a Tungsten Carbide based product that cannot be welded. The Design Engineer could easily give me a composition if i asked.

They use it because at 2200 rpm and several tons of pressure randomly applied it seems reliable at holding an edge and they have never had a failure as a result of impact. I know stone is soft in comparison to some metals. I thought i'd ask the question, because a 10cm strip is about £45. I might only ever need one i was hoping !! It is quite exotic, but if you don't ask you don't know.

Granite isn't exactly weak .... is it ? not an expert on the dispersion of the energy

If in doubt, best bet is to run your thoughts past the event organiser(s) whose event you are planning on attending. It's their insurance criteria that have to be met so they will be best placed to approve or refuse the blade in question. But the majority of spinning weapons in the sport are made from Hardox of varying grades, so it's a good choice.

Tungsten Carbide in the right form is a very good material for what we want.
The amount of force needed to shatter a well build piece of that stuff will be of such magnitude that even paper would become dangerous shrapnell.

But as you wrote, welding isn't an option, bolting would be a weak spot. Glue and/or rivets equaly weak.
The only way to have a tungstencarbide weapon that will do the job is to grow it as 1 big crystal.

Not a simple task....