I recently returned to a project I've been working on: converting a 250 gallon propane tank to a pasture roller.
The tank is empty, and all the fittings ground off and covered with 1/8" plate. The water fill/drain plug has been installed.
The next step is some kind of axle. The most obvious way is to drill a 2" hole in each end and run a 2" round bar through it. Then weld each end where the bar comes out of the hole, to make it solid and so the water won't leak out. Then build the frame around it, using pillow bearings on the round bar.
Thing is, that's a pretty expensive and somewhat "fancy" way to build it. That 2" steel bar alone will run $100 - $200. I've thought about welding the head of a 1" bolt to the end, but I'm afraid that would break off under the strain of pulling a 3,000 pound roller over uneven ground.
Any creative types have a better way to do this?
The tank is empty, and all the fittings ground off and covered with 1/8" plate. The water fill/drain plug has been installed.
The next step is some kind of axle. The most obvious way is to drill a 2" hole in each end and run a 2" round bar through it. Then weld each end where the bar comes out of the hole, to make it solid and so the water won't leak out. Then build the frame around it, using pillow bearings on the round bar.
Thing is, that's a pretty expensive and somewhat "fancy" way to build it. That 2" steel bar alone will run $100 - $200. I've thought about welding the head of a 1" bolt to the end, but I'm afraid that would break off under the strain of pulling a 3,000 pound roller over uneven ground.
Any creative types have a better way to do this?