Home Made Landscape Rake

   / Home Made Landscape Rake #41  
Great Job, on the rake.

What CAD program did you use to design this. I've been wanting to make one for a while now, just a scaled down version, about 50". Do mind sharing the cad files?
 
   / Home Made Landscape Rake
  • Thread Starter
#42  
The program I used was 3dmax, but I could convert the file to DXF that could be imported into any CADD program. Email me and I'll send it to you.
 
   / Home Made Landscape Rake #43  
Question: the main metal frame is that a solid piece of steel or is it a rectangle tubing of some kind?? Im trying to put together a material list of steel to get at the steel yard. Thanks
 
   / Home Made Landscape Rake
  • Thread Starter
#44  
The main horizontal member is 3"x5"x1/4" thick. The support members are 2"x2" and any steel that lift pins go through is 1/2" thick. I will do an exploded axonometric with dimensions for anyone who would like.
 
   / Home Made Landscape Rake
  • Thread Starter
#45  
sorry, 2 1/2" x 5"
 
   / Home Made Landscape Rake #46  
Beautiful job Mark. My rear scraper blade, made by IH, has exactly the same little tab made almost the same as your proposing. It does just what you're expecting it to. Except, mine does't have to be removed to turn my blade 180. Is your pivot bolt not in the center, otherwise I don't see why you'd have to pull your's off to turn the blade. Not sure you really need any kind of grease zerk. It's not like that thing is going to be spinning around. Grease it up once when you put it together and it's probably good for 10 years. Anyway, very nice job!
 
   / Home Made Landscape Rake #47  
I really like this rake and will build one ASAP.
I can't really see any reason to drill 2 holes per tine vs just welding them on the cross member. It looks like easy access for a grinder to break the welds of broken tines and no worry of rotation with them securly welded inplace. However, I've never used a rake so possibly these tines break all the time and then it would make sense to have them bolt on.
Any input?
Thanks,
Ross
 
   / Home Made Landscape Rake
  • Thread Starter
#48  
Having put this rake through the test, the blades do rotate. I'm either going to weld a 1" piece of steel between each tine or weld the tines to the cross member. Less labor in welding them directly, and you're right that it would be easy enough to grind the welds off if one breaks. Depends on how my weekend looks. As far as breaking the tines, I don't think that will happen that often (I could be wrong). I've seen the tines get caught on roots and such and bend a way back. They just spring right back to shape.
 
   / Home Made Landscape Rake #49  
I'm neither a good welder nor a metallurgist, but I've seen some discussions about welding spring steel, and I assume the tines must be something like spring steel. Maybe someone who knows more about this could chime in - I'd hate to see the tines break more easily because they are welded...
 
   / Home Made Landscape Rake #50  
Don mentioned problem about spring steel welding. It is usually heat hardened. If your tines are hardened, i suggest you use CHROMIUM electrodes. They are usually for DC, but you can find it for AC. I have good experience using this method.

Z
 
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