road grader/crowner ideas

[bucmeister]

Tig,

They protrude some. Not sure exactly how much though, would guess between 1/2"-1". I plan to build one myself, one of these days, and want to make it adjustable to compensate for blade wear and/or to change the aggressiveness. Figuring on using 1/2"x2" welded as a backstop on each side panel then put a lip over it to "capture" the pieces of 1/2" that each end of the big angle iron pieces are welded to then make the adjusting control out of some all-thread and jamb nuts.

 

[rutwad]

What do you guys plan to make the blades out of, and what angle will you set them at? I would love to build one.

 

[schmism]

From the pics ive seen they extend below the sides .75-1"

the blades are just the replaceable cutting edge from a box blade bolted to a backing plate. Again from the pics looks like a simple piece of heavy angle titled to the aproprate angle.

 

[bucmeister]

Rut,
As others have said, the commercial units have regular grader blades attached. The one I want to duplicate is based on using an 8 foot grader blade. With the angle of set the entire unit ends up just a bit narrower. The blades are angled from right to left and the left side was 20" behind the right. The angle iron used to make the blade base is 3"x5"x1/2" laid so that the blades bolt to the 3" face giving the strength of the 5" aspect to resist the bending forces. Side plates are usually 1/4" material. I was planning to use some of the left over 3x5 to make the hitch points and probably 4x4x1/4 square tubing for the two main beams.

 

[LetsRoll]

Rut,
As others have said, the commercial units have regular grader blades attached. The one I want to duplicate is based on using an 8 foot grader blade. With the angle of set the entire unit ends up just a bit narrower. The blades are angled from right to left and the left side was 20" behind the right. The angle iron used to make the blade base is 3"x5"x1/2" laid so that the blades bolt to the 3" face giving the strength of the 5" aspect to resist the bending forces. Side plates are usually 1/4" material. I was planning to use some of the left over 3x5 to make the hitch points and probably 4x4x1/4 square tubing for the two main beams.

Wow...8 foot is allot. Mine is 7 foot wide and sometimes, my 48 horse tractor starts spinning like crazy. Here is my road grader that I built. I copied it from the dura grader.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/74857-road-grader.html

 

[Renze]

I started manure spreading on a field behind the farm. Before i could start on the low (wet) field 3 km from home, it rained a lot this night so i have to wait before i can smooth out my (ehh.. the public) road.

I guess i'll just borrow my neighbors chisel cultivator to pull the surface into large chunks, coarse enough to level with the field drag, but still solid enough to prevent it from soaking up water if it rains again.

I m runnign out of time for building a dedicated road grader, but i was thinking, if i want to crown a road of 4 to 5 m wide, i need a crowner of 2 to 2,5 meter wide, otherwise my tractor wheels will run on both sides of the crown, with the crown underneath my tractor, making it difficult to crown.
The field drag is 3 meter (10 feet) wide, but who cares if there a crown or not, i just need to get the manure out before the field gets too wet again...

 

[bucmeister]

Well, I was looking at 8' for a couple of reasons. I have a JD5300 4WD w/FEL and I have my track set as wide as it will go which ends up being just under 8' so I wanted whatever I build to be able to get over to the edge of my road without having to put in a pile of offset to the hitch. With a unit cutting just a bit under 8' the hope is that a 6-8" of offset will gather up much of the "lost" gravel from years past, I just have to prune the overgrowth from the side of the road so I can drive there without to much "face slap". Recovering the gravel in the grass line is one of the features the guy I know that has a Roadmaster brand swears is the best thing about the style of unit with the angled twin blades. He says that with multiple passes they are able to recover much of the gravel lost over the years without adding a lot of dirt to the road bed.

When I had ordered my tractor I went with the optional next size up tires for the increased traction because I knew there would be times I would be pulling an old single offset heavy drag disc that weighs approx 2000lbs, which the 16.9x30 rears and 11.2x24 fronts loaded with H2O seems to handle well also the larger tires come in very handy negotiating through the hills, hollows, and inevitable washed out ruts on the hunt camp property we have.

 

[Renze]

The plan changed again:

I spoke to my neighbor, and he could tell me that the dirt roads are no longer maintained AT ALL !!! This was new municipal policy... They did grade the gravel road until the edge of the woods, at the edge of the woods the road continues as a dirt road, with a cyclists path going through the woods.

Now i know that i cant expect any value for my tax money at all in this matter, i think i do need a tool to crown roads. 20 years ago the municipality sold off their CAT grader to a local contractor for an apple and an egg. The last years they fooled around with a light drag and a front mounted blade, which pulls the front end of their JD 7610 over into the hedgerow as soon as the blade hits a horse poo....

I think i'll ask my mates at work if he can help me curving a grader blade on the brake press. I can work with mild steel for as long as it takes, and add a wear edge later.

This picture was linked to in another post:
http://www.beavervalleysupply.com/sectione/grademb2.jpg

Is a setup like this, really able to crown a road ? i mean, plough a 4 meter wide muddy ditch (a.k.a field road) into a road with a good crown and low ditch-like sides, or is it just something to maintain a crown, unlike a normal drag that would drag material off the slope over time ??

 

[montejw]

Is a setup like this, really able to crown a road ? i mean, plough a 4 meter wide muddy ditch (a.k.a field road) into a road with a good crown and low ditch-like sides, or is it just something to maintain a crown, unlike a normal drag that would drag material off the slope over time ??

I would think you'd be able to set a crown with it. I think that's why the blades are at an angle, it forces more material to one side of the drag. If nothing else, you could set a slight angle with the 3 point hitch to start the crown. That's what I did with my box blade. You work one side of the road at a time, and it does take several passes in the same direction, but you can work the crown in that way.

Monte

 

[LetsRoll]

The plan changed again:

I spoke to my neighbor, and he could tell me that the dirt roads are no longer maintained AT ALL !!! This was new municipal policy... They did grade the gravel road until the edge of the woods, at the edge of the woods the road continues as a dirt road, with a cyclists path going through the woods.

Now i know that i cant expect any value for my tax money at all in this matter, i think i do need a tool to crown roads. 20 years ago the municipality sold off their CAT grader to a local contractor for an apple and an egg. The last years they fooled around with a light drag and a front mounted blade, which pulls the front end of their JD 7610 over into the hedgerow as soon as the blade hits a horse poo....

I think i'll ask my mates at work if he can help me curving a grader blade on the brake press. I can work with mild steel for as long as it takes, and add a wear edge later.

This picture was linked to in another post:
http://www.beavervalleysupply.com/sectione/grademb2.jpg

Is a setup like this, really able to crown a road ? i mean, plough a 4 meter wide muddy ditch (a.k.a field road) into a road with a good crown and low ditch-like sides, or is it just something to maintain a crown, unlike a normal drag that would drag material off the slope over time ??

Renze
A straight blade grader will crown a road or driveway. You just have to drop or change the angle of the blades. There are so many factors that play a roll in maintaning a road. Speed of the implement, dirt content and moisture, just to name a few. I have a few pictures that will give you an idea of how a straight blade performs. I do mine by adjusting the side of the 3 pt link on my tractor. But since most people like a flat driveway, I just keep mine adjusted level so that the driveway is level when I finish grading. The use of these road graders are endless. My front blade (which is a hardened cutting edge, the back is hardened cutting edge as well) set's 3/4 inch below the sides and the angle of the angle iron that is welded to the sides, is set at 65 degree's. Then the cutting edge is bolted to the angle iron. The back blade sets level with the side and does not drop below the sides. I can change how aggressive the front blade cuts by adjusting the length of the top link. Shortening the top link will allow the front blade to cut real aggressive. Adjust the top link so that the whole graders sets level (front to back), it cuts real good and smooths out real nice (like in the pictures). Lengthen the top link will only allow the front blade to cut the high spots. But then the back blade will cut some, not much but some. More smoothing than cutting.

Before

After

Picture of my Road Grader