3 Point Manure Rake

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I swear on a stack of Bibles that I'll keep this job unified in one threadCan't make an omlette unless ya break some eggs, and you gotta have some eggs to break firstQuick trip to my steel/welding supply house.  MmmmmmmIt's a great place to deal with.  Full stock on everything I need always.  Full sticks cut to length for transport at no extra charge.  (I have full sticks cut down to 12's and 8's).  And, most important, a great crew of dudes to deal with.  AND DUANE.....IT'S LINCOLN COUNTRY, NOT A BLUE MAGOO IN SIGHTShear work, and press brake work starts with a $20 minimum for up to 20 minutes or so.  Most shearing is free if you buy the sheet metal from the yard.  I believe they can shear up to 1/4" plate, depending on the ambient temp (it's an old machine, and it works better at higher temps, but puts out more pressure at lower temps)This job is gonna require mostly 3x3, 3/16 wall, square tubing.I only need maybe a little over 1 stick, but the price has come down so much that I picked up a half dozen.  We're down to $60/stick on this stuff, whick works out to 50 cents a pound.As usual, I spend too much time standing around talking to the guys up front, and in the warehouse  So the quick trip went out the windowThe fitup starts in the morning(the dudes were camera shy ) Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Cool project.  I am working on 3 point hitch mounted project, as well.  Mine is a drag bar to cover seeds after spreading in food plots.
Reply:Are you making it out of a big tire cut in half like the dairy farmers use around here?I made one several years ago for a friend of mine to drag potato sludge around so he could load it into a Knight spreader. The sludge came from a potato chip factory, it was their process water that went out into a settling pond that was dipped out once or twice a week. It would be full of potato pealings, bad potatoes, corn from corn chips, starchey water. They would pay him to take it, close to $400 a load with 2 to 6 loads a week. Paid off his little farm in two years. Talk about STINK.G3miller... 225g, s32p, 250x, 304, 12vs, MSW41     victor o/a thermal dynamics cutmaster 50 lenco panel spotter        hobart hf-boxG3 Farms.....raising cattle, hay, kids and hell, ...oh yeah I'm a fire sprinkler contractor by trade.
Reply:Originally Posted by G3farmsAre you making it out of a big tire cut in half like the dairy farmers use around here?I made one several years ago for a friend of mine to drag potato sludge around so he could load it into a Knight spreader. The sludge came from a potato chip factory, it was their process water that went out into a settling pond that was dipped out once or twice a week. It would be full of potato pealings, bad potatoes, corn from corn chips, starchey water. They would pay him to take it, close to $400 a load with 2 to 6 loads a week. Paid off his little farm in two years. Talk about STINK.G3
Reply:Found the pics.This mess builds up around a feeder thru the Winter, and in this case.........also the Summer.........it's been wet here lately.  And I got them in drylot because I'm rebuilding a lot of fence.The pics speak for themselvesBTW  Stalled the tractor the night before trying to get it out of this mess, and walked back to the house and figured to get a fresh start in the morning.  WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS............WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED, I LEFT THE KEY ON  STUCK IN THE MORNING WITH DEAD BATTERIES  Ah, whatta lifeInteresting thing.........  Think the tractor got buried??  Well, think about how my skinny lil' ol' legs got buried steppin' offa the tractorTalkin' about bein' azz deep in sh!t Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Farmersamm:  You need a HOE!Not THAT kind of Ho.  I said Hoe!  Like this:Ya gotta keep yer distance!  This one has 27 feet of reach!  That means 27 feet of PUT in the other direction, too!Member, AWSLincoln ProMIG 140Lincoln AC TombstoneCraftsman Lathe 12 x 24 c1935Atlas MFC Horizontal MillCraftsman Commercial Lathe 12 x 36 c1970- - - I'll just keep on keepin' on.
Reply:Originally Posted by MondoFarmersamm:  You need a HOE!Not THAT kind of Ho.  I said Hoe!  Like this:Ya gotta keep yer distance!  This one has 27 feet of reach!  That means 27 feet of PUT in the other direction, too!
Reply:I see you still haven't removed those texas mud flaps   I still call it a gradeall, but I'm not sure if I'm "they"MikeConstans Fides et IntegritasLincoln Weldanpower 150 ACAirco Aircomatic MIGet CAV II w/ spoolgunMillermatic 30a wirefeeder
Reply:Sam, is that the place over on Eastern? I think its Eastern, haven't been there in awhile. If so, great place to buy steel & friendly people too!Last edited by The Flash; 10-06-2009 at 07:26 PM.Reason: forgot something!Flashhttp://flashracecarbodies.com
Reply:Samm, did you try to push out with the bale spike?When I get something with a bucket on it stuck, I try to travel back while using the front end to knife in and curl the machine back out. You might hurt the spike, but with  a bucket it usually works.Just a thought... not sure if you had ever tried that trick.
Reply:Was sort of nice to get back to messing up metal againGot a little bit done today.These are the components for the 3 point hitch.5/32 7018 AC  175amps.  I can't see firing up a portable welder in the yard for most things, so it's the crackerbox as usual.  I'm limited to 125DC on it, and have to run 7018AC in larger dia. rods.I'm usually pleased with the AC rods (Lincoln), and don't understand why some folks hate them.  They're a great alternative for low powered machines which have a good AC side.I like the larger 5/32 rod when working with heavier plate.  I can really put the heat to the metal  The plate is 1/2", and the tubing is 3/16.  The heat was directed into the plate, and allowed to wash the metal up onto the thinner tubing.It's tempting to manipulate the rod, BUT I'M HOLDIN' IN THERE  It's very temptingThe rain started as I finished takin' the pics.  Clarence decided to quit posing, and headed for drier digs.  Fair weather dog Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Samm, I works for an implement manufacturer and I grew up on a cattle farm. I know a good implement when I see one and what you got there is good stuff. Purdy welds too.Ranger 250 GXTSmith Gas Axe
Reply:I concur... looking good so far!  Just be careful in those damp conditions... especially with AC.  It's been pretty moist around here the past few days too.Work HARDER, not smarter! ------------------------ Miller Bobcat 250Millermatic 251Lincoln Precision TIG 185Hypertherm PM 600Hobart 135 HandlerOxweld 400 FlameMaster
Reply:Looking good..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:FarmerSamm I m jealous I wished I had every ounce of that  muck in my compost windrows.    Im interested in the boom on the back of the Oliver, ist ir factory or shop made and can you tell me more about it.   I like to see the older tractors still makin a living for the owners.      I just missed a nice old Gradall neighbor sold it to  a scrapper for 850.   Such a shame to had 5 buckets and extensions.   On the rake I saw a similar rig built downsouth   It was a  scissor lift with a blade made from a piece of 24 inch pipe in half to make a real agressive mouldbourd. then it had 8   six inch long ripper teeeth to ripp up the straw up to the mold board   so they could drag it up into windrows.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammDo they still call them Gradeall's?  Haven't seen one in years
Reply:Added gussets to the lift arm brackets, and set everything up for tacking tomorrow.Strange day, seemed to use up a lot of hours with very little progress, about 3hrs to get to this point.  Blame it on the gloomy day I guessNo need for coffee though.  Just kneel in the mud and put a rod in the holder with damp gloves.  HELLOvery strange, weird day, very weird.  Wasn't very happy with the work.  Maybe just sunshine deprived   Maybe need to move to SoCal  The land of Happy Cows Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Progress is looking good bud!Can we get some pics of the setup in the back holding your Lincoln Ranger? Is it some kind of skid or something?-adamBeer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy!
Reply:Originally Posted by taylorlambertFarmerSamm I m jealous I wished I had every ounce of that  muck in my compost windrows.    Im interested in the boom on the back of the Oliver, ist ir factory or shop made and can you tell me more about it.   I like to see the older tractors still makin a living for the owners.      I just missed a nice old Gradall neighbor sold it to  a scrapper for 850.   Such a shame to had 5 buckets and extensions.   On the rake I saw a similar rig built downsouth   It was a  scissor lift with a blade made from a piece of 24 inch pipe in half to make a real agressive mouldbourd. then it had 8   six inch long ripper teeeth to ripp up the straw up to the mold board   so they could drag it up into windrows.
Reply:With all this work I'm guessing you can't just move your feeders? We normally try to feed in a place with poor soil until it's too mucky and then move to another place, after a couple years the soil is much better.HH 187Miller Bluestar1EAHP AlphaTig 200X
Reply:What a difference a day makes  A beautiful sunny day, and I could do no wrong(well, in a Sam sorta way)  I can see under the hood better on a sunny day.  Cloudy days tend to make the arc flare too intense to see good  I have the same trouble at night.Things moved at a rapid pace today, well that's a relative termThe frame is finished except for the upright post on the 3pt hitch, and one brace.Switched back to DC current, and Excalibur, today.  It's all 1/8 rod from here out, no more heavy plate, or inside corners that can cause arc blow.  Amps were 115 and 125.  Nicer looking bead at 115.  At 125 the puddle becomes a little unstable, and tends to move differently.  I still opted to do the work at 125 amps to make sure I have good penetration.  If I can't see the backside of the steel, as with the blind joints in tubing, I would rather run hot just to make sure.  And, of course, this would vary from machine to machine, and thickness of the metal, it's not set in stone.Pic One, and Pic Two............115ampsPic Three, and Pic Four........125amps Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Oh yeah, THE FRAMEA note on the gussets on the lift arm pin brackets..........  I imagine I will be adding these to a good deal of my implements from here on out.  The tree bucking dealy I built over the Winter showed signs of stress and bending at the pin bracket.  These simple 3/16 gussets will eliminate the problemI would imagine most implements would not have this problem, but the tree piling/pushing/bucking thingy is operated to the point of the tractor losing traction.  I push against the pile until the wheels spin on occassion.  About 10000lbs of tractor vs. 1/2" plate Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:sorry sam, id take the 115A ones every timeG
Reply:Originally Posted by gordfrasersorry sam, id take the 115A ones every time
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammOh yeah, THE FRAMEA note on the gussets on the lift arm pin brackets..........  I imagine I will be adding these to a good deal of my implements from here on out.  The tree bucking dealy I built over the Winter showed signs of stress and bending at the pin bracket.  These simple 3/16 gussets will eliminate the problemI would imagine most implements would not have this problem, but the tree piling/pushing/bucking thingy is operated to the point of the tractor losing traction.  I push against the pile until the wheels spin on occassion.  About 10000lbs of tractor vs. 1/2" plateNot to highjack the thread but they are still referred to as a Gradall in the excavation industry.  Gradall is also the most common manufacture of those machines which is where they picked up the name.
Reply:Originally Posted by allengradingNot to highjack the thread but they are still referred to as a Gradall in the excavation industry.  Gradall is also the most common manufacture of those machines which is where they picked up the name.
Reply:Hey samm are those Category 3 lift pins?Ranger 250 GXTSmith Gas Axe
Reply:Rain broght everything to a halt. Got back on it the other day.Some very nice fitup work, and the ensuing welds.Huge rod manipulation involved. Joining 3/16 material to 11ga material.  Trying to control the heat without the whole mess droping through the bottom.  Raise hell all ya want, but this method has worked for years with no inclusions.First the fitup.Cut the birdsmouth first.  Find a correct angle, and use a bevel to copy it, them mark the steel, being very careful to transfer the lines correctly to the other side of the tubing.  The bevel, and your eyes, are your best friendAfter you've establihed a good cut that fits, lay out the plumb line, and cut it. Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Now for the hot glueI get tired of getting slammed for the flat welds that join thin edges with full profiles when it comes to tubing.  It takes huge rod manipulation to keep the puddle hot, and at the same time keeping it from burning through on the thin edge, and maintaining a flat weld between edge and shoulder.  The welds are full penetration welds with a huge root opening. Nuff said.  Easy with MIG, a bit harder with stick. Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Different project, same welding method, but with a partial grindout to fit other piecesYa see any inclusions?  NopeI will maintain, to my dying day, that a horseshoe weave, keeping the temp up in the puddle, is a valid way to fill wide gaps in one pass.  Fast passes across the middle, coupled with slow travel will keep the heat up, and burn out any slag. Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Anyhoo, i'm fairly pleased with the way it welded up."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Looking good. I'd have been happy with that, too."One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don't get as much government as we pay for." (Charles Kettering)Mitch 180 (NZ)Lincoln SAM-400-220 + ?-400 Fordson Major + 2 x Tractapac Humber 80 + Procut 40 PlasmaMiller Spectrum 375
Reply:Some little progress, too windy to weld unless you wanna get up and personal with the volunteer fire department.  (you receive a 600 dollar invoice if they have to pay you a visit)The business end of the implement is gonna undergo quite a bit of welding.  Teeth, braces, etc.To balance the heat, and prevent the banana effect, a baseplate, and strongback has been added to the top of the tubing.  It's a down and dirty way to prevent mega distortion.  Pre stressing would be nice, but it's a gamble, and you don't know how far to bend the tube, and it's a little dicey playing around with 20 ton jacks and chains etc.  Post weld flame straightening would be a PITA.All of this has been tacked in place.  It hasn't been finish welded.  The idea is to weld on the bottom of the tubing, and top of the tubing simultaneously.  Thus balancing the heat, and beating the distortion.  The strongback, and the plate it rests on, offers no real needed strength to the structure.  As welds are applied to the teeth, they will also be applied to the strongback and baseplate.  BE THE BALANCEThe strongback was clamped to a piece of angle iron, and the tubing.  The angle iron trued the plate.  1/4" plate is a bit squirrely  Tacks on one side, let it cool, then tacks on other side.  A few love taps with a hammer, and it's plumb/square.  Welds on alternate sides will keep it true during the final weld up.  Still toying with the idea of a few gussets to prevent local buckling of the strongback (ie, holding it to true vertical during the welding process).  Y'all might laugh, but the pulling forces will be measured in tons during welding.Beers were served after the event Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:BTW........ the two small pieces of metal along the face of the tubing are straightening devices.  Rather than use a rosebud to straighten the distortion front/back.  The tabs were welded to the tubing to provide shrinkage on the opposite side of the main welded joints.  Not pretty, but easy.  This baby is gonna be knee deep in sh!t, not cruisin' main street."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammBTW........ the two small pieces of metal along the face of the tubing are straightening devices.  Rather than use a rosebud to straighten the distortion front/back.  The tabs were welded to the tubing to provide shrinkage on the opposite side of the main welded joints.  Not pretty, but easy.  This baby is gonna be knee deep in sh!t, not cruisin' main street.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammWhat a difference a day makes  A beautiful sunny day, and I could do no wrong(well, in a Sam sorta way)  I can see under the hood better on a sunny day.  Cloudy days tend to make the arc flare too intense to see good  I have the same trouble at night.Things moved at a rapid pace today, well that's a relative termThe frame is finished except for the upright post on the 3pt hitch, and one brace.Switched back to DC current, and Excalibur, today.  It's all 1/8 rod from here out, no more heavy plate, or inside corners that can cause arc blow.  Amps were 115 and 125.  Nicer looking bead at 115.  At 125 the puddle becomes a little unstable, and tends to move differently.  I still opted to do the work at 125 amps to make sure I have good penetration.  If I can't see the backside of the steel, as with the blind joints in tubing, I would rather run hot just to make sure.  And, of course, this would vary from machine to machine, and thickness of the metal, it's not set in stone.Pic One, and Pic Two............115ampsPic Three, and Pic Four........125amps
Reply:After a protracted period of fighting with Fence Fairy (can I call him Fence Fag), got back to ruining some expensive metalThe frame is done, the braces behind the blade were cut today.  Final thing will resemble a moldboard blade with teeth  Cut me some slack, this is OK after all  Oh yeah, the top piece is there to show the angle, have to go pick up some stock to finish out the assy on MondaySome simple tools to set angles (fancy protractor was overkill, but it was a backup if the cheap bevel worked loose, which it did......exact angle was 71 degrees)final pic is mockup of the included angles, and I flipped it over for y'all if you be horizontally challengedAnother quality product from Uranis Inc.  Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Ah, thank you for the different view.  I can see it better now!Farmersamm, I have been watching your projects in here for nearly two years.  You really have honed your welding and fabrication skills!  A "Master Fabricator!"- MondoMember, AWSLincoln ProMIG 140Lincoln AC TombstoneCraftsman Lathe 12 x 24 c1935Atlas MFC Horizontal MillCraftsman Commercial Lathe 12 x 36 c1970- - - I'll just keep on keepin' on.
Reply:Interesting way of doing that Samm. My first thought would have been to make ripper teeth from heavy plate rather than tube like you did. I'm thinking the end tube might be a bit weak, but if it's being used in mud and all like I think, that should be no problem..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Samm - now you've gone and turned your world upside down!  You sure you're not using a Miller?Nice work.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:Uh, remember this one???It's been cluttering up the "shop" for a long while.  Weather finally moderated, and got some work done today.Moldboard braces fit and welded.Tack two end braces, clamp a straightedge to them, and set all the intermediate braces using the straightedge.3/16 plate for moldboard, and a stiffening edge tomorrow, and it's finishedThis sorta morphed as it was being built.  Started out as a rake, then I got to looking at the majority of the soup it has to work in, and decided it would be better as an extended reach back blade.If it doesn't want to penetrate the muck with a straight blade edge, I figure I can add some teeth.All my stuff starts out as nice bright shiny steel, and it looks like it's been submerged in the ocean for 20yrs by the time I get it doneIt's not rust...........................IT'S A PATINA Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:All my stuff starts out as nice bright shiny steel, and it looks like it's been submerged in the ocean for 20yrs by the time I get it done
Reply:what rust??  That is farmer's camoflage!
Reply:Yep sam looking good but you weren't kidding about needing a nice enclosed area to do your work rather than freezing you butt off. Nice welds, and fitment.Your going to need a shop just to house all your projectsCo-Own CNC shop:Miller :1251 plasma cutter, MaxStar 700 TIG/Stick, & XMT 456 Multiprocess Welder.&  2 Hypertherm HPR260's Plasma CutterSorry I had a bad stroke but now I am back.
Reply:A SEMI FIASCO OF A DAYFirst off, the design as you go thingFigured on a plain blade design, then got half of the plate in place, and started thinking  Thinking can be very bad for your health.Gee, this might be cool as a half rake/half blade thingy.Maybe leave out around 3" of the bottom half of the moldboard, and let the teeth dig in.  Well, it sounded good at first.Problem is, the bottom half of the blade won't work without the moldboard sucking it down.  The angle is all wrong on the top half.  So it's back to the original designPic one..........top half of plate onPic two.......possible modification of design with bottom plate size reduced to expose the teethPic three...........how it has to be in order to work right, my original ideaPic four.........how it runs in the groundPic five.........the chisel tooth final design, which will be attached to the moldboard braces and protrude ahead of the blade edgeUranus Farm Implements, a division of Uranus Inc."From Uranus to your dinner table, quality products to meet the World demand for food" Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:AND NOW FOR THE FIASCO PARTA really weird uphill, angling back over your head kind of weld.  Weird for me anyhowIt got tense, and pup headed indoorsPic one.........one of the first weldsPic's two and three.........a little better after some attitude adjustment  The remainder of the day went pretty much along these linesIf I ever get this right, I'm taking a vacation to Tahiti, and the pup's goin' tooAttitude adjustment in following post Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:THE ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENTPic one..........rounded corner of rectangular tubing as it meets flat plate.  I've always had some trouble with these joints.Pic two.........the angle I started welding at, and the angle that I finally wound up at, and the correct angle to fill the deep groovePic three.........the shelf angle on the first welds, and the angle of the shelf on following welds.  Liquid seeks it's own level.  Better results keeping the rod on a level side to side motion rather than trying to follow the inclineGEEEESH!! Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:No animals were harmed during the filming of this episode Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:If I ever get this right, y'all invited for a BIG barbecue Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/