Pit Cart Project Started

[BUGTHUG]

Yes sir, its important to have a heated work area when its that cold. As I've gotten older, and health problems, I don't even go out when its below 45*. It ***** being holed up inside the house for several weeks at a time. I'm almost tempted to move to warmer area?

 

[Don Campbell]

Even a couple hours in the shop makes a big difference each day. I thought I would share my last grill . It was 40 years old and the bottom stand rusted out. I tweaked it a bit and was working great as a grill and a ride on toy, ha,ha. Til I hit it with the loader bucket under the snow , DANG ?? So it had to go to the trash finally. I also tweaked my old portable air compressor and used it as a ride on toy too My wife, grandson and I had fun . I had some old decals from a past model so I stuck them on the grill.

 

[Don Campbell]

Tri-Axle BBQ Pit Cart Progress- Today I did some fabricating on the back of the frame. That space will hold a extra 30 lb. LP tank and a bag of charcoal and a charcoal light starter can. I built the first fender too. Thinking about going 3 axles in the rear to be sure of weight restrictions ?? It's the middle of winter and I am still having fun in the shop . Usually I close it up for a few weeks. Tomorrow I will move to the front frame and steering start some fab work to mount the Komado smoker on the front.

 

[Don Campbell]

Cart Progress today I started mounting the Komato Grill on the front frame section. I'm trimming the legs and fabricating new supports to give it a more uniform smooth look along the bottom. The next step will be to scratch build a tie rod steering axle assembly.
I am very pleased so far how it is starting to look. It will be fun using it .

 

[Bears Fan]

That setup is a beast!!! When you get it done your going to have to have a Garage Journal BBQ

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks , yes , your choice of smoked ribs, grilled steaks or chops, or steak and cheese mushrooms and onion grinders on the flat grill, ha,ha.
Todays progress shows me working on the front axle spindles, the front axle tube, and the tie rod bars. You can also see my sketch of how I will build the T-handle / steering system. So far I am happy how it is going. I should get it all done by this weekend.

 

[Don Campbell]

Steering parts cut out, drilled and welded together today . Not pretty but looks like it is going to work just fine. Got to fine tune the tie rod bars tomorrow before the final welds.
Got the bracket also built for the T-handle .

 

[Don Campbell]

Todays progress shows the front axle and T-handle now attached. It rolls very nice. Next I will work on the two rear lift axles and get them attached. They are just sitting there and not attached. Should get that done tomorrow. Then a couple small front folding tables and it should be done . Then probably a little more chrome trim

 

[Don Campbell]

Getting real close to having the BBQ pit cart done. I am now building a overhead rack to hang a few things.

 

[Don Campbell]

Made good progress today on the overhead rack. I also built a narrow shelf for more goodies. I am going to really like this rack to put everything. This setup has a 20lb and a 30lb LP tank on board. Going to be so nice to have everything all together.

 

[matt_i]

Wow quite the build, looks like a lot of progress there! Do you envision using a tractor to pull this out for "work" or is it all on paved areas so you could pull it by hand?

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks , It is actually very light and very easy to move with the large tires. 99% of the moving will be on pavement. If I go in the grass it should pull pretty easy with the T-handle.

 

[Bears Fan]

Keep it up and your going to have to build a bigger garage

 

[BUGTHUG]

A garage with wheels under it!

 

[Don Campbell]

Ha, Ha, I had to be careful how tall the top rack was to get through my low shop door. I thought a few times over the years about buying a used enclosed car hauler trailer to build a mini workshop in until I got this shop built.
Today I pulled out the finished BBQ Pit Cart from the shop for the first time. It steered very nice and it pulled very easy. I am very happy how it all turned out. It fits very nice along one wall in my front garage. Not sure what I will putter on next week in the shop but tomorrow I will get it all cleaned up .

 

[taumac]

I step away and now you have new creation? Wow, it’s really great to see you posting and making stuff again. Great work as always.

 

[kbs2244]

I would be afraid to use it.
I would spend more time cleaning than cooking.

 

[BUGTHUG]

mighty fine

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks , it seems good to be back in the little workshop again. Here is the first photo of the new portable workbench pulled out of the workshop and in the driveway for the first time yesterday . It steers great and pulls very nice. I raised the work table a few inches and I love the taller work surface. I love the toolbox under it that I never had . It is full of nuts and bolts and screws , so much handier. In the spring I will hook all three pit carts together for a group photo.

 

[Bears Fan]

Your missing two things...a steering wheel and a 27 hp Kohler engine and maybe a snow plow blade, I could see you tooling around the neighborhood passing out grilled hot dogs to the local kids

 

[Don Campbell]

Ha, Ha , my little grandson would love doing that.

 

[Don Campbell]

Tomorrow I will get going on my next little workshop project. I've been wanting some side wings for my JD 54" snowblade. I want them easy on and easy off . I want them to be around 2ft long and the height of the plow. Not sure how much I will use them but something I have wanted for a while. I have the metal and some yellow paint in my shop so it will be a low cost project. Here is a photo of someones design that I liked. So I will build it on this idea . It doesn't have to be heavy duty for my little JD X-758 .

 

[quadrcr87]

Does your wife support this pit cart passion by taking the photos? I assume she does.

I noticed that in one of your pictures you had a Silver Lake shirt on. Do you take any toys out onto the dunes? I head out there several times a year.

 

[Don Campbell]

My wife is very good about taking photos and videos. She has taken hundreds of vidios and photos over the years. She is a great wife. I built several dunbuggies from scratch years ago and we even left a buggy at Silver Lake one summer. We went to the dunes for 10 years. We loved Silver Lake and still camp their each summer.

 

[Don Campbell]

This morning I marked out the lines on the metal and got busy with the plasma cutter. Got a nice start on the side wing parts . Adjustable skids done and bending the mounting brackets now. We get 80% powdery lake effect snow so I think these wings will work great moving much more of the fluffy stuff at a time.

 

[Don Campbell]

More progress today , I drilled the holes in the blade to attach the curved plates. I also now have the wings welded to the plates. Tomorrow I will cut out all the gussetts and get them all welded in place. Not spending very many hours a day in the shop with these very cold temps.

 

[Don Campbell]

Here is the next step showing the center braces now welded in place. Next I will cut out four 5" x 8" gussets for the top and bottom corners. Then a couple 1/2 inch braces along the edges. That should make it nice and sturdy but still not too heavy. I should get it done and painted tomorrow.

 

[Don Campbell]

Snowplow Wings- It's been several years since I built these folding wings for my 5000 series John Deere. They worked great for 18 years of doing snowplowing. The blade on the Waldon loader was a rear blade converted to a front blade converted to wings , then got a floor and roof and now been used as a light duty snow bucket for the last five years. These little wings should do the trick.

 

[matt_i]

I'm curious about the putty...does that keep water out of the welds?

 

[Don Campbell]

I've used auto body filler for 40 years and never had it crack or leak water in welds. I have been very happy how it has worked over the years.

 

[Don Campbell]

JD 54" Plow Wings- The wings are 20" long and 17" tall. I used them today for the first time and I absolutely LOVE them. What a day and night difference they made. The snow used to spill out both sides so bad and now I can carry 3 times the snow as before. Very happy with the easy mounting system too. My wife just downloaded two You-Tube Videos if anyone is interested ?? of me using the new wings. Nothing fancy but another fun little project. One week ago I had no idea of making them and now they are done and work great.

 

[Don Campbell]

Front bucket from a rear blade- Here is a project I built many years ago. I designed this rear hydraulic angle blade but never used it even one time. It sat for several years not being used. So I decided to junk the bad bucket on the Waldon and convert this rear blade into a front snow bucket. You can see the loader bucket was almost done in this photo . I just had to cut out the top piece of steel and weld it in place. You can still see the top beam where the blade swiveled. I cut it off . I have always puttered with things and always enjoyed it. Funny how this rear blade ended up and I am still using it. I also built three small trailers , two of them are in this photo. One has a hydraulic dump box.

 

[Don Campbell]

Woops ?? Here is the bucket during fabrication missing the top steel yet.

 

[Don Campbell]

JD 54" SNOW PLOW EXTENSIONS- I have thought about building extensions for my 54" snow blade to make it into a 70" plowing width. I have seen them on the internet and they work great. I would make them slide in a top and bottom tube for easy installation. Here are photos of the ones available on the internet. Also a photo of the extensions I built a couple years ago for my Steiner/Deere Project.

 

[Don Campbell]

Here are the extensions on the internet

 

[Don Campbell]

Garden Tractor Grader Blades- As I think about building more little blades in the future I thought I would share something. I have built over 15 blades over the years but here are some I still have that have never touched dirt or snow. They are packed in the back shed like sardines. Sometimes I think of selling them but I change my mind.

 

[Bob275]

You have the best toys!!!

 

[xtremek]

Looks good sir, as expected from a man of your talent.

 

[Don Campbell]

Thanks for the kind words !!

 

[Don Campbell]

JD 730 Narrow Front / Trip Loader- Here is another fun project I built , I built a old fashioned trip style loader for it because I had never seen anyone build one on a garden tractor . This loader also has never seen dirt or snow , ha,ha. It now has the loader removed and is packed in the back shed. It now has duel rear wheels on it . I have always loved duel wheels on tractors, ha,ha. My little grandson loves all of grandpas tractors. These little projects are perfect size to work on in my little workshop.