New Idea manure spreader floor

[CraigM]

I'm in the process of renovating a NI manure spreader. I don't think that the floor we removed was original. It was 1x8, but that meant that some of the boards had only one bolt though the middle. Leaves lots of room for cupping.

The hole spacing in the frame members that the floor bolts to is about 5-3/8" with a few extras at each end. The only lumber that makes sense to use that more or less fits the bolt spacing is 1x12, but that leaves about 3" beteween the bolts and the edges of the boards. Does anyone know what lumber they used?

 

[oldnslo]

Most of the spreaders i have used used tongue and groove lumber to allow for some expansion and contraction and also to seal better to keep from dripping.

Size i couldn't tell you for sure.

 

[DJ54]

Have you considered using poly lumber..?? Not sure of the length of your spreader, but a 5/4 X 6" X 8' T&G runs about $25.00. The initial cost is high, but I'd think, or hope, it would last as long as the rest of the spreader.

I bought a new Pequea spreader about 4 years ago with the poly floor, but it is not T&G.

 

[beenthere]

Are you limited to the 1" lumber thickness? If not, I'd go to a thicker decking board.
If yes (limited) then I'd look at SYP treated radius edge decking boards that are full 1" thickness.

And you can get self tapping screws to screw to the cross members (or drill more holes ).

If you go to the plastic decking, you may need to add more cross members as it is pretty flexible.

 

[CraigM]

I'm somewhat limited in thickness, but a full 1" would work. Much more and the drags won't get over the end of the deck. Self tapping screws are pretty much out unless button head so that the drags don't catch. They used carriage bolts to hold the floor down. I could drill more holes, but the thing came from the factory with this many. If I can find out how they did it, it will save quite a bit of work. I k now that 3/4" wood worked, I jsut can't figure what width they used to match that hole spacing. The deck we took off used 1x6, but with the hole spacing in the frame, some of them only had one bolt through near the edge and 2/3 of the board was free to cup and twist.

I don't think that the floor is supported enough to use poly wood. Besides, I think that this is the last floor that the spreader will ever need. I doubt that the rest of the machine will outlive the floor.

 

[beenthere]

Then seems treated radius edge decking that is 5 1/2" wide would fit your bolt hole spacing pretty near perfect. And will be full 1" and certainly outlast the machine.

 

[Barry Bowen]

I did several spreaders a few years back. I used #2 T&G YP roofers. Had to pick through the pile to get good ones. It is not an illusion, the spreader is wider at the back and narrower in the front. One or two boards will be cut on the angle depending on how you do it.

 

[art]

For the life of the spreader left, many makes just used pressure treated plywood originally.

 

[trac]

Cyprus is the best wood to use. It will last a very long time. The old wood silos were made of it. We took one down many years ago and used the lumber. Took it to a saw mill where they sawed it to widths we wanted. Sold what we didn't use. Better than any pressure treated lumber on the market today.

 

[3nickles]

There are companys that sell nylon dump truck liners and will sell you excacly the size you need in one piece .then just put wood as supports to match the bolt holes the hardest part is lining up th holes to bolt through both