I'm looking for a tilt indicator for my box blade

[IXLR8]

I am getting ready to take my new box blade to our 1/4 mile dirt road and one of my neighbors driveway. I tend to over do it, if a 5 degree cut is good, a 10 degree cut is better. I am looking for some sort of tilt meter I can put on my box blade so I can maintain a more consistent grade. Especially since this is my first time using a BB and my neighbors would really appreciate it if I didn't mess things up. I have hydraulic TNT to adjust the BB on the fly and I want to be able to read the tilt meter from the seat. Anybody have any suggestions?
Thanks

 

[joeyd]

I don't know if it can be adapted for your box blade but if you look under the store tab at the top of the page, under safety they sell a few different types of tilt meters for tractors. They are to keep you from rolling over on a side hill, I'm not sure if it would work for your application but it's a start.

 

[Leejohn]

Put wheels off the back side.

 

[jmc]

Some levels have windows on the side so you can read them without looking straight down. Mount one up on the BB A frame where you can see it from the seat. Mount it at 10 degrees, for example, then adjust your side link until the level reads level. You may need a level for each side of the road unless you grade down and back.

Warning! I've never done this and most of my ideas work best from the armchair.

On a related note, ever seen the inclinometer apps for cell phones? Mine was $3 and some may be free. Works well.

 

[puckgrinder85]

Practice on something not so crucial before you mess something up that may be considered crucial. It takes a little getting used to the box blade and what angles work best for what you're trying to accomplish.

 

[IXLR8]

Practice on something not so crucial before you mess something up that may be considered crucial. It takes a little getting used to the box blade and what angles work best for what you're trying to accomplish.

I have another neighbor who has some area's they want dirt leveled and spread out, I am certainly going practice there first.

JMC- My phone is so old and dumb there is no downloading any apps to it... so that is out.

 

[RDrancher]

These are the high end of the mechanical slopemeter spectrum, but they are construction grade and will probably last you a lifetime. Slopemeter, Inc. - Mechanical Slopemeters

 

[Gordon Gould]

I have a tilt meter that I use when grading. It is on the dash not the blade. It is probably the one joeyd was talking about. I will just drive over the road first to get a feel for what it is then I grade running the blade by eye. As I make additional passes I glance at the meter once in a while to see if I am in the ballpark. Some places it is hard to tell the angle, like on a curve traversing a side hill, and the meter is a good check. I wouldn't get paranoid about holding a constant crown angle, especially if you are just learning. You will have your hands full making it smooth probably. Just watch what happens when it rains. If the water does'nt run off well enough or pools up somewhere then you just go fix it. Pretty soon you will have a feel for how the road should be. This is an old photo I found with my meter in it. It is easy to see 5*.

 

[IXLR8]

Gordon,
Yes, your gauge is the one that joeyd mentioned. Thank you for the picture and your comments. After everyone's input, and a bunch more web searching, I am probably going to get a gauge like you have. Although I am still open to other suggestions as I can't do anything until after the first of May when my neighbor returns from their winter residence.

 

[jenkinsph]

Practice on something not so crucial before you mess something up that may be considered crucial. It takes a little getting used to the box blade and what angles work best for what you're trying to accomplish.

I agree and then practice some more, nothing will take the place of seat time. I say this because a lot of people have a hard time with the learning curve using a box blade.