Ditch digger

[3RRL]

I like Skunks way of thinking too.
Build something that will give ... but not too wimpy. I think tree roots would shear or the box would jump over it. Mine does that all the time (both). I wouldn't make it so there is a ripper or a plow out there that could get seriously hooked. I'd make it like a box so the side of it would cause it to "jump" over a big root or rock.


Rob I thought you would have built one like that by now.
Tom, LOL ... you are still nuts I see. Now we get to see how nuts David is. I'm looking forward to it.
My box blade sticks out 6" per side so when tilted I can cut gutters with it.

David, I hope you don't mind me posting these photos in your thread?
They show the kind of gutter you could cut with your boxblade tilted. That is why I suggested making the extension much like the side of the boxblade, only extended out. Like what Skunk was trying to do by offsetting the boxblade mounts. The side wall will keep it from snagging.



That last picture shows a small gutter that I cut last Spring. It's made it's own improvement and keeps water off the road. Even a small gutter will turn into a good one once water starts flowing down it. Water will find the easiest path. The gutter will get cut deeper and wider by erosion. So what I'm saying is you don't really need to build something that will give you a giant gutter. More like something that fits your tractor but still gives water run off a place to go.

 

[sandman2234]

Don't ever sweat me getting upset at sidetracking a post. I sidetrack more of them than I can count. Plus pictures are always a welcome addition from you, 3RRl, as they are small compared to mine.
If my boxblade stuck out even close to the edge of my tire track, I would probably add an arm with a single scarifier on it to cut the roots, but it only six foot wide so it is a little short. I can change to my R-1 tires and it is a lot closer, but I would rather not have the added traction at this point for this job. (turning them around etc has been considered) I will probably build a complete digger for this project when I get off my lazy tush. Just remember it isn't my road, so the priority is a little lower since I don't have to drive off the asphalt to get to my home!
David from jax

Overgrown ditch is about a foot into the grass, and runs to that small tree just off the dirtroad. Not a problem to trench in the first area, but after that tree it gets almost impossible due to trees grown along the ditch.

 

[3RRL]

I understand your position and the neighbors probably not caring so it is a low priority. Anyway, I'd like to see what you come up with.
BTW, you do know those pictures are clickable thumbnails, right? Click on them to make them bigger...you probably already knew that.

 

[sandman2234]

Followed enough of your posts to have figured that out, but still haven't figured out how to click on mine to make thumbnails out of them.
David from jax

As long as the road is passible by my sister in law, I don't sweat it too much, but every now and then when I have the box blade on it, I run over it to knock down the high spots into low spots. The property on the left side is owned by my inlaws and as the road gets worse, the people driving down it just tend to get closer to that bank on the left, which errodes away causing more problems with the ditch filling in. I had a single disc plow that made one pass down that side, opening up the ditch to about 6" deep with a 16" diameter disc. Worked great, and I am sitting there talking with my S.I.L as we admired my work, and one of the people from further down the road decided that that new ditch was smoother than the road, so they put two tires in it and drove to the other end. That sand is smoother than the other side of the road, so it gets abused more.
David from jax

 

[mrcaptainbob]

How about an I-beam that would span the drive with some 'notch-makers' on each end? Something along the lines of a V shaped double plow blade that wouldn't be too aggresive depth-wise. The I-beam would knock the high spots, fill the lows, while the wings do their work. Of course, there's balancing it so it'll keep digging while being pulled. Skids may help control the depth as well as it's angle. If a crown is desired, notch the I-beam in a couple places to cause an arc and reweld. I use a smallish 12" I-beam 6' long to smooth things. Depending on the need, I sometimes add weight to it to help it dig in. THe front blade of the beam knocks the high spots, and the rear knocks the more difficult ones. Smoothing stuff after is accomplished by dragging a section of chain link with a few RR ties attached. THe chainlink is attached to the I-beam and it's all done in a pass. THe point to all this drivel is that I-beams are a great tool for applications like these....

 

[sandman2234]

Well, I might as well post these pictures, the results of which will need to be fixed prior to starting on the digger. I caught a cast iron valve cover that was buried 1/2" below grade, (but i knew was somewhere around there)on the starting end of the dirt road.
Ever thought about what happens when an immovable object stops a boxblade that has a 7,000 pound 65pto hp tractor pulling it? This is it, and I knew about the cover(5" diameter) so hit the clutch almost immediately. Happened a couple days ago, so the cracks are rusting. Could have been worse, as it could have bowed the cutting edge which would have been more trouble to fix.
David from jax

 

[sandman2234]

I removed the top link brace and the two ears that the pins fit in broke off when removing the pins. Question I have is, do I weld them back on, and put it back together, so that if I do this again, it will break at the same point, or should I put a piece of 1x3 flatbar next to the 1/2x3 and drill new holes in it? I have the 1x3 and welding the ears back on isn't a big deal, but do I want to add more strength to this and risk something else breaking in the future that is harder to fix, such as the back getting bowed that the cutting edge hooks to?
David from jax

 

[Defective]

do I want to add more strength to this and risk something else breaking in the future that is harder to fix

I think you've answered your own question.

I've broken 2 boxblades exactly the same way you broke yours. Welding the ears back on is a quick & simple job. Rebuilding the rest of the BB is a *****...

 

[schmism]

Id reweld and gusset.

you have a light duty BB behind a relitivly large tractor.... That combo is known to beat the h3ll out of the BB.

 

[sandman2234]

Guess if I ever get a the lift arms for my Ford, I am going to have to go shopping for a heavy duty bush hog. It has twenty more hp than the JD that tore this one up. This one is 509 pounds, which is a lot heavier than the last one I had. The other one I could tear up with my Ford 1100.
David from jax

 

[Renze]

I think you've answered your own question.

I've broken 2 boxblades exactly the same way you broke yours. Welding the ears back on is a quick & simple job. Rebuilding the rest of the BB is a *****...

My idea was to reinforce the rest of the box blade too, so i'd be having a box blade that is safe to use behind the size of tractor i have...

 

[sandman2234]

I said I would need to look for a heavy duty bush hog for the Ford, but I was thinking about something else while I was typing, and bush hog is what came out. I meant to say a heavy duty box blade.
David from jax
I am going to repair the one I have, but am not going to add much in the way of extra strength. It is too easy to fix this part, versus fixing something else that might be harder to fix.
David from jax

 

[sandman2234]

Here is a piece of rusty plate that I decided to use instead of trying to locate one the right size.It is one inch thick and I needed 3/4" x 2.5"

Here it is after I cut it down to size and drilled holes in it. I had forgotten just how much fun removing that much metal(and rust) can be!

Here is what I am headed for so that I can use my boxblade to reach deeper into that ditch to cut any small roots. Next step is to weld the two pieces together and hope they don't fall apart at the weld.


David from jax

 

[BTDT]

If your concerned about it breaking, you could fab up some more pieces to bolt to each side (from bottom hole on bottom piece, to bottom hole on top piece) for reinforcement. Or if you need all the holes on the top piece, drill another hole down a little lower. This would allow you to still be able to use the bottom holes at a later time by just removing the bolt on pieces. If you don't think you will use them at a later time, you could weld on the reinforcing. Good luck.

 

[sandman2234]

BTDT,
I considered that, but the square tubing that holds my scarifer has already been torn out on the back side, so I figure any addition reinforcements will probably just rip that out again. It is a pain to fix that problem. If I tear up the extended scarifer, it just means I will be out about $20 and a piece of 1" plate. I don't plan on loading it very hard, but there might be some big roots in it's path, so we will see.
Time to go fire up the welder.
David from jax

 

[3RRL]

David,
Looks to me like that will work. It is just an extension, but you'd be surprised how strong that can be even long like that. I'd still take it easy is you're worried about more damage to the boxblade.

Oh, btw, those clickable thumbnails you are using are great!

 

[sandman2234]

I haven't used it yet, still scared of what I am going to break!!
Thanks for the compliments about my current picture posting. I had a great teacher, no doubt!
David from jax

For those of you that don't realize it, 3RRL gave me some help with my picture posting.
David

 

[loulou61]

While out shrimping we pull a trawl off the side the boat . On the end of the boom pole we have a cable attached to the front of the boat to support the net. What if you were to run a cable from the end of your grader device to the front end of the tractor. ( perhaps to a nice piece of pipe extended from the front bumper out pass the front tire ) This cable or chain would take the pressure off the end of your scraping device and take pressure off your lift arms. Hope you can get the picture of what I'm describing. Just a thought , maybe it will click some new ideas.

 

[sandman2234]

LouLou61,
Someone mentioned that earlier, and I completely understand, and agree that a restaining device should be a part of this design. I haven't done it yet, but probably will as it is pretty easy to do.
I know the father in law of one of your local police officers in Gonzales. Good bunch of people around there!
David from jax

 

[sandman2234]

The cable attached to the front end may not work, as the scarifer is located right behind my rear tire, so any way of pulling on it directly from the front would require an offset, which would defeat it's purpose. Might be possible with some fancy paths, or duplicates from each side of the tire, but I may give it a shot from a different angle.
I spent an hour or so scratching my head, and playing with a tape measure while looking at it, and it isn't looking good. I may give it a run just to see how long it takes to bend it, lol.
Another idea I had to reinforce it, is to put a crossbar with a center pivot point attached to the rear of the drawbar. Have one side attach to the digging scarifer, and the other end to one or two scarifers, or something solid at that other end. That way, if the scarifer tries to bend backwards, it will have to pull one or both of the scarifers on the other end forward, causing twice the metal to have to be bent, for the digging scarifer to be bent. Make sense? What do you guys think?
David from jax