FLICK
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 4:59:21 GMT -5
I haven't done anything the last few days, just been thinking about it ... I'm really not happy mounting the cylinder above the boom due to: a. the size of the mounts. b. it doesn't look neat and tidy. c. the extra forces on the mounts and the boom hinge (twisting forces due to the cylinder not being in line with the boom) d. eventually 'll get a 2.5" x 12" cylinder (or similar) that can be mounted to the side of the boom, so I'd be left with the big mounts above the boom, or have to cut them out.. I was sick of how this project was dragging out, so.... I went back to my original plan of mounting the cylinder to the side of the boom even though it will only swing a little over 30* each way... When I eventually find a 12" cylinder (at the right price) it'll only be a 5 min job to cut these mounts off... (but I think I might be able to reuse the rear mount) I think I can survive with 30* each way, if I need to get the blade a fair way past the wheels I'll just have to adjust the stabilizers to drag the 3ph to the side I need the blade.. Today I'll fix up the blade pivot and get it in a usable condition... At a later date I'll fix it up properly (maybe a 2" pivot pin, a bit of 2" Id pipe through the boom, drop the blade a couple of inches below the boom)
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FLICK
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 4:59:53 GMT -5
Fixed up the blade mount: (Keep in mind this is only temporary until I accumulate enough bits to do a decent job of it) Had to cut a hole in the back of the blade to remove the pivot pin: It just had a couple of bits of bird crap to stop it pulling through the top. Welded a bit of 1" ID water pipe to it: For the top I've just use another bit of 1" water pipe and a couple of washers so the lynch pin was a hammer fit: Down the track I'll replace this pivot pin with a lump of 2" bar, or a huge high tensile bolt if I can find one at an ok price. A photo of the clamp at the front of the blade, I've spaced it out with a washer so it's fairly tight, but the blade can still be turned:
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FLICK
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:00:17 GMT -5
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FLICK
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:00:36 GMT -5
Here's a 1min (3meg) video with me operating the hydraulic toplink and offset:
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FLICK
CTW Expert
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:12:27 GMT -5
Now it's time to extend the boomI need to modify the blade end and beef up the blade mount, so I think I'll chop it just behind the cylinder mount, insert a length of heavy walled square tube, and weld it all back together... I'll run the extending tube right to the end of the boom so it will help reinforce the blade mount... Or..... The round plate on the underside of the boom isn't flat, when the side braces have been welded on it's warped the plate so the sides are bent upwards.... I might grind all the welds off the round plate, flatten it out, and weld it onto the extension tube which I'll insert straight into the end of the existing boom.... Still toying with ideas
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FLICK
CTW Expert
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:13:12 GMT -5
Went and purchased some steel today to continue this project... 750mm of 125mm x 125mm x 4mm (30" of 5" x 5" x 1/6"?) RHS square tube to lengthen the boom.. 250mm of 50mm (10" of 2") bright round bar to go through the boom to hold the blade on. 250mm of 50mm (10" of 2") NB pipe to re-enforce the hole through the boom. 1m of 100mm x 6mm (40" of 4" x 1/4") flat... (just because I've run out of it) I was a bit shocked at the price of the square tube, it cost $40us (that's $1.72us per pound if I've calculated it right) I've moved away from the idea of cutting the end off the existing boom and welding a section in... now I'm going to leave the boom as it is and just weld the extra 750mm (30") onto the end of it.... Then I'll add a 20" length of 4" x 4" x 3/8" angle along each side of the boom with the flats facing down so the underside of the boom will be 13" wide, this will be what the blade sits up against (the blade has a 12" circle of steel on the top) I'll get rid of the 1" pin that holds the blade on and replace it with the 2" bar.... Rob: If you are going to extend the length, why limit it to only 12"? This got me thinking.... I was hesitant to go too long due to the added forces and I guess the further back the blade is the harder it will be to grade a flat surface (without guage wheels).... I couldn't decide how long to make it so I settled on having 3 places to mount the blade, I'll keep the existing mount on the boom, plus I'll add 2 more mounting positions, probably 500mm (20") and 750mm (30") out from the existing mount, that way I'll have all my bases covered. Then I might make a set of rippers to mount in one of the spare blade mounting holes Hope that all makes sense...
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FLICK
CTW Expert
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:15:20 GMT -5
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FLICK
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:15:44 GMT -5
I'll need to weld the extension tube to the end of the boom (once it's all drilled and so on)... Do you all think it will be strong enough if I chamfer the edges off and weld all the way around, the round plate overlap the joint at the bottom which should help: Then weld a bit of 2" angle across the joint on the top corners, sorta like this: Excuse my dodgy drawing..lol Or... maybe just a bit of 1" x 1/4" flat welded over the joint up each side and across the top? Anyone have any better/stronger suggestions for joining it?
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FLICK
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:17:00 GMT -5
Scott suggested welding diamond shaped plates across the joint to strengthen it Thanks for the description and pic Scott ... Made a little progress today .. Marked out and drilled the 2" holes through the boom with a holesaw, and cut the 4" x 4" x 3/8"? angle for the side wings. The 2" holes are a little bigger than the 2" bar but it should be ok, I plan to weld 4" x 1/4" re-enforcing plates on the outside top and inside bottom of the holes, I'll just stagger the plates a bit so the bar is a real snug fit (bit rough but it'll work)
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FLICK
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:17:27 GMT -5
Started by cutting a couple of lengths of 2" NB black pipe which will be welded into the boom to so it can't get crushed: Cut a drilled a 16" long bit of 4" x 1/4" to go on the top of the boom to help re-enforce the holes. Cut and drilled with 1" holes a couple of 3" long bits of 2" x 1/4", then tack welded 3/4 nuts to them: These will be welded inside the boom on the bottom, just forward of where the 12" disk on the top of the blade sits, so I can bolt on a retainer so the front of the blade mount disk can't be dragged away from the boom. (hope that makes sense, you'll see later) Welded the pipes and nuts into the boom: The rear pipe is only welded around the back, couldn't get to the front side of it due to the other pipe being in the way.... it doesn't really need to be welded all the way around as it's only there to stop the boom from crushing: The welds aren't that flash it's a bit of a pain using the stick welder down in there... Then I ground a 45 deg angle chamfer around the end of the boom and extension with a 4" angle grinder, I didn't chamfer the full thickness, only about 3/4, I don't want to risk blowing holes through when I weld it: Then clamped it all together using lengths of heavy 2" and 2-1/2" square tube to hold it all straight: Then I tack welded the corners and the middle top and bottom, removed all the clamps and welded all the way around: That's it for today It'll do the job I'm reasonabley happy with the work so far, haven't had any disasters
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FLICK
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:17:57 GMT -5
I'm sick of welding...lol... I think I've welded about 18' today Started by marking out the diamonds on some 4" x 1/4" flat. Welded them on: Welded the top plate on: Tacked the side wings on: Then welded them all the way around: Some of my welds were a bit crappy today but they'll do I generally weld straight over the top of my tack welds so I end up with lumps.... They'll look a lot better once I attack them with the grinder to take the lumps off Matthew. Edit: I said above I'm using 6011 rods, I was wrong, I'm using 6013 rods... I sanded most the paint and rust of the areas I had to weld... (thanks to Scotts dig ) I didn't really need to weld all the way around the top plate or side wings, but I like to so water doesn't seep between the joint and slowly rust it away from the inside out
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FLICK
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:18:36 GMT -5
Thanks for your comments Larry and Scott Scott: Yeah, always tack at the corners to avoid thatI used to just do little tacks on the corners of things but on large-ish steel with big welds I had problems with warping and tack welds breaking.... so now my tack welds are fairly substantial... I usually tack 1/2" around the corners, and 1/2" to 1" tacks every 4" along the sides.... (just trying to justify my untidy welds..lol) What are you building in the photo Scott? some sort of race vehicle? looks interesting .... Just an idea at the moment... down the track I'd like to make a bolt on box-blade type attachment for the grader blade... It would be handy to have an offset box-blade My tractor probably wont be able to lift this thing by time I finish
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FLICK
CTW Expert
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:19:07 GMT -5
Tackled the blade mounting pin today, I started out planning to cut a 2" hole through the mounting disk on top of the blade and weld the bar in from below.... but eventually I might grind the disk off and add a spacer between the blade and disk so it has more clearance to swing 360, or maybe add a tilt function, so I wasn't keen on welding it in as it would be a PIA to remove later: Wasn't sure how I was going to do it when I started today so just made a start cutting the 2" hole for the bar to go through. When I cut a hole with a holesaw I keep all the round bits I cut out to use them for washers and such, I grabbed one of them to tack weld into the 1" hole in the disk so I could center the 2" holesaw to cut the hole: I haven't got a working hand electric drill at the moment, and they aren't kind on large holesaws through thick steel anyway... so I chocked the blade up and clamped the drill press to it: Cut through the first layer At this stage I decided I'd bolt the 2" pin in with a couple of 10mm grade 8.8 high tensile bolts... so I marked out a template out of 3" x 1/4" flat that I could tack weld in place and drill though it and the layer of steel on top of the blade, later I will use this template to drill the end of the 2" bar... and finally us it to bolt under the blade to add extra re-enforcing: (the 2 small holes in the plate were already there, they wont be used for anything) The left and right holes I did by loosening the head of the drill press and moving it left and right of center, I did this so it would be easier to set up and drill the end of the 2" bar... I ended up drilling a 3rd hole just to make it a little stronger: Next step was to drill the end of the bar, not having a lathe on hand I had to square it up and clamp it to the drill press with 6 pieces of 2" square tube and a heap of clamps, lol... of what fun I started by drilling a small hole in the center so I could line the template up and mark where I had to drill the other holes... After drilling I realized I had stuffed up somewhere and my 3 holes didn't line up with the template, 2 of the 3 holes matched... so I ended up drilling a 4th hole in the bar and the template, oh well, it'll be even stronger Then tapped the holes with a 10mm x 1.5mm taper tap, I drilled the holes fairly deep so I didn't have to worry about using a bottoming tap (didn't have any cutting oil so just used some air-tool oil) I had to drill a 4th 10mm hole in the top of the blade for the extra bolt, I couldn't be bothered setting the blade up on the drill press again so I just did it with my battery drill Then bolted it together with the 4 10mm grade 8.8 bolts, using spring washers and super stud-lock loctite: The bolts go through: -spring washer -1/4" template/backing plate -top frame of blade -into the bar. The bar is recessed through the disk. It wasn't till now I realized I hadn't done anything to retain the top end of the bar in the boom so I'll have to pull it apart later to do that, not sure how I'm going to do it yet, maybe a couple more 10mm bolts. I got a bit carried away and forgot to take photos of some steps, sorry.
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FLICK
CTW Expert
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:19:32 GMT -5
Did a little grinding yesterday and mounted it on the tractor (it doesn't actually swing out that far with the offset cylinder connected) lol, it seems longer now it's on the tractor I doubt I'll have to use the longest mounting position much
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FLICK
CTW Expert
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Posts: 201
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Post by FLICK on Feb 1, 2008 5:20:36 GMT -5
Marked out the top of the pin and being lazy I didn't want to drill pilot holes so I just emphasized the centrepunch marks with the battery drill so the 11/32 drill, for 10mm tap, wouldn't wander off track. Squared it up and clamped it to the drill with bits of 2" RHS, when I had to move to the next hole I just loosened the side clamps and rotated the pin between the square tube to line up with the drill: Tapped the holes with a 10mm x 1.5mm taper tap, as before Marked out a bit of 4" square x 1/4" plate for the top retainer: Drilled clearance holes for the 10mm bolts: I was going to use some 2" NB pipe as the spacer but I couldn't find any so I ended up using a bit of heavy walled RHS square tube which is 2" across on the inside: (I've run out of short high tensile 10mm bolts so had to use a couple of longer ones with nuts for now, I'll add spring washers later also. The pin is 107mm (4.25") too long ATM, but I'll probably add a 4" spacer between the blade and the blade mounting disk at a later date, so once that's added the pin will be about the right length...
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