Arctic Poly Skin

   / Arctic Poly Skin #11  
Gentlemen,

Thank you kindly for your efforts in helping me. I have a couple of questions:

1. I wonder how you make the sheet hold the curve of the plow face. I see the bolts and then under the cutting edge and the edge seal. It must be that once "pinched" under the cutting edge, then downward (and towards the concave) pressure and then bolted, holds the curve. Am I thinking correctly.

2. Paul (and anyone else please feel free), what is the thickness of your poly, and where would one look to buy an equivalently size sheet of Teflon? (Are you recommending Teflon over poly?)
 
   / Arctic Poly Skin #12  
High density polyethylene (HDPE) would be the material of choice. Teflon is too soft and not tough enough to hold up well here (and very expensive). HDPE is slick and very tough. You could even go up to UHMW HDPE which is ultra high molecular weight. Even tougher but can get pricey.

You could probably do any thickness you like. The thicker it is, the longer it will last but the harder it will be to install (stiff).

You should be able to find a plastics distributor in your area where you could buy raw sheet stock, probably cut to size per order too. Some web searching should get you what you need.
 
   / Arctic Poly Skin
  • Thread Starter
#13  
RFB said:
Gentlemen,

Thank you kindly for your efforts in helping me. I have a couple of questions:

1. I wonder how you make the sheet hold the curve of the plow face. I see the bolts and then under the cutting edge and the edge seal. It must be that once "pinched" under the cutting edge, then downward (and towards the concave) pressure and then bolted, holds the curve. Am I thinking correctly.

2. Paul (and anyone else please feel free), what is the thickness of your poly, and where would one look to buy an equivalently size sheet of Teflon? (Are you recommending Teflon over poly?)
Click to expand...

Gee I just realize my blade is out rapped up for the summer BUT I did get to measure the thickness of the poly and it's 3/8th thick and it's 24" high. I believe they are pre-formed. When I removed it, it kept it's shape. It's not tucked under the cutting edge but sits just above it and is attached by carriage bolts on the bottom and the top. This skin has plowed snow commercially since 1994. The poly is natural orange and never painted. If you contacted an Arctic Plow dealer they could give you a price on the poly skin.

dstig1 said:
High density polyethylene (HDPE) would be the material of choice. Teflon is too soft and not tough enough to hold up well here (and very expensive). HDPE is slick and very tough. You could even go up to UHMW HDPE which is ultra high molecular weight. Even tougher but can get pricey.

You could probably do any thickness you like. The thicker it is, the longer it will last but the harder it will be to install (stiff).

You should be able to find a plastics distributor in your area where you could buy raw sheet stock, probably cut to size per order too. Some web searching should get you what you need.
Click to expand...

Good info Dave. Guys around here use Teflon and it lasts on their plows. Teflon here is easy and cheap to get because of the local fishery. It's used everywhere around these parts.
 

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   / Arctic Poly Skin
  • Thread Starter
#14  
Here's a better photo of the blade.
 

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   / Arctic Poly Skin #15  
4shorts, what you have is an actual poly plow. And the poly is 3/8" thick for strength. And no, teflon wont work in that application.

What I posted, and I think RFB was asking about, (and probabally what the guys you mention use the teflon for) is a "liner". They are pretty thin. They are designed to go OVER the steel. Mearly just a "coating" over the steel so the snow dont stick. But dont have to provide any support or have to be strong like your 3/8" blade. Because yours dont have a layer of steel behind it.

And the liners that I am talking about are flexible. With them pinched under the cutting edge, formed to the plow and then bolted at the top, there is no where for them to move. They will hold their shape just fine.
 
   / Arctic Poly Skin
  • Thread Starter
#16  
I realize my skin is a poly skin. I paid $4500. for the system back in 1994. I've got a sheet of 1/2 Teflon here now that you wont tuck under a cutting edge :laughing: I also have it in 4" diameter so that I can machine it. It's all over the place here LOL but I fully understand what your saying. By the way. These poly Arctic blade weigh more than their steel blades. It's due to the extra ribbing added to them. Built like a battleship.
 
   / Arctic Poly Skin #17  
4shorts said:
I realize my skin is a poly skin. I paid $4500. for the system back in 1994. I've got a sheet of 1/2 Teflon here now that you wont tuck under a cutting edge :laughing: I also have it in 4" diameter so that I can machine it. It's all over the place here LOL but I fully understand what your saying. By the way. These poly Arctic blade weigh more than their steel blades. It's due to the extra ribbing added to them. Built like a battleship.
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Yep. Polys are usually a bit heavier. Not just the extra ribbing, but the steel skin on a plow is only gauge steel. My plow total weight is ~750lbs for a 7.5' plow. I re-skinned it with 11ga. That skin was only like 80lbs. I bet a 7.5' x 26" sheet of 3/8" poly is pretty close to that itself.
 
   / Arctic Poly Skin #18  
Interesting. I wouldn't expect teflon to hold up well there due to it's softness. HDPE or UHMW is where I would go. Cheaper and a lot stronger and tougher. This application as a "liner" wouldn't need anything near the thickness of your blade. If I had to take a guess I'd suggest something in the 30-50 mil range (0.030-0.050") as being plenty. 1/8" (0.125) would probably be way overkill. But these are just guesses from my desk chair...
 
   / Arctic Poly Skin #19  
Gentlemen,

Thank you again for your erudition on the subject matter. I will call the location that LD1 and get more information from them.

(I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason that Paul keeps the snowplow under the tarp is so that he can secretly conceal himself under it while he waxes the plow.;) )

edited to add: I called them today and they said that it is already curled (ships as a tube) so that will assist with the install, and it is 1/8 inch thick. Sounds like I may have a go at this.

Thanks again,

RFB
 
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