Poured concrete Ballast box build

[k0ua]

I have always painted my forms with a couple of coats of old used motor oil.

James K0UA

 

[davesalisbury]

I have always painted my forms with a couple of coats of old used motor oil.

James K0UA

This suggestion makes a lot of sense given past experience...

Back in younger (much) days when I worked bridge construction, form oil was used (seemed in smell and consistency to me a lot like hydraulic fluid) so the forms would release from the concrete. We'd mop or roll it onto either steel or wood forms. From time to time I'd also swab some on my work boots ;-).

Seems to me old motor oil would work just as nicely. Roll/paint it on the inside of the form so the concrete releases when you're done. Love this project, btw.

 

[moored4]

Your thinking this one out! It should serve you well! :thumbsup:

 

[jake98]

Anyone ever put a QH on the back of one?

 

[JB4310]

You can use the 5000 psi bagged concrete, will hold up better.

There will always be something you wish you did after the crete sets

jb

 

[countrybumpkin]

Yeah I've seen the plastic lined forms and what happens, guess I could paint it dark purple so it would look like a big raisin. :laughing: I found some steel tube laying around I may use instead of the PVC, but not sure, afraid they may rust real bad inside over time, it would be nice to use for weight over the PVC, but at least the PVC would stay clean and smooth. I had not thought about the oil idea, I was looking at using some white roofing paint sealer we had laying around. I am going to see what I can find around to put in the corners to round them a little, the trim idea was what I had in mind to look at, I was going to make the form a little bigger and round the corners quit a bit but I'm trying to keep it as compact yet heavy as I can. I think I'm going to set it on a trailer and haul to a plant instead of mixing all this by hand.

 

[rjmack]

nice build:thumbsup:

what about the idea of putting a couple pieces of 1/2x6x6 plate flush with the back side and tied to the skeleton... that way you could have a couple imbeds to weld to after the fact? grab hooks, tool bars etc. or maybe one on each end too?

 

[k0ua]

Be sure to put that 2 inch reciever in the back. I did it not knowing what I was going to use it for, and wound up using it to put a small sprayer on easily, and am thinking about a salt spreader for next winter. I too am taking a keen interest in your thought processes building this project, very similiar to all the things I tried to think of when I built mine. Good luck with it.

James K0UA

 

[JB4310]

nice build:thumbsup:

what about the idea of putting a couple pieces of 1/2x6x6 plate flush with the back side and tied to the skeleton... that way you could have a couple imbeds to weld to after the fact? grab hooks, tool bars etc. or maybe one on each end too?

I like that idea! This ballast box is gonna be a Swiss army knife by the time we finish with him. :laughing:

Be sure to put that 2 inch receiver in the back. I did it not knowing what I was going to use it for, and wound up using it to put a small sprayer on easily, and am thinking about a salt spreader for next winter. I too am taking a keen interest in your thought processes building this project, very similiar to all the things I tried to think of when I built mine. Good luck with it.

James K0UA

I didn't put a receiver tube on my JD steel box when I filled it with concrete, cause I figured I wouldn't want the heavy box when moving trailers. But now I think I'll weld one on, still probably only use it for occasional trailer moving, but they are so handy for other things like you mentioned.

I am a nut for those receiver hitch tubes, I have them on everything, my loader bucket, my two 3pt QH's just mounted one on my lawn tractor for a tool carrier I rigged up.


As far as what type of pipe to use for shovels rakes etc, just had another thought. We're worried about plastic breaking and metal rusting, how about a pipe just used as a form, before the concrete sets, twist the pipe around to loosen so it could be removed, then the hole in the concrete could be re-sleeved if the pipe needed to be replaced.
I used 1.5 inch pipe, most tools fit, but some of the new plastic handled tools don't, so I would say stay with 2 inch, even a skinny handled tool wont slop around much, about 30 inches seems to be a good height.

JB.

 

[Red Horse]

nice build:thumbsup:

what about the idea of putting a couple pieces of 1/2x6x6 plate flush with the back side and tied to the skeleton... that way you could have a couple imbeds to weld to after the fact? grab hooks, tool bars etc. or maybe one on each end too?

That is a great idea. attached are pix of mine- I later welded the top half of a Mack front spring "u" bolt to the verticle but hooks would be better. Also if I ever build another one, besides the ideas others have had about shovel holders, I think I would cast some heavy pipe in place to create leverage points to stick a pinch bar in to help muscle it on and off the three point hitch.