DIY Sander - Would this work?

HLHP · Feb 18, 2019

I have been thinking about a DIY sander on the back of our Toolcat. This would be for pure sand, probably somewhat wet. We are not allow to put any salt in our mix. This idea is to make the bed into a big "salt shaker" or actually a sand shaker in this case.

The main idea is to cut a 2"x12" (or larger) that would sit inside the bed and parallel to the rear gate. The board would be just in front of the gate. The 2"x12" would have large slots or holes in it that would disperse sand when the Toolcat's rear gate is opened and the hydraulic lift on the bed is raised. Jiggling the bed during lift and the driving would act a bit like a vibrator. I think that the bed lifts to 45 degrees and sanding uphill on our steep roads would help. We have roads that are 8% grade or more in our mountain community.

Has anyone ever tried this? Do you think this would work? I'm thinking 4 inch or larger slots/holes. The benefit of this approach for our Toolcat is that it would still fit in our very tight garage. A typical sander hanging off the back would not fit. Another benefit is that it would take advantage of the Toolcat's 1-ton hydraulic bed. With the right size holes/slots, I'm hopeful that the partially wet sand would come out, especially when going uphill.

One issue would probably be adjusting for the level of moisture in the sand. A similarly cut but shorter length 2"x12" directly against the main 2"x12" might allow us to adjust the width of the slots as needed in order to vary the size of the holes by sliding the shorter 2"x12" right or left to effectively widen or decrease the size of the slots. Boards that extend upward on the sides of the bed might also be needed to keep the sand from spilling out. If it works, we could add a plywood top for drier sand when plowing during a storm. If it fails, the cost would probably be less than $100.

Has anyone ever done this and made it work?

Here are a couple of diagrams that may help:

Spudgunner · Feb 18, 2019

I've been thinking about this myself; however, using pea gravel instead of sand for our implementation. The biggest problem I see is that the pile of sand will freeze solid. I think this would be a problem with pea gravel as well...although possibly to a lesser extent.

radios1 · Feb 18, 2019

Spudgunner said:
I've been thinking about this myself; however, using pea gravel instead of sand for our implementation. The biggest problem I see is that the pile of sand will freeze solid. I think this would be a problem with pea gravel as well...although possibly to a lesser extent.

that's another reason salt is added, but there are expensive alternatives available like potassium chloride and calcium chloride and others, the OP must live in a rich community if he's not allowed to use salt!.. you need something to melt the ice under the sand!..

ruffdog · Feb 18, 2019

I dunno... damp sand is so unpredictable and will quit flowing easily. The big trucks have a conveyor belt that feeds a broadcast wheel. For your idea to work I think you would have to have a vibrator shaking your boards.

DEWFPO · Feb 20, 2019

Trying to distribute wet anything in freezing temps is a non starter. You must use dry sand or pea gravel.

Dry sand works well for traction (think sand paper) on very thin ice, but if the ice is thick, as soon as the sun hits it, it melts into the ice and almost becomes useless.

Pea gravel works better on thicker ice but is much more expensive and you run the risk of damaging vehicle paint and glass.

I go out of my way to get dry sand and keep it that way.

DEWFPO

radios1 · Feb 20, 2019

ruffdog said:
I dunno... damp sand is so unpredictable and will quit flowing easily. The big trucks have a conveyor belt that feeds a broadcast wheel. For your idea to work I think you would have to have a vibrator shaking your boards.

they also mix in salt, which prevents the sand from freezing!..

fried1765 · Feb 21, 2019

HLHP said:
I have been thinking about a DIY sander on the back of our Toolcat. This would be for pure sand, probably somewhat wet. We are not allow to put any salt in our mix. This idea is to make the bed into a big "salt shaker" or actually a sand shaker in this case.

The main idea is to cut a 2"x12" (or larger) that would sit inside the bed and parallel to the rear gate. The board would be just in front of the gate. The 2"x12" would have large slots or holes in it that would disperse sand when the Toolcat's rear gate is opened and the hydraulic lift on the bed is raised. Jiggling the bed during lift and the driving would act a bit like a vibrator. I think that the bed lifts to 45 degrees and sanding uphill on our steep roads would help. We have roads that are 8% grade or more in our mountain community.

Has anyone ever tried this? Do you think this would work? I'm thinking 4 inch or larger slots/holes. The benefit of this approach for our Toolcat is that it would still fit in our very tight garage. A typical sander hanging off the back would not fit. Another benefit is that it would take advantage of the Toolcat's 1-ton hydraulic bed. With the right size holes/slots, I'm hopeful that the partially wet sand would come out, especially when going uphill.

One issue would probably be adjusting for the level of moisture in the sand. A similarly cut but shorter length 2"x12" directly against the main 2"x12" might allow us to adjust the width of the slots as needed in order to vary the size of the holes by sliding the shorter 2"x12" right or left to effectively widen or decrease the size of the slots. Boards that extend upward on the sides of the bed might also be needed to keep the sand from spilling out. If it works, we could add a plywood top for drier sand when plowing during a storm. If it fails, the cost would probably be less than $100.

Has anyone ever done this and made it work?

Here are a couple of diagrams that may help:

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