downsizingnow48
Elite Member
I recently installed a Top and Tilt setup, and am getting a lot more use out of my Bush Hog box blade. The manual scarifiers are the limiting factor in terms of utility and flexibility.
There is a Cammond model that uses manual scarifiers, but can also be got with either mechanical or hydraulic scarifiers. See Photo 1.
I decided to modify the Bush Hog along the same lines.
Photo 2. The brackets for raising and lowering the scarifiers are made from 1.5 x 4 x 3/16" tube. The middle bracket is also the bottom cylinder mount.
Photo 3. This shows how the brackets and gussets attach to the scarifier lifting beam.
Photo 4. The Bush Hog with pin retainers cut off and old welds sanded down.
Photo 5. Measuring for the top cylinder mount. The cylinder is 1x4 with retracted length of 10 inches.
The back brace was right in the way of everything, so I cut it out. Some Bush Hogs of this design do not have a back brace anyway. I am still thinking whether I should make a replacement brace.
Photo 6. Marking locations on the lifting beam to be sanded to fresh clean metal preparatory to welding.
Photo 7. Brackets clamped in place ready for tacking.
This next part was tricky at least for me. Over on the Welding Forum I asked for advice on how to weld the 5 brackets to the lifting beam so as to avoid warping the beam.
This method of lifting the scarifiers is inherently subject to binding. Several parts of the design have to be got right to avoid binding, and having a straight beam is one of them.
I got some really good guidance on how to end up with a straight beam, and followed it here.
First I checked the straightness of the beam (2 x 2 x 1/4"). One axis was straight, the other was bowed about 3/32" in the five foot length. So I marked that side as H for High, and made sure to tack the brackets on the high side. After tacking all five brackets, the bow went away, and the beam was perfectly straight. That gave me some idea how the beam would respond to the heat of full welds.
Photo 8. I clamped the ends of the beam to a heavier tube (4 x 4 x 3/16"). I put a piece of 1/8" strap in the middle and bent the beam down over it. This method was suggested by Shield Arc. Based on how the original 3/32" bow disappeared while tacking, I figured this "artificial" 1/8" bow would just about offset the first full bracket weld. This was guesswork but it turned out OK.
Then I welded the middle bracket and let it set for 40 minutes to completely cool.
Photo 9. When I unclamped the beam, it was perfectly straight, no sign of warp at all.
I had to stop then and get back here to Sacramento, so it will be a few days before I can return to the workshop and continue. I will use the same "clamp over 1/8" strap" method to weld the remaining four brackets.
There is a Cammond model that uses manual scarifiers, but can also be got with either mechanical or hydraulic scarifiers. See Photo 1.
I decided to modify the Bush Hog along the same lines.
Photo 2. The brackets for raising and lowering the scarifiers are made from 1.5 x 4 x 3/16" tube. The middle bracket is also the bottom cylinder mount.
Photo 3. This shows how the brackets and gussets attach to the scarifier lifting beam.
Photo 4. The Bush Hog with pin retainers cut off and old welds sanded down.
Photo 5. Measuring for the top cylinder mount. The cylinder is 1x4 with retracted length of 10 inches.
The back brace was right in the way of everything, so I cut it out. Some Bush Hogs of this design do not have a back brace anyway. I am still thinking whether I should make a replacement brace.
Photo 6. Marking locations on the lifting beam to be sanded to fresh clean metal preparatory to welding.
Photo 7. Brackets clamped in place ready for tacking.
This next part was tricky at least for me. Over on the Welding Forum I asked for advice on how to weld the 5 brackets to the lifting beam so as to avoid warping the beam.
This method of lifting the scarifiers is inherently subject to binding. Several parts of the design have to be got right to avoid binding, and having a straight beam is one of them.
I got some really good guidance on how to end up with a straight beam, and followed it here.
First I checked the straightness of the beam (2 x 2 x 1/4"). One axis was straight, the other was bowed about 3/32" in the five foot length. So I marked that side as H for High, and made sure to tack the brackets on the high side. After tacking all five brackets, the bow went away, and the beam was perfectly straight. That gave me some idea how the beam would respond to the heat of full welds.
Photo 8. I clamped the ends of the beam to a heavier tube (4 x 4 x 3/16"). I put a piece of 1/8" strap in the middle and bent the beam down over it. This method was suggested by Shield Arc. Based on how the original 3/32" bow disappeared while tacking, I figured this "artificial" 1/8" bow would just about offset the first full bracket weld. This was guesswork but it turned out OK.
Then I welded the middle bracket and let it set for 40 minutes to completely cool.
Photo 9. When I unclamped the beam, it was perfectly straight, no sign of warp at all.
I had to stop then and get back here to Sacramento, so it will be a few days before I can return to the workshop and continue. I will use the same "clamp over 1/8" strap" method to weld the remaining four brackets.
Attachments
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bracket.jpg2.5 MB · Views: 625
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hstopmount.jpg3.5 MB · Views: 591
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hspinretainerremoved.jpg3 MB · Views: 601
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hsgrindermarks.jpg3.1 MB · Views: 558
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hsclamps.jpg3.3 MB · Views: 954
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hsbent.jpg2.5 MB · Views: 895
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hslevel.jpg2.5 MB · Views: 563
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cammond.jpg87.4 KB · Views: 1,263
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hsbrackets.jpg2.8 MB · Views: 617