My version of a boxblade hitch

   / My version of a boxblade hitch #1  

Tchara

Bronze Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2013
Messages
77
Location
Temple, TX
Tractor
Branson 3520R
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Been reading posts about how to attach a trailer hitch to the box blade. This is what I came up with. I added a large old steel ramp I had laying around to give the BB more weight. (about 100 pounds) Not very pretty, but will paint when I get it all done. I wanted it to be removable so I welded three pieces of angle iron to the back, so it just hangs on the box blade. Worked pretty good, except when backing up, it would lift up and fall off if I pushed a large rock. Gonna use small screw type binders to hold it down on the bottom. I welded another piece of angle iron in the middle opposite of the first one, to give me more area of weld for the reciever tube. Then drilled a hole for a bolt for added security. I had a hitch carrier that I bought a couple years back at HF, that we were going to use on our camper, but sold the camper before using it. Gonna be a great way to haul my tools and chain saws in to the woods.
 
   / My version of a boxblade hitch #3  
I like your design Tchara, you can remove your hitch and only the reciever is left on the BB. And you can slide in other attachments too. Good job.

You want a crash course in welding 101? You're pulling your rod straight, you've got to work that rod to get a good solid weld. I was doing the same thing and 10 minutes with someone that welded daily got me on track and put me on my way.

I don't mean to sound negative but I'm wiilling to help you if you want it.
 
   / My version of a boxblade hitch
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thanks for the input and compliment. I just bought that HF welder, and have never welded before. I viewed a few videos on utube to get the general idea, but I guess with anything, it takes practice.

Any tips and critics are very appreciated. Not to proud to except help.
 
   / My version of a boxblade hitch #5  
I have that same welding helmet. Do you have the knob on highest darkness setting
 
   / My version of a boxblade hitch #6  
When I first started a welder saw my welds and knew what was going on. He got one helmet and I got one and a short course in "laying dimes"was all I needed to get going.

When welding used, rusted or painted metal I always take a small sidegrinder and knock the rust or paint off of the edges of where I am going to weld. Even with experience, it's needed to get a good arc. And do it to both sides, that way your arc will be attracted to both sides. After you get experience as long as you get it started you can burn your way through it but I still do that most of the time. And I always grind off a small spot to hook my ground to. Rust and paint prevents your ground from making a good connection.

When you strike your arc, you should be able to see what you are doing, not just a ball of fire and hope for the best. You want your weld to connect to both sides. Sometimes I can see it connect to one and after I get it started there I move to the other side. So after seeing my arc/weld start on both sides I then start welding by actually rotating my rod in a small circle. Your working your rod to create that "row of dimes" as it is called. Think about a row of dimes stacked and then layed on their side, letting them lay over sort of sideways. Work your rod in a small circle and inching/creeping forward in each increment as you work that circle. After you get used to it you actually use your rod to push the molten weld back into your bead if it looks to be getting thin.

I can see by your welds you are basically striking your arc and pulling your rod forward over the crack/connecting points. Work that circle and push that weld into both pieces as you go.

You need to get you a couple pieces of scrap and weld them together and then put it in a vise and beat it apart with a hammer to see how deep/good of penetration you are getting. With a 1/8 6011 rod and you are welding 1/4 inch steel 90 degree temp is about normal. You'll learn to vary your temp using other rods or thickness of steel.

Remember, work that circle and push that weld into your crack to get good penetration.

We all had to start somewhere and usually help from others put us to where we are today.
 
   / My version of a boxblade hitch #7  
That little wire welder is the problem . You need some heat going on for that kind of work . I really hope you do not hurt yourself ,kids , wife . I sure don't wanna see a post about bucket hooks . You should think about it .
 
   / My version of a boxblade hitch #8  
You don't need to put the grounding clamp right next to where your welding. Your getting splatter all over it
 
   / My version of a boxblade hitch #9  
That little wire welder is the problem . You need some heat going on for that kind of work . I really hope you do not hurt yourself ,kids , wife . I sure don't wanna see a post about bucket hooks . You should think about it .
I think that little wire welder is fine for that thickness personally. not to discredit you. i use one for of those for small size jobs and have tested the welds with shock and a shop press. No signs of stress or fractures. Just need to know how to use it properly. I think with some more practice he should be fine. I would definitely redo the whole job and practice some more. As I see it, if he puts any weight on those welds, it's just gonna snap.
 
   / My version of a boxblade hitch #10  
Kudos on making the effort, but I want to second what others on this thread have said: you really should cut that off, grind it smooth, and try again to do a better job. It's a trailer hitch. Some day, somebody is going to try to pull a trailer with it, and there is no way those welds are strong enough for that. I'm not saying that they'll break the very first time, although they might. I'm saying that before you trust a trailer to the welds, you need to be sure that they'll still hold the 10,000th time. Those welds are not up to snuff. Go back and do it right.

Also: I can't see the entire construction of the thing, but what's to stop it from levering down and bending the mount when there is 500 lbs of tongue weight or several hundred pounds of stuff in that hitch carrier, with 24" of leverage on it?

Also: as far as I can tell, you have bolted the receiver tube to the mounting bracket with a single bolt. What's to keep it from pivoting on that bolt?
 
 
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