sandman2234
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2005
- Messages
- 5,945
- Location
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Tractor
- JD2555 and a few Allis Chalmers and now one Kubota
A couple of years ago, I picked up a Duragrader for another member after Katrina wreaked havoc on their shop and business. While I was there, I picked up a set of blades in anticipation of building one for myself. The project got put on the back burner more times than I can count, especially since the needed use for it went away. However, due to a friend having a lot more spare time and better fabrication skills, the project got moved a little closer to becoming a reality.
As a favor for picking up the Duragrader, Wayne took the time to label all the dimensions of the five footer I picked up for him and send them to me. I took those dimensions and added a few feet to them, and started looking for the materials that I could use to build it. I had a single piece of 4x7x3/8 angle 12 feet long, but needed just over 14 to build this thing. Never did find a short drop, so I finally told a friends shop to look for me one. They found a 4x7x1/2 that was 15 foot long, but they wanted $250 for it. After checking the local steel suppliers, I convinced them to accept a more realistic price for it. At $145 it didn't hurt nearly as much. That was the only piece that I had to purchase after buying the blades. The sides are from a deal with several tables that I got with no money but had to arrange shipping of one to Iowa to get the rest. The four inch square tubing came out of the walls of a local breakfast shop that was being turned into an attorney's office. The runners or skid pads are 2x3/4 flatbar that was stripped from a job of shortening a 45 foot boat trailer into a 27 foot trailer with a 12 foot dump capability. (search Ugly trailer for this). I will add some of the 80 pictures as I get them loaded to photobucket. The 2x2 tubing from the roof of a friends shop. The 3x3 tubing from another trailer project that also ended up in Iowa.
A special note of thanks to Dserf101 who made this happen, took the time to figure out the flaws in my design and supplied the labor. I just took it over to his house and dumped it in his lap and said call me when it's done. GOOD FRIENDS are hard to find, and easy to abuse, so hopefully he is still speaking to me, lol.
Enjoy the pictures as they arrive...
David from jax
As a favor for picking up the Duragrader, Wayne took the time to label all the dimensions of the five footer I picked up for him and send them to me. I took those dimensions and added a few feet to them, and started looking for the materials that I could use to build it. I had a single piece of 4x7x3/8 angle 12 feet long, but needed just over 14 to build this thing. Never did find a short drop, so I finally told a friends shop to look for me one. They found a 4x7x1/2 that was 15 foot long, but they wanted $250 for it. After checking the local steel suppliers, I convinced them to accept a more realistic price for it. At $145 it didn't hurt nearly as much. That was the only piece that I had to purchase after buying the blades. The sides are from a deal with several tables that I got with no money but had to arrange shipping of one to Iowa to get the rest. The four inch square tubing came out of the walls of a local breakfast shop that was being turned into an attorney's office. The runners or skid pads are 2x3/4 flatbar that was stripped from a job of shortening a 45 foot boat trailer into a 27 foot trailer with a 12 foot dump capability. (search Ugly trailer for this). I will add some of the 80 pictures as I get them loaded to photobucket. The 2x2 tubing from the roof of a friends shop. The 3x3 tubing from another trailer project that also ended up in Iowa.
A special note of thanks to Dserf101 who made this happen, took the time to figure out the flaws in my design and supplied the labor. I just took it over to his house and dumped it in his lap and said call me when it's done. GOOD FRIENDS are hard to find, and easy to abuse, so hopefully he is still speaking to me, lol.
Enjoy the pictures as they arrive...
David from jax
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