A Zap & Hammack-Welding Project.....

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Hey Guys/Gals,Here is a combo Zap & Hammack-Welding project I managed to lose my a$$ on...although it resulted in quite a makeup. This is a John Deere concrete grader a local contractor brought in to get into working condition again. He found it in Georgia and brought it back....got it for "peanuts" as he described. It was totally welded together in a fixed position so nothing would move. He wanted it fully adjustable & functional. Little did I know what I was going to get into....I gave him a quote of $250-300......  there are 13 photos so (3) posts to complete.1st group of photos:1. As delivered....you can see where I started to cut thru the welds with a 4 1/2" Sait .045 cutoff disc.2. Notice the bent stop bracket over the gussets....this is 1/2" thick.3. Got it apart to start prep & straighten bent tilt plate & re-drill position holes.4. The gussets were not original....added by previous owner's welder. BTW..the welds were really crappy.....easy to cut though....some saving grace at least.5. Pivot shaft broken....had to align & re-weld.Last edited by MicroZone; 07-25-2007 at 10:46 PM.Complete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:2nd group:6. Welded with ER70S-6, .035, C25 @ 20CFH, 400ipm, 180A with a 300 deg. preheat.7. Blade support frame...had to re-weld threaded pivot shaft....rust & concrete removed.8. 2 coats of primer....pivot plate straightened & position holes re-drilled.9. Semi- reassembly to check alignments....10. Everything matches....Last edited by MicroZone; 07-25-2007 at 10:47 PM.Complete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Here is a combo Zap & Hammack-Welding project I managed to lose my a$$ on
Reply:3rd group:11. JOHN DEERE GREEN!!!!!!!!!12. Pretty, eh?????????????????????13. Ready for pickup.....Addendum:I had 32 hours of work in this project. When the contractor came to pick it up, his eyes almost fell out.....He was quite satisfied. I told him I would never do another like that at that price again.....he kinda smiled, paid me, took a handful of cards & left. He sent me so much work, I was busy for over a year.....let me tell ya I made up for his job.....so...it all comes out in the wash......love it....DennyLast edited by MicroZone; 07-25-2007 at 10:49 PM.Complete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Uh, shouldn't it have been yellow and green?  Nice work, to cheap DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:Nice work.  You'll learn this old farm equipment tends to bite ya if you aren;t careful. Never know what you are getting into with alot of it.   Just curious, but isn't the mold board (Blade)  missing?I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Great work Yorkie, it's tough to find people that do great AND very thorough work! The owner got a steal of a deal.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Originally Posted by littlefuzzUh, shouldn't it have been yellow and green?  Nice work, to cheap
Reply:lol...what was Zap and lorenzo contribution?great job My Babies: HF Drill pressHF Pipe Bender3   4.5" Black and Decker angle grindersLincoln Electric PROMIG 175that´s it!
Reply:ive done that for my brother. he said he wanted me to make a boat trailer so i said id do it for 2 10lb boxes of electrodes. it ended up working out pretty well. no makor set backs. did you have a good look at the work to be done before you put in the quote?http://datingsidorsingel.com/
Reply:Thanks guys,To Zap: I apologize if the post was demeaning to you in any way. My point was your signature quote regarding the true professional. I just have a strong conviction to do the absolute best I can on any job. Sometimes we take a hit with an estimate not realizing all the potential issues that may arise.To littlefuzz: The customer furnished the paint.....To Hammack: The contractor kept the blade at his shop as it was in good condition and only needed to be cleaned & wirebrushed. His crew did the work on the blade.To Micro: Thanks....I just couldn't do a mediocre job...It became a challenge as I progressed to see how well I could restore it. He really made up for the time I spent with referrals and other work he brought in.To cheeseclip: I felt the job could be done in that price estimate. It became intense once I got it all apart and realized the extent of other remedies that needed to be done. I gave my word....I kept it.DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Great work.It's easy to "take a bath" on the first one of anything.  The school of hard knocks is always in session, and tuition is never free.  As you say, that education most often pays off in the end.  Glad to hear it all worked out for you. Favorite right now is a Miller Syncro 200.Tons of tools and I blame at least one of them when things don't go right.
Reply:I don't think Zap took it as demeaning.  Just saying that the equipment repair/rebuilding is more mine and Lorenzo's field compared to what he does.  However we can always use another good man if Zap's ready to get out of that clean shop he is in, but he'll have to leave that tig machine alone..... I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Denny,Professional looking work.  Neat, clean, and complete.Glad it all worked out dollar-wise in the end.But where's the coin in the pic of the welds or the workpiece, ala zap?   How'd you clean the rust and crud off all that old steel?  Wire brush, chipping hammer, sandblaster, all of the above?And how'd you straighten that bent 1/2 inch piece?  Really-really BFH and heat-n-beat?  Or hydraulic press?
Reply:Originally Posted by Hammack_WeldingI don't think Zap took it as demeaning.  Just saying that the equipment repair/rebuilding is more mine and Lorenzo's field compared to what he does.  However we can always use another good man if Zap's ready to get out of that clean shop he is in, but he'll have to leave that tig machine alone.....