Scrap into Middle Buster plow

[paulharvey]

Let me start my saying be gental, I know its UGLY.

I wanted a middle buster plow, but they where ~$120 at TSC/ASC, so I started messing around with some scrap and my cheap CF 110 volt 50a/70a welder and some 3/32nd 6011. The A-Fram is made from 3/4" belt joint restraint bars left over from some Demo of a 12" water line at work. The Top link connection is made from 2 2"x2" square washers used with anchor bolts in wood framed buildings. The sides going back to the business end are made from ?16 gauge street sign posts. The metal going down to the actual plow is a 2"x6" piece of channel I found on the side of the road. The braces are made of #5 rebar, I didn't have those at first, and found that if i dug more than 3-4" in ground it would start to twist, bend, and prezzle, so I welded some braces in. The actual plow is made of a lawn mower blade cut in two, and welded to the 2"x6" channel.

Yes, the welds are butt ugly.

Yes, it really should have heavier gauge metal.

The lower arms are held in place with the 3/4" bolts, 1-1/2" round washers, used with the bell joint restraints.

Total cost, ~3# of 6011 rods.

I really wasn't going to post anything this ugly on forum, but after a discussion about 110 volt welders, I figured heck, why not.

It actually cuts a fairly nice, ~4-6" wide, 6" deep cut, and throws about a 3" windrow off to both sides in my sandy soils. Im no expert farmer, but im thinking thats about right for peanuts, as long as I only rake about 2-3" of cover back over the seed.

 

[LD1]

Whatever works.

At least if you break it, you aint out anything:thumbsup:

 

[Midniteoyl]

Whats all the red lines attached to it for?

 

[paulharvey]

I labeled the parts in "paint" but I think the text is too small to see.

 

[paulharvey]

I tried increasing the Font size on the labeled picture, see if this helps.

In background, the Kubota L285, and Ford 917L Flail mower.

 

[Midniteoyl]

...

 

[k0ua]

Somewhere is a street sign missing it's post.
but hey whatever works...

 

[creekbend]

Innovative. Wishing you the best. You can always devise a better solution later, if the need arises.

 

[paulharvey]

Believe it or not, our sign guy was cutting 22.5-24" off all the posts, so he wouldn't need to dig as deep of a hole, and I grabbed ~25 cut offs.

 

[k0ua]

Believe it or not, our sign guy was cutting 22.5-24" off all the posts, so he wouldn't need to dig as deep of a hole, and I grabbed ~25 cut offs.

hey that is a lot of good scrap!

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Outstanding......
By the looks, you have used it to the full depth of the shank to the braces.
If that is what you needed at the moment, great.

Like said, time to improve, innovate, remodel, rebuild later...

Good luck.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Outstanding......
By the looks, you have used it to the full depth of the shank to the braces.
If that is what you needed at the moment, great.

Like said, time to improve, innovate, remodel, rebuild later...

Good luck.

 

[paulharvey]

I think for my next attempt when I get the time ill build a tool bar for a hiller or row cultivator using some of what I learned on this. Just got to see what kind if materials I can turn up to work with. Rebar is easy to get, but the deformations make it difficult to work with. And dang, the price of new steel stock is out of this world.

 

[mx842]

Fantastic! Who cares if it don't look like something that came off the john deer assy line. People laugh and joke about some of my junk pile builds all the time but sometimes a man has to do what he has to do to get the desired work done. I still have people who don't believe I got that huge steel tower not to mention the 1700 lb beam sitting on top of it that is now inside my pole barn, all by myself and without the aid of any kind of tractor or crane. I got it done by using what scraps I had and a lot of trial and error.

Every time you drop that tool in the dirt and it plows a nice long straight row you can look back, marvel at the sight while feeling the extra change in your pockets but most of all you plowed it with something you built yourself out of stuff that would have otherwise been thrown out with the trash. Be proud my friend, be very proud!:drink:

 

[KennyG]

If it hasn't broken in six months or so, I would paint it and call it good. :thumbsup:

 

[paulharvey]

Bump. Just cause its slightly relates to another thread about voltage and wellders.