Good find!! At least for a newbie like me

Happy New Year everyone!!

Well I was out picking today and came across these old rusty drill heads. These things are heavy!

Does anyone know if there is value in these other than scrap?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I'll try and post a pic if I can figure it out

put your image link inbetween a [img] and [/img] tags and it should show up. Congrats to your find btw ^.^

YAY It works!
Wow, haven't seen those in a while. Look like diamond-tipped auger heads for telephone or well drilling.
Congrats all the same ^.^

Thanks for the edit Mechanic688.... I'll learn lol

Thanks Miked. I'll check it out!!

I have had some of these before. I could only get steel price. Unless you can take the carbide tips out. Carbide goes for around $12 -$13 a pound last I checked.
But with carbide buttons that small It would not be worth the time.

Drill teeth with carbide buttons this size are worth the trouble if you came across them:

Scrapy,

Not 100% on just what the cutting bits are in those cones..I don't know if they mix diamond in carbides or not for well drilling. The carbide buyer should be able to give you some info on what the bits usually are made from.

Those carbides "should" be brazed or silver soldered into the drill cones....but your mileage may vary. This means that to get the carbides out, you gotta get a fair bit of heat into the drill cone--get it up to a bright red with a rosebud tip on an oxyacetylene torch. And you need a way to grab the bits, which might be a bit of a challenge if the exposed surfaces are rounded. Some experimenting might be in order--maybe a small chisel to hammer down into the red hot metal beside the bit to give it a bit of upward urging. Especially if the drilling action has disturbed the steel around the bit and is crimped against it a little. Kinda like pulling a tooth!!

I'd hate to have to gouge each bit out with the torch--you'll spend enough on gas on just heating the cone to red hot, let alone excavating each bit out.

To sell used carbide, this far west in Canada I'd call up some of the big carbide suppliers, (who all should be in Alberta like dirty shirts to chase the oil business) and see what they offer for scrap carbide. Kennametal is one who comes to mind. Then compare with our SMF buyers, who are at a heck of a disadvantage with the border and being a long ways away. But you may be surprised. I know at least one scrap outfit in Calgary buys carbide but I don't know how competitive they are.

Let us know what you find out....and take photos!!!

Jon.

sawmill...- What does your term "like dirty shirts..." mean???

Dakota,

"in like a dirty shirt" in this case means that the carbide business is huge in Alberta because of all the oil and gas drilling, so if you're a carbide manufacturer you would be uber-anxious to get in there and sell your product!!

Not sure where it came from... I've heard it since I was a kid, couple of millennia ago....

You got me scratching my head now...I googled it and here's a definition that makes sense to me:

I've always used it to refer to people who jump into a setting as if
they'd always been there and/or invariably tend to take over.

Contextual use would be "tell Jim you're throwing a party, and he'll be
in there like a dirty shirt" (that is, he'll be there, and probably act
as if it was his party).

Kinda wonder if it is a "Canadianism"

Jon.

It looks like a google for “tricone bits” will answer a lot of questions.

Hey guys, I've contacted a few outfits that refurbish these bits. I'll keep you all posted.

SC

Well I just got an email back from a shop that refurbishes these bits and I got to say I was pretty happy when I saw what they were offering. $$$$$

Now I just have to get these things on a pallet and off to the shipping depot.

Not sure if its cool to post dollar figures but i STRONGLY suggest if you come across any of these not to scrap them.

Good deal!! Score!!

Give us a hint....over $100 each? Over $500 for the three? What hole sizes are they?

Might give the guys in the areas in the US where oil drilling is going on to be extra watchful for these! And even in areas where water well drillers might use them...those would be the smaller ones, in the 6" and 8" sizes.

Jon.