Quick fix back blade repair

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It has been real cold, minus 18 F here on saturday morning, and we have about a foot and a half of snow on the ground. My buddy/neighbor has a tractor with a back blade that usually plows my driveway out, so when he managed to bend the blade half way around the turret, I felt obligated to lend a hand...I didn't take any "before" pics, so you will just have to imagine how bad it was bent. The first couple shots show the kink in the plate after he reversed into an immovable object to straighten it up. All I did was add a pseudo truss to it in hopes of making it thru the season. I told him I was not ready to put my name on it, and the only guarantee I'll give him is that if he breaks it, I'll fix it again.I did watch him reverse the machine full power into a snow bank after the fix, and it survived, so It will probably make it till spring.I hope...The strap I added is 1/2" by 2" and is located by just the one tab halfway across the span.The pictured weld is the second pass, a cap weave  of 1/8" 7018 DCEP @ 120 amps uphill.I did not take a pic of it, but the cutting edge is snapped in two. All the plow bolts are still ok, so I did not even touch it. Attached Images
Reply:does the cold weather require more amps?, those are some decent looking vertical welds, especially considering the conditions. I spent Christmas in the snow, my hats off to you guys, I couldn't hack it those conditionsneighbors here in So Cal aren't so neighborlyLast edited by eyeball engineer; 01-18-2009 at 07:01 PM.Reason: add
Reply:eyeball, I didn't really change the current setting because of the cold, but I did take the oxy torch across the weld areas to burn off the moisture, and the straps were hot from cutting them to length. I should add that air temps today were much warmer, around freezing. Almost a fifty degree swing since sat. am.As far as being neighborly, what goes around comes around.
Reply:Originally Posted by daddyeyeball, I didn't really change the current setting because of the cold, but I did take the oxy torch across the weld areas to burn off the moisture, and the straps were hot from cutting them to length. I should add that air temps today were much warmer, around freezing. Almost a fifty degree swing since sat. am.As far as being neighborly, what goes around comes around.
Reply:He couldn't ask for a better job matching the repair to the equipment that failed.  It blends in and looks like original fixturing.  .Not every repair has to look like a Rembrandt.
Reply:Looks good to me man.  Side question, what is the deal with the YJ in the background??????Come try it out and stay a while.
Reply:Originally Posted by rustywranglerLooks good to me man.  Side question, what is the deal with the YJ in the background??????
Reply:I would have solved that problem a completely different way. Well, actually, I did.I moved from Denver, CO to Yuma, AZ.Never looked back. You guys can keep that white crap. I never want to do that again!Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Nice fixYa gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:Why wouldn't you have used a pice of angle instead of strapping?  The strapping doesn't stiffen the blade nearly as much as if you would have rotated it 90°.
Reply:Originally Posted by daddyIt is about 2 or 3 places back on the projects list. Possibly more if you count smaller ones.I've owned it since '95 I think. It is a '93 that currently has rear end damage and is not inspected. I used to wheel it alot. It has a 2 1/2" old man emu lift with rancho shocks. I'd usually disconnect the track bars, front and rear, and tie them up for off road. The anti sway bar was permanantly removed sometime after I put the lift on it. It has no other mods, but has been through some pretty wild stuff. My wife was buggin' me over the summer that she wants the jeep back. I'll get to it eventually....  I miss it too. The '95 Cherokee that I have for a spare ride just isn't as much fun.
Reply:Man that thing looks like it was folded in half, nice job. Originally Posted by familyxjIt was warm here in AZ today. Almost 75 still.....
Reply:Appreciate the comments guys.Rusty, I remember your project post, you have a great deal of patience to fix all that rust. You're a better man than I.Wannabe, I see why you would suggest making a tee, but if you look closely at the first pic of the failure, the general stiffness of the blade isn't the problem. It is the area where the blade meets the "turret" that couldn't handle the abuse. The blade bent as if it was on a hinge.  If I would have tee'd the strap on to the back of the blade, I would have needed a much wider strap, and had to cope it to fit the turret. I made the triangle to strengthen/support the end of the blade, and eliminate its ability to have leverage. The big weakness that my fix has is that most of the force that the strap will see is compression, and the only thing keeping it from turning into a noodle is the one lonely tab that I put in the middle. If I had made a tee on the strap, or used a piece of tubing or pipe it would be much stronger.It's funny how the decision making process changes when you have to lay in the snow to workI did drink a beer and ponder the fix before proceeding, and we took at least one break to come up to the house and do some shots of some apple flavored stuff that he had. Real sour, but went down ok.If I was going to do a "proper" repair on this blade, I think I would have tossed it towards the scrap pile, and started over.
Reply:Hey I think ya did fine, when the snows piled up any old fix will do that keeps ya shoving it! I've got one old blade in my scrap pile I've been thinking about repairing, but picked up another at a local farm auction a few years ago and just haven't needed the other one. My youngest daughter is talking about learning to weld, might be just the thing!Rob H.
Reply:Its an old thread, but your neighbors must be related to the farmers around here!"Ram into it at Full speed"I just posted about straightening a blade.Notice how the 3 point hitch is missing off from the one I am repairing.He broke that off!