Drag grader Project

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I'm building a drag grader to pull behind my tractor for smoothing dirt roads.  This is the first heavy duty project I am attempting.  I've been welding (if you want to call it that for many years), but nothing this extensive.  Mostly maintenance welding.I'm using a Lincoln 175 mig.  Attached are pictures of the dry layup.  I still need to add gussets and bracing plus some additional cross members.I'd like to get your thoughts on the "structural" part of the project, gussets, bracing etc.Thanks. Attached Images
Reply:I don't see any real issues with your design orezok assuming the following:1) The near angle brace will be positioned the same as the far one (down to the side member)2) The hitch brackets will be attached to the square tube stack crossmemberDepending on how hard that driveway surface is, the cross angles may suffer but you don't say what size they are.  Look to be 2x2 or 3x3 at the most.I like your special cropping job on the photos.  Photoshop?MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Cross angles (cutters) are 4x4x3/8 and will be triangulated with a 1/4x6 plate.  The will be adjustable from flush to bottom of side plates to 1" below.Photos were cropped in PSE using a plug in by OnOne software.
Reply:Looks like pipe nipples on top of the side members.. For adding water/weight??
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyLooks like pipe nipples on top of the side members.. For adding water/weight??
Reply:Originally Posted by orezokThe side pans were made from the seats of an old school lunch table.  They're 10 ga so I'm having to do some additional gussets and weld plates, but they hold exactly 100# of water for additional weight.
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyGood deal. It'll work. Be nice if you could come up with some kind a wear material for the leading edges. Maybe some hard surfacing or check around for some old wore out cutting bars or something like that.
Reply:Originally Posted by gclampsnow plow edges work great and are cheap. (usually free).  Although a rolled up chain link fence works well also. So, all your drag stress is going to be placed on the (apprears to be) roughly 2" x 1/4" flatstock butt welded to another 2" x 1/4 piece of flat?
Reply:Originally Posted by orezokp.s.  I'm in the Mojave Desert.  What's a snow plow?
Reply:Originally Posted by orezokCross angles (cutters) are 4x4x3/8 and will be triangulated with a 1/4x6 plate.  The will be adjustable from flush to bottom of side plates to 1" below.
Reply:Originally Posted by orezokThe lower 3 point connection points (shown on the floor) are 1/2" material 4"x5".  They will weld to a flat plate of 3/8" material with some additional gussets top and bottom and then centered on the three 3x3x3/16" cross bars at the front.Guess I should have given some information on size.  The grader is 66" wide and 48" long.  Side pans are 10" high.  The complete unit will weigh about 450# dry, 550# wet.p.s.  I'm in the Mojave Desert.  What's a snow plow?
Reply:Originally Posted by SandySnow is frozen water that falls from the sky. A snow plow is what you have to have to survive in it. It's a white flakey blight that covers the yanks in the north east 362 days a year. The 3 days that they don't have snow, they play a game called baseball.
Reply:The other thing to engineer into it would be a way to angle it left to right.   Putting a camber on the road makes more difference in keeping the road in good conditon than antyhing.with out the camber standing water will make the road go to hell after the first rain storm.   bearing in mind your in the desert you still get rain a couple of times a year.  I found a 6"-8" crown works best for a 12' wide driveway.  Oh and keep the ditches good and clear for the water to drain off into.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:This would not be needed since it probably doesnt ever freeze where you are. We used to put used oil in some of our implements for weight. ZaneMillermatic 210Miller ThunderboltLincoln Weldpak100Jet BandsawHypertherm Powermax 451 Big Box of Bandaids !
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55I don't see any real issues with your design orezok assuming the following:1) The near angle brace will be positioned the same as the far one (down to the side member)2) The hitch brackets will be attached to the square tube stack crossmemberDepending on how hard that driveway surface is, the cross angles may suffer but you don't say what size they are.  Look to be 2x2 or 3x3 at the most.I like your special cropping job on the photos.  Photoshop?
Reply:You might want to think about angling the grader blades at angles mabe 10-15 degrees from perpendicular.  That is the way I have seen them done and the ones I have used. You will get a smoother grade less ripples in the road this way, as it won't try to "hop" on you.Last edited by minner; 02-04-2010 at 09:52 AM.
Reply:When building grading blade i always start with an hydralic cylinder mounted horzontally to allow for horizontal angle of blade in relation to the tractor, this  makes for a proper start when grading and a very easy way to crown a road.
Reply:I second the mention of using grader blades for cutting edges. Around here, they can usually be found quite used at the local municipal yard or highways yard. They are too worn for grader use, but in a custom app like this they are perfect. We usually pick up some every couple of years and use them for all kinds of non-critical work.Andrew