Yet Another Box Blade Question

[Harv]

Okay, I can now add a few visuals to the discusson. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I examined my box blade closely, hoping to find a hidden locking mechanism for the hinged rear blade. No such luck. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif I then tried to figure out a quick 'n' dirty way to create a lock of my own. Still being welder-challenged, I looked for a way to achieve a lock-down by maybe drilling and bolting, but I just plain didn't see any good way to do that, either.

The attached picture shows the rear blade in its natural position, half-raised and then raised up and out of the way entirely. If anybody out there sees a nifty way to lock that rear flapper down solid, I'd be most anxious to hear from you. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Harv]

The attached picture here shows the path in its current state. The lower picture shows more clearly the type of "soil" I'm working with. You can see that I've already pretty much smoothed out the entire area, but laying down that elusive mirror finish through the rock-strewn surface is where the challenge lies. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Harv]

This final picture was taken on Sunday when my official path tester (Mom) finally felt well enough to give 'er a try. She's not quite sure who I am any more, but she appreciates what I've done to her front yard. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Von]

Harv,
How about three holes, one under each hinge about 2". You could use bolts to hold it down if you can get to the other side. If not, have someone weld post onto the back and have them slide thru the holes in the hinged blade, and use snap pins to hold it shut. You just will have to move that mig welder up a few notches on your "want list"!!!

 

[RobS]

Harv, as always nice pics. The one with you and your mom is especially good since it shows the real value of the tractor /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Regarding your hinged blade... unless you are really sold on having the hinged option you might just want to consider trading/selling for an entirely different scraper. Might be cheaper in the long run plus it would allow you more time at the implement dealers /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[GlueGuy]

Nice shots Harv.

One thought that would not require any welding would be to drill 3 (or 4?) holes through the hinged blade where it butts the back of the front blade. You could then put pins or bolts through to hold it down.

This is not optimal, as I don't know what the affects of putting holes through the blades would do to their strength. Probably not much though....

There doesn't appear to be enough material behind the blades to make a way to pin them down. Only way I see there is to add a tab to the back so that you could create a hold-down.

The GlueGuy

 

[Knight9]

Hi Harv,

I'll qualify this by saying I'm a "metal" newbee....haven't done anything with anything /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif....but what about running some sort of metal rod/tube across the whole back of the boxblade behind the swinging blade. This would prevent it from swinging out. The rod could be pinned to some sort of clip bolted to the two sides of the box. This would allow you to remove the pins and the crossbar allowing the rear blade to swing free if you desired.

Not sure if that made sense...but the picture in my mind is really clear /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.

Kevin

 

[mlmartin]

Thanks for posting the picture. I had been wondering what value a hinged rear blade would have. Seeing that the blade hinges completely out of the way it would help when grading down a steep slope. With my fixed rear blade I find that I have to grade going upslope to get a good finish and put the material where I want it.

If you want to fix that blade without welding consider using a 3/4 inch bolt per foot with thick fender washers against the blade and the back of the box (if the bolt heads won't interfere with front blade).

I can see why you didn't want to buy material to make smoothing that path easier. I spent $1200 on stone dust for my new paddock and the ramp from the paddock to the pasture. The gravel fill under it was too loose and too stony for my wifes view of horses needs. It looks like you would have needed far more than the 100 tons I bought to do the same thing for that path.

Matthew

 

[Richard]

Sweet looking lady there! You must favor your father /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Seriously though, is that a "Chalkley Patch" on your right pants leg??

I like the concept. Can use it myself.

Richard

 

[glennmac]

Having the least amount of actual boxblade experience of anyone in the known universe, I will offer my most recent hypothesis. If you have all those little rocks mixed uniformly into your top layer of dirt, then maybe you simply can't get a mirror smooth surface. No matter what you do, you essentially will always be re-churning the same rock-soil mixture, and hence no technique is going to make those rocks go away. The only way to smooth would be to lay rockless soil on top.

The additional benefit of swallowing my hypothesis is that you can lay claim to having a superb implement and superb technique, and legitimately blame the mirrorless surface on Mother Nature.

As opposed to Mother Crisler, who looks good and who I am sure much appreciates your visits and efforts.