[CTS2]

What is the point of the blank half sickle at the RHS end of a John Deere knife? It's blunt, so it obviously doesn't cut. Can the knife back simply be cut off short just after the last whole sickle without causing any problems?

The reason I want to do it, is that the aftermarket knife is a Niels Parts laminated knife, it doesn't have the extra hole to be able to fit a half sickle, and it's just about impossible to drill through it. Therefore I have the length of the Niels knife cut off for a whole sickle instead of the blank half. This means it cuts fine, but at the right extent of the knife travel it sticks out of the outside of the comb further than ideal. I would like to cut the whole last section off, as long as it still cuts okay.

Has anyone come across this situation before?

 

[CTS2]

Old John Deere knife

 

[CTS2]

Niels Parts knife at far right of its travel.

 

[CTS2]

Niels Parts knife at far left of its travel, indicating the sickle I propose removing completely.

 

[MF cowboy]

Yes $%#@ jobber parts supposed to fit but don't fit proper.
Don't think you can cut the knife one section short.
I would grind off the rivets on the last section and install the original 1/2 cleaning section and drill the knife bar for the extra hole.
Knife bar is soft like butter.
Couple new rivets and done.
I won't buy a riveted knife unless there was no choice.
As long as the drive end is spaced proper you can modify the far end with out issue.

 

[nicko87]

If your having trouble drilling it grind an edge onto a carbide masonry bit and have another go, they'll go through anything with a bit of lube and pressure

 

[Ozzie]

Yes $%#@ jobber parts supposed to fit but don't fit proper.
Don't think you can cut the knife one section short.
I would grind off the rivets on the last section and install the original 1/2 cleaning section and drill the knife bar for the extra hole.
Knife bar is soft like butter.
Couple new rivets and done.
I won't buy a riveted knife unless there was no choice.
As long as the drive end is spaced proper you can modify the far end with out issue.

The aftermarket knife bars are not soft as butter, they are as hard as diamonds. Best bet would be a cobalt drill.

 

[herschel]

cut the knife off at the right length, weld the half section blade to the last section. a weld and one rivet will hold it just fine. you could tack the end of the half blade to the bar just for good luck.

 

[CTS2]

cut the knife off at the right length, weld the half section blade to the last section. a weld and one rivet will hold it just fine. you could tack the end of the half blade to the bar just for good luck.

This is a good idea. Apart from the problem of knife sickle just snaps along the edge of the weld. Being some sort of hardened steel it's very brittle and won't weld.

Interesting that you mention rivets. This uses bolts, not rivets. I haven't seen a riveted knife in about 20 years.

 

[MF cowboy]

On this side of the pond I haven't come across a knife bar that was hardened.
I thought laminated knife meant riveted.
Sections here generally aren't that hard in the hole area. I remember drilling some out for larger bolt size if necessary.

 

[CTS2]

On this side of the pond I haven't come across a knife bar that was hardened.
I thought laminated knife meant riveted.
Sections here generally aren't that hard in the hole area. I remember drilling some out for larger bolt size if necessary.

A laminated knife is made of a knife back that is two layers on top of each other instead of one. The sickles bolt on top, which holds the two layers together. They are about 6 feet long. The ends are staggered by about 3 sickles, and therefore overlap with the next 6 foot section, until you achieve the length you need. Good system in my opinion. Makes a new knife a bit easier to send on a freight service.

 

[Jeff-C-IL]

Niels Parts knife at far left of its travel, indicating the sickle I propose removing completely.

View attachment 166432

You will likely loose nothing removing that section. With it all the way left as noted, note that it will cut nothing - it does not travel "into" a guard to create the shearing action. It only moves away from the far end guard. I would assume the next section moves to the right fully into the far end guard to do the actual cutting.

My only guess is that that end section might be a "guide" section, to make sure the very end of the knife does not bend up and the next section try to go over the outer guard