Got my **** back in the shop and started to work on the next REAL project. Enough restoring tools, time to make something.
I have a dire need for a rear blade for my John Deere 455 tractor but don't have one nor the funds to buy one. Most of the material I needed was on hand for it except some 2" square tubing that I have to pick up. I decided for multiple reasons, to use an existing 54" blade as the main component of it. This enables me to A, have it on hand, and B, have a potential for making these for others if I can keep the cost down and have it turn out nice enough that others will want one.
A lot of my time so far has been sitting staring at the computer trying to come up with a design that I like and can afford which will utilize as many pieces that I have kicking around as possible. Some of the material came from the same hoisting fork assembly that I used for my rear 3PH forks. Here's how it should look once done. Sorry for the 2D CAD, I couldn't be bothered modelling it in 3D.
I haven't drawn in the hydraulic cylinder for rotation or the upper link attachment yet. The blade is a regular JD 54" with everything stripped off so it is a bare weldment with cutting edge.
First thing to do was break out some material so I could get things a bit more manageable. I needed 6" of round tubing for the main pivot. These are some of the material donors.
The 6" long piece needed truing up on the lathe. While I was doing that, I had some material cutting on the bandsaw.
I had this old torch attachment that I made up many years ago for cutting circles. I had to also get out the "old" torch that it fit on.
There was a bit of cleanup required but they fit up nicely.
Sand blasted and ready for welding.
I picked up an old draw bar for a Cat 1 3PH a couple summers ago but it didn't work out. For some reason, it was only 20" across and needed to be 26". I had it sitting there so it gave itself to the job. Since the main tube is 3/8" wall, I figured I could weld the two pieces on either side of it and it would be plenty strong.
I've always like to use tapping plates for stuff like this. You make up a couple of mating plates, one with clearance holes and one with tapped holes and bolt them together. You can then place them and weld them on one component and the other will weld to the other side. The holes end up perfectly aligned and you don't have to drill in weird places.
And this is about as far as I got today. Not bad for a morning and afternoon's work I think. I'm pleased with it so far. Not even an inch of the 2x6x3/8 tubing went to waste.
