A new project

[LarryT]

Derek, I talked about this in another post. However, an added point that in addition to my belief that the 1/4" steel box is adequate, just under where my receiver was added, there is a bend, or crease, in the plate that kicks back about 10 degrees across the length of the box. That will add significantly to the overall strength of the box at that point. Having said all that, if I see any signs of distortion, I'll go back to plan A and add gussets.

Larry...

 

[Rowski]

I guess didn't look at the pics close enough to see the crease. oopps!

It is kinda nice to have the knowledge and equipment to make and modify thing. I feel kinda lucky that I can use our automotive repair station to do things like that.

Derek

 

[PaulInMi]

LarryT-

Great setup. My to-do list gets longer and longer when I read these posts/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

 

[LarryT]

Well Twinkletoes, the ratio is getting better, but that's not saying too much. I did one more project this weekend, and I want to post the final (painted) pics of the previous two projects. I'll post those early in the week. I'll be keeping tabs on the time to see what the new ratio is. There too many dang steps to this posting project stuff; download the pics, resize the pics, rename the pics, FTP the pics to the server site, try to remember what I named them as I write the post, forget what I named them, back up too many times, lose the post, start over...... Computers ain't easy! (except for Harv, he makes them sing and dance!).

Larry...

 

[LarryT]

Well Paul, thats the beauty of this forum, seeing other peoples projects and deciding if any of them fit your needs. As long as the projects result in better and more efficient use of our tractors, I think the time spent is easily justified (my wifes not convinced yet though!). This was my weekend to stay home and do the honey dos here rather than work at the farm. Well, I did the honey dos (well, maybe some of them anyway), and still got some tractor time in. And had fun doing it! I've gotten some great ideas and lots of invaluable information from this forum and I feel better if I can give a little back from time to time.

Larry...

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>Computers ain't easy! (except for Harv, he makes them sing and dance!)</font color=blue>

That's funny, Larry -- I was thinking the same thing about you and welders. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[dmccarty]

Harv,

I have the same problem you and Larry have regarding using the drawbar with the box blade attached to the 3PH. Here is what I do to keep from being an amputee.

Since I am NOT putting a body part underneath any equipment raised on hydraulic power I do a little song and dance to get the chain to the drawbar. I first hook the chain to what I'm going to be pulling. Hmmm, attempting to pull in some cases. I will have parked the tractor a distance from the stump and I'll walk the chain to the tractor. I'll leave the chain in a straight line almost to the tractor and when I get near the boxblade I just walk to one side. I'll leave the chain to the side of the boxblade/tractor with a enough slack to allow me to attach to the drawbar. At this point the boxblade is fully on the ground so I can climb on it without to much risk. I swear I'm going to fall off this thing one day and really mess up a leg. But anyway, with the box on the ground I can safely and somewhat easily get to the drawbar and hook up the chain.

At that point I can get on the tractor, raise the box blade a few inches off the ground and slowly take up the slack in the chain and pull away. I try to keep the box blade close to the ground in case the tractor wants to do a wheely. It should not want to play Evil Kenivel(sp) since I'm attached to the drawbar but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

To get the chain off the drawbar, I try to angle the box blade off the chain when I lower the implement. Once it is grounded I just take off the chain. I suppose you could back up the tractor at an angle to stop from putting the boxblade on the chain.... Never thought of that until now....

You DON'T attach the chain/cable high up on the boxblade. Been There Done That and thankfully I'm alive to have the T-Shirt!

It would be better to do what Larry is doing but I have zip welding skills.....

I'm using my 4n1 bucket to pull things from the other end of the tractor when I have the backhoe on the tractor. This works fairly well but I don't think I get optimum traction to the direction of the tread. But you gotta work with what you got!

Hope this helps...
Dan McCarty

 

[Harv]

Dan -

Thanks for the lesson. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Your description sounds straightforward enough, so it's probably the way I'll go when I finally get to, I mean have to drag/pull something.

Rain is finally falling from the sky out here, so my tractor time may be limited by the degree of mud that develops. I never paid much attention to such things prior to getting the tractor, so this is the first year I'll have to make notes about which areas turn muddy and which ones don't /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif.

 

[paccorti]

Larry,

That's real nice work you've done there. Like Harv, I'm getting welder envy too. If I had a welder (and the skills) I can think of at least 2 projects. 1. welding some hooks on my loader bucket (since I lack one of those neat-o 4 in 1 buckets! 2. I'd buy a rear blade and weld some sort of height adjustable wheel (or two). From what I've read that would make plowing snow and general grading much easier.

I'll probably buy a book on welding soon even if I don't take the plunge on the equipment. I do have one question though. How did you cut through the steel... a gas welder? I've only used an electric welder once (my cousin's). Not that I'm real experienced with either, but a continuous rod electric welder was a LOT easier than gas (for me). I'm under the impression that a electric welder cannot cut. What other tools did you need for this job?

Once again, great work and thanks for sharing!

Peter

 

[Bird]

Peter, I consider myself strictly an amateur welder, and I really don't even like cutting with the oxygen/acetylene torch. I do it, but tend to get a rougher cut than a real welder would, so I prefer using a saw. However, you can cut with an arc welder and I've done it. Use a bigger rod than you would use to weld the size metal you're cutting, turn up the power a bit, and you'll burn a hole right through your material; just keep going and you're cutting. I don't know whether anyone can cut as cleanly and neatly as a good welder can do with the gas, but you can definitely cut something apart.

Bird