I have been looking at what it would take to build or obtain a small ice resurfacing setup to maintain a small skating rink on the lake behind my house. From what I can tell, the small units are just a box with a sharp blade in them that scrapes rough spots off the top of the ice.
(They also have a water tank and spreader bar with towels that spread a thin new layer of water, but that part seems easy to build).
So my question would be would be how suitable or adaptable would an off-the shelf box blade be for this?
1. Depth of cut adjustment is important for ice resurfacing. I know that typically you would use the 3-pt to control the cutting depth, but for ice resurfacing, I am imagining resting the side plates directly on the ice with 1/16" of an inch or so of the cutting edge protruding below. Can the blade on a standard box blade be adjusted relative to the side plates like that?
2. I am not sure what the angle of the blade used for ice resurfacing is. I think a standard box blade would be too steep of an angle.
3. The cutting edge in box blades is typically spec'd as being sharp and hardened. Is it razor sharp? Would I have to sharpen it. I know that ice resurfacing blades are typically stainless but I could live with maintaining a regular steel blade by coating it with oil after each use.
I am thinking that worst case, I will have to make some kind of blade angle and depth adjusting mods to a standard box blade.
Anybody ever try this?
- Rick
(They also have a water tank and spreader bar with towels that spread a thin new layer of water, but that part seems easy to build).
So my question would be would be how suitable or adaptable would an off-the shelf box blade be for this?
1. Depth of cut adjustment is important for ice resurfacing. I know that typically you would use the 3-pt to control the cutting depth, but for ice resurfacing, I am imagining resting the side plates directly on the ice with 1/16" of an inch or so of the cutting edge protruding below. Can the blade on a standard box blade be adjusted relative to the side plates like that?
2. I am not sure what the angle of the blade used for ice resurfacing is. I think a standard box blade would be too steep of an angle.
3. The cutting edge in box blades is typically spec'd as being sharp and hardened. Is it razor sharp? Would I have to sharpen it. I know that ice resurfacing blades are typically stainless but I could live with maintaining a regular steel blade by coating it with oil after each use.
I am thinking that worst case, I will have to make some kind of blade angle and depth adjusting mods to a standard box blade.
Anybody ever try this?
- Rick