casting weights

[Soundguy]

while I'm waiting to get my ps on my 4600 fixed I'm going to address a light front end problem.

from previous load / unloading I can tell the front end gets light with that heavy 6' mower lifted, and while loading onto my deckover gooseneck... had the front end come up while laoding 2 times and had to steer with brakes. not fun when on ramps

checked the price of NH weights.. about 2.50$ per pound.. that's way crazy.

found barbell weights for about 88 cents a pound.. but that's still high.. can't find any heaper at yard sales.. etc.

so I am going to concrete cast some 3/4 round weights.. saw about 4" thick, and basically a circle with a 90- cut out..I'll cast in a carriage bolt into the concrete on one of the inner flats and then drill a coresponding hole on the HD 4" angle iron bumper. figure I will hang either 2 or 4 of them.. bumper has plenty of room, and there will be plenty of ground clearance. I'm using the bottom of an old animal waterer tub for the mould.. it's 4" deep and? 18 " diameter as I recall. I'll use 0 gauge wire left over from fencing to run in the oncrete. 15$ of concrete will make more than 4 weights. I'll probably load my front tires too.. I still have a gallon of non toxic rv antifreeze left over from loading some rears,, i'll stick 1/2 gallon in each front to keep it from freezing then fill the rest with water.. that should add some weight as well.

soundguy

 

[moored4]

They say you are not supposed to fill the front tires!

I did it on my old l245 bota! And cannot say it did anything other than weight down my front end. We got a lot of flat land that goes up and down (hills):laughing:

 

[Reg]

Interesting...
I read SOMEWHERE that concrete isn't very dense.
I could look it up, but I think it is only about twice as dense as water.
Anyway, for front end weights I think I would TRY to build them so that they fit over the front guard kinda like suitcase weights and (somehow) jigger things so that I could use the FEL to hoist them into position.

Now, the safety police are about to jump on this suggestion, because I am ALMOST encouraging you to suspend weight by the bucket and walk under the bucket.
I haven't thought out how to do any of this safely (yet) but if they're 100 or so pounds I would be looking for ways to NOT use my back - and right now I'm thinking it would be stooped over work to mount them.

PS Lightweight to normal is listed at 1750 to 2400 Kgm/m*3
I think I would dump as much junk chain into the mix as I could find (-:

 

[Soundguy]

no loader on mine.. and water inthe fronts is perfectly fine on a 2wd ford

concrete is decentlyt heavy when cured. I've cast weights before when money was tight.

all my rear weights are concrete.

 

[KennyG]

Interesting...
I read SOMEWHERE that concrete isn't very dense.
I could look it up, but I think it is only about twice as dense as water.

You're correct. Concrete averages 145 lbs/cubic foot, a little over twice water. (Steel approaches 500 lbs/cubic foot, lead over 700.) That said, water is pretty heavy anyway (think about weighted tires). As long as you don't mind the size of the weights, concrete is about as cost effective as you can get. 500 lbs will probably cost less than $30.

 

[Soundguy]

ditto that. I'l have just a few bucks into a few hundred #'s of weight.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

as to the chain comment. I do have some shorty junk pieces... could for sure cast them in too.

thanks for the idea.. I have them in the scrap pile as well as some torch cut odds n ends..

 

[Rio_Grande]

I have been grapling with this same issue. My International 574 needs more weight in the back but I already have 600 lb hanging off of the 3 point hitch. I dont like it because I cannot use any other 3 point attachment while using the loader. I was thinking while I had my rear wheels off last year for tire change that I would cast them in concrete. When I saw how heavy they were with the fluid in them I though it would be licked,, but I still lift the back wheels off the ground regulary. So I am back to the casting idea.

I can say from past experience definately make the fronts removable. Those skinny front tires really dig in when they get alot of weight on them. Every time I have stuck mine the front end dropped and the rear was spinning. When I take my loader off it is like a whole diffrent tractor.

I bought my 100 lb suitcase weights for about .50 lb paid about 50.00 each for them. that is what hangs off of the 3 point hitch on my tractor, while noisy they would be fine but i am trying to move cars with mine..

 

[Soundguy]

the front weights I'm making ( cast 1 this am ) have carriage bolt studs embeded so they will be easy to remove.

figure i will make 2-4 of them and see what that does for my front rising up when loading.

soundguy

 

[DAY]

If you have a scrap yard nearby, check out the price of steel. Bigger beams run 50-100 lbs a foot; I had a 6' section of railroad track that lived on a disc. They will burn it to size for a few bucks.

 

[Soundguy]

already tried that route.

only have 1 local steel yard and they do their own recycling, and the 2 local scrappers are renyolds recyclers and they won't sell any scrap.

steel ibeam in the weight / size i need for my application will cost nearly as musch as getting proper suitcase weights from nh.

can't afford either option.. however 2.40$ for a bag of concrete is pretty doable..

soundguy

 

[Reg]

You're correct. Concrete averages 145 lbs/cubic foot, a little over twice water. (Steel approaches 500 lbs/cubic foot, lead over 700.) That said, water is pretty heavy anyway (think about weighted tires). As long as you don't mind the size of the weights, concrete is about as cost effective as you can get. 500 lbs will probably cost less than $30.

OK, concrete certainly has a high "dollar density" as lbs/$.
I just hope we don't get into a discussion that leads to lead (-:
(As in "take a metal detector to your local gun club range and do some smelting in your basement")

Nice thing about that metric system; grams, kilos, ccs, liters & cubic meters - it becomes SO EASY to figger this stuff.

 

[Soundguy]

got one done, and another poured.. plus made a couple tarp corner holders.gonna make 4 bumper hangers.

soundguy

 

[slowzuki]

I've got a weight from an older tractor that was cast from lead. I think the lead was collected from tire shops, the used balance weights.

 

[moored4]

got one done, and another poured.. plus made a couple tarp corner holders.gonna make 4 bumper hangers.

soundguy

That's what i had pictured from your description! I hope your going to paint them Yellow with a face like that the old natindo game!:laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[Soundguy]

probably just gloss black to match the bumper..


soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

update.

got the weight done and hung

 

[BHD]

Maybe there not that heavy, but as an after thought, (since you all ready cast them),
if one would have had a loop of rod out the top of them one could use a engine hoist to hang them to hook them up, (just may save some toes),

looks good

 

[Soundguy]

hoist wouldn't work to well on my grass / dirt floor

I don't plan on removing them alot. they are on there to keep the front end planted. in any event, a floor jack will work, or lifting by the mount stud.. etc.

however.. if I make more, I may add alternate mounting points so they can bumper mount to thru-rods flat stacked.. etc.. would not hurt to add a chain handle to the top of each one using scrap proof coil. would add some extra weight too.. so I'l save your idea for the next batch I pour

thanks

soundguy