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Daily Fabrication Thread

Started by mike_belben, January 29, 2018, 09:49:04 AM

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Wudman

Next question----who would scrap a piece of 3x4x 3/4 plate?  Nice find.   8)

Wud
"You may tear down statues and burn buildings but you can't kill the spirit of patriots and when they've had enough this madness will end."
Charlie Daniels
July 4, 2020 (2 days before his death)

scsmith42

Quote from: Wudman on June 22, 2021, 02:39:29 PM
Next question----who would scrap a piece of 3x4x 3/4 plate?  Nice find.   8)

Wud
It's amazing what manufacturing plant will scrap out.  I was trying to find something in the 1.25" - 1.5" range, but the 3/4" worked out fine.
The 16mm annual cutter arrived yesterday; so hopefully tomorrow I'll drill some holes in the top for clamps.  I don't plan on drilling the entire top - only a row along a short and long side.  That way I can use it for placing parts on w/o worrying about them dropping through a hole in the top.

Quote from: mike_belben on June 22, 2021, 11:34:13 AM
Wow is that thing rigged out or what.   smiley_thumbsup

I was on the fence about being a camper frame. The hubcaps and steps made me think it was a good guess.
That's logical.  I've since swapped the wheels out for some old mag wheels that I had on my GMC Jimmy (it was upgraded with some surplus HMMVW rims and tires).  The step was one that I replaced on one of my wife's mobile veterinary hospitals.  It still had some usable life left in it.
It is one heavy trailer; probably weighs in the 8K - 10K lb range fully loaded.

Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

mike_belben

Im experimenting with a small roller crimper right now in my compactor frame..  Tacked on just one sharpened edge to see what all it'd do. 





 With a pile of weights it got fairly effective at flattening a tall cover crop but its severing ability was marginal and a spray kill would probably be required after rolling. 



Praise The Lord

Crusarius

Mike, when are you going to just power that beast and have a nice cultivator?

The Wanderer

  Just a little idea . I have 240 acres of recreational /forestry land and to keep my 2 km roads and 4 km trails in shape I pull this big tire around .Under the tire I have 3 skidder chains attached .
Roy Saari

mike_belben

@Crusarius 

I will eventually mount a diff backwards to create a 4.1x speed increaser for the lumpy drum to act as a harley rake and general forest floor pulverizer for getting grass started in woodsy paddocks.. Or stripping off crummy lawn.

 a roller crimper is for when you dont want bare dirt.  In my case for lack of seeding equipment and small spaces, id broadcast seed into a tall weed/vegetation bed and then come over it with a crimper to lay the cover crop over the seed to protect it from birds and retain moisture.  The crimper also acts as a cultipacker to push the seed into the dirt for better seed/soil contact and germination rates.

Again id probably have to spray to kill the old layer but the point is to let it protect and fertilize the new seed.. Have the parts to weld up a spray bar for the quad sitting on the bench now.   

The commercial farms that are roller crimping are using some very heavy drums with various style cutters, often times front mount roller and rear planter in one pass to cut the fuel bill in half.  The planting equipment is pretty modified and heavily weighted in order to cut the crop mat and force a seed in, usually coulters ahead of each drill.  Im discovering a layer of hip high grass stalks is tougher than it looks!  

Crimping is a fairly recent technology so the farms doing it have fabbed up all sorts of trial and error equipment to make it work.  The yield data suggests it is a best practice vs conventional tillage.  less erosion, less runoff, less phosphates in the creek, higher soil moisture etc.


We suffer from hard, thin top soil that needs more organic matter to build up a good tilth.  Really im just making sure i never succumb to the television. 
Praise The Lord

mike_belben

That makes a really nice trail Wanderer.  smiley_thumbsup
Praise The Lord

mike_belben

I finished out putting segmented cutters on the crimper drum.. Literally just sharpened bed frame scraps, 1x1 thin angle.  

It works quite well at terminating tall weeds and brambles.  Before/after same spot. 







Praise The Lord

Tacotodd

Looking good Mike 👍 Now for the food plot improvements as well as your salt.
Trying harder everyday.

Bruno of NH

Quote from: scsmith42 on June 21, 2021, 04:20:55 PM
I decided to put together a new welding and layout table for my little little log cabin machine shop (not to be confused with "Log Cabin Republicans", LOL).

Out in the main shop I have a nice 4' x 8' steel table (seen in the first pic), but in the machine shop the welding table consisted of a 24" square plate of 1/2" steel that sat on a couple of wood saw horses.

At an auction I picked up some cast iron legs that came off of a piece of industrial equipment, and a local scrap yard had a nice piece of 3' x 4' steel plate in 3/4" thickness. I had some nice heavy steel casters left over from a different acquisition a number of years ago that were also allocated to the project.



 




I decided to install the legs in a splayed out position in order to allow me more external room for clamping at the top, yet not sacrifice stability. This also allows good room for me to sit on a tall stool while TIG welding.  Some wedges were made to take care of the leg angles.






The top was drilled and tapped so as to be able to bolt the leg assemblies in place.  Bevel washers were used to keep the bolt head alignment in the proper plane.



  




  




Today I took delivery of a 16mm annular cutter for my mag drill so that I can drill the top for some Bessey style clamps. I'm pleased with how it came out. It's nice and tall so I don't have to bend over when using the MIG or stick, and a stool works fine for TIG work. It is very stable too. It's not as nice as many of the ones that I've seen fabricated by fellow WW members, but it works well for my purpose.




Awesome build Sir
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

Downstream

Hey Mike on that crimper concept you may want to try a spiral shape vs straight across the roller.  In my past life in the ag and lawn/garden world we always tried to use spiral shape on roller type attachments to minimize ground contact length at any point in time which concentrates down pressure for more effective cutting/crimping.  I like your thought to use previous ground cover to protect new seedbed.
EZ Boardwalk Jr,  Split Second Kinetic logsplitter, Granberg Alaskan Chainsaw Mill, Stihl 660 and 211, Logrite 60" cant hook, Dixie 32 Tongs

mike_belben

Thanks @Downstream  

I have a PDF from USDA evaluating all the various crimper styles that existed by 2016.. About 8 or so.  

Their claim was that the straight blades had better termination at the expense of lumpy operation.  Curved blades could run faster due to being smoother because of to continual contact like a highway bead down the center of Goodyear OZ humvee mud tires or ag tires that end each paddle real close to the next in the center strip... But the termination wasnt as good as straight blade.  


I dont have the means to fab a curved cutter paddle.  The lumping doesnt bother me but im sorely lacking on weight compared to a real crimper. The best ones imo look to have a smooth lead roller and a bunch of small straight cutter wheels on sprung swingarms trailing behind.   What i noticed was my smooth roller really flattened great but obviously didnt cut.  As i added cutters it stopped flattening as well but started chopping better.  I broke up my straight cutters into irregular segments that engage at different times and that helped.  

Also mine has a rubber sandwiched pivot to dampen the shaker (which doesnt really benefit the cutter action.. The weights absorb all the shake) and when i drive in reverse the roller cants a little sideways. This causes the roller to try to steer.  Imagine pressing a knife down into your forearm. It jusy leaves a crease mark for a few minutes.   Thats my roller going forward.  Now press it down and drag hard across the forearm. Youll get blood.  Thats mine going in reverse. Which is fine since i prefer to back into the worst briar patches and knock it down a bit at a time.

If you only need forward and only have a small machine, a smooth drum with a spring loaded cutter bar that rides a snap cam that slams the single blade frequently right behind the roller is the best youre gonna do.  A big heavy tractor with a big heavy straight blade roller on the front with hydraulic down pressure is the best termination you can get from an eaay to make roller.

My roller frame still fits on the front of my deere 140 with downpressure so whenever thats back together...
Praise The Lord

Downstream

If I understand your post properly I think you already tried this, but just in case.  When you design an ag implement for crop cutting the focus is always on lbs/disc blade being maximized for better cutting.  If you cannot fab a spiral the next best thing is a shorter straight cutter approx 1/3 of the width of the drum.  Space these around the circumference of the drum straight like your full length one starting on one side.  Do the same in the middle and also the far edge.  Each of these sections is indexed so that only one cutter bar is fully engaged at a time as the drum rotates.   This will triple your lbs/cutter edge.  You may have already done this based on your comments.
EZ Boardwalk Jr,  Split Second Kinetic logsplitter, Granberg Alaskan Chainsaw Mill, Stihl 660 and 211, Logrite 60" cant hook, Dixie 32 Tongs

mike_belben

Yep, thats what i did and why i did it.  Get the psi up in the cutter points.  Didnt have enough weight with a single bar test soi segmented it into randoms with the last of my scraps.  Longer angle might cut better but all i have is thick and didnt want to be sharpening all day with the grinder.  Thin stuff is like a razor with just a dusting from the wheel. 
Praise The Lord

Tacotodd

I really like that analogy of pressing vs slicing. Easy enough for ANYONE to understand. smiley_clapping

And now, for that end result.  smiley_thumbsup
Trying harder everyday.

mike_belben

My crimper achieved a considerably better kill rate than i expected.   Probably 80-90% or so. 





Clover starting to poke through the mat already. 



Praise The Lord

newoodguy78

Mike how many passes to achieve that? Single or multiple? Glad to see it worked for you 

mike_belben

Think of it like painting.  I dont raise the implement often, really just for rock ledge or to reposition elsewhere.  So im backing into a wall of briars until one wants to get me then pull forward enough to curve over and reverse again, taking another half row down.  Back and forth while curving around.  

If a spot needs more i will raise the roller for just a second so the paddles shift out of sequence and try again.  A lot of the stuff you fail to cut is a simple case of a it slipping between the knives.  Im sure the tires are doing a lot of the kill once the roller flattens.  But also just enough soil disturbance and cultipacking to get the seedbank sprouting its next wave.  Unlike tillage there is no erosion in a downpour this way.  There are parts id my yard just oozing away right now in the rain.  With crimping the dirt is more or less undisturbed, by conventional measures. Micorhizae will remain intact so thats a big bonus. 
Praise The Lord

newoodguy78

Mike I'm well versed in tillage and the downside of years and years of row crops. Erosion is a real issue. I've been trying to implement some soil conservation practices here without getting myself in trouble

If those areas are something you are trying to establish with perennial crops look into frost seeding. I've seen tremendous results with it here in the northeast. During that time of year when the ground is frozen in the morning and muddy in the afternoon broadcast the seed. The freezing and thawing action creates the seed to soil contact. Not sure if your area would be different but it's one of those outside the box practices that I've done personally and seen excellent results.

mike_belben

Im no expert, but im getting better at it.  I turn my compost pile with a backhoe instead of a pitchfork now, put it that way.  i add about fifty fold more material to my dirt than i extract from it. 

We have some pretty poor soil and the early years are discouraging.  I couldnt get corn or squash to even grow the first year.  Now ive got squash running between the rows and its all dark lush green, huge leaves, stiff stalks etc.  
Praise The Lord

mike_belben

Quote from: newoodguy78 on July 01, 2021, 11:08:20 PM

If those areas are something you are trying to establish with perennial crops look into frost seeding. I've seen tremendous results with it here in the northeast. During that time of year when the ground is frozen in the morning and muddy in the afternoon broadcast the seed. The freezing and thawing action creates the seed to soil contact. Not sure if your area would be different but it's one of those outside the box practices that I've done personally and seen excellent results.
Just caught your edit.   I guess that is basically whats working for me now.  Its all food plot mix, started with one bag.


 I planted the first fall, it came up decent and stayed green all but maybe 2 months of winter.  Well naturally it all went to seed and died in place.  The trees hardly had a bud on them and poof.. Sprang back up.. A solid 2 months before greenup.


By the time the pastures in the area were green and leaves were formed, i was waist high in forage.  
These are test patches for light, lime, fertilizer etc.






I harvested the seed off that and killed it recently for hot season, let it break down in place and build up the topsoil.  The plots pop up again on their own in place and i spread the harvested seed to new areas.  Retards the woody regen a bit, and eventually will be silvopasture in shelterwood pockets.
Praise The Lord

Walnut Beast

Fabricating heavy duty receiver hitches 1/2 thick all the way around

 

 

 

 

 and a combination log skid/arch with a receiver for pulling a gooseneck trailer and other trailers that will also detach from the rear of arch and connect to the machine in receivers 

Roundhouse

As far as fabrication goes this is about as simple as it gets but I'll share what lead up to this little project anyways. 

I'm putting a road in across a 10 acre lot I bought last fall. My source for sand and gravel is just over a half mile away on my sawmill lot. My old F350 dump had a hard life before I got it and needed some attention in order to do this job. Last year I replaced the alternator and was able to fill in the mouth of the driveway before the air pump seized up. This spring I brought out a new pump but was stymied when the long bolt through the housing snapped off. Over a series of trips I lined up a replacement bolt, hacked the old pump out, drilled an alternate hole for mounting, and finally got everything put back together. I had my skid steer on the new lot and loaded the truck off an earthen ramp at my sand pit.




I was just getting into the groove with 8 loads moved when the truck sprung a bad leak in the fuel line. I got it parked without incident but the truck was out of commission pending another repair. 

Last fall I moved some dirt with my small side dump trailer mounted on my pole trailer so I made a trip using that behind my regular truck. The biggest issue with that was since I wasn't loading with the skid steer instead the loader trip bucket which is much too blunt an instrument for the job. So I hooked the side dump behind the tractor and made a trip like that. The issue with this set was to load the side dump I had to back it up to the earthen ramp and hand load from above with a wheelbarrow and buckets. Slow, and the side dump is due for a redesign that will allow it to be more stable and carry more. Here is the loader with the empty side dump after coming back from the project. I would take apart the trailer with my forklift in the morning. 




The important thing learned from delivering sand with the tractor was that my trail was able to be traversed by the tractor all the way in for the first time. I've had a load of building materials staged on my running gear since last fall. My next trip I'd haul the running gear into my building site and unload it, freeing up the running gear for other tasks. As soon as the running gear was empty I tossed some spruce poles on for the ride back to the sawmill. Back at the mill the spruce comes off and lumber is ready to go on for a new platform.




The hemlock I milled last month was just right to put a 9' long platform on the running gear. This one is made with the trip bucket in mind, it has a 6x6 beam on each side, 1" planks across the center and two 2x12 cross pieces tying it together underneath. The beams are stout enough that I can rest the bucket on them, release the bucket and slowly raise and dump. It will hold about three buckets full.




I do need to unload by hand but that is much preferred over loading by hand. At this stage it's good to be able to bring the fill to just the right place on the trail and distribute it precisely. Here is the loader and wagon ready to make another run, a load in the bucket and another on the new platform.  




How about a look at the object of all this effort. Although I'm improving numerous locations simultaneously this low spot provides a good idea of the work. My route appears to be an old skidding route that was not improved in any major way. I didn't take a true before photo but have this one from when I was just getting started. This was the lowest spot with standing water when I scoped out the trail and could get through it on my 2WD four wheeler but it was obvious a pipe and plenty of fill would be needed to make this an all-weather road. Here I've started placing small logs in the void to begin establishing a base to work off, although the four wheeler would slide, straddle the logs and get stuck. 




Adding more fiber to the crossing. As I did so I left a gap in the middle where the pipe would go. Easier to cross as long as you don't get caught up in the middle.




In November I brought in the pipe. The water in the draw flows from right to left as we look at the picture. As you can probably tell the trail is impassible by machine at this point. To get get tools into the building site I had to walk them across the gap then load them in a wheelbarrow.




First trip in the spring, not a lot has changed although I'm stacking some more limbs around the pipe where I'll deliver some more fill from nearby with the wheelbarrow so I can develop just enough ramp to get up and over the pipe with my four wheeler. That will get me into a dirt source at the back of the lot and I can start adding it here with a small garden trailer behind the wheeler. 




In May I moved my skid steer down here and did the grading leading up to the pipe with just enough fill to just eek over the pipe without getting stuck, then the same thing on the other side. Now crossing with the four wheeler was a breeze but I had some work to do to comfortably bring the skid steer out again.




Finally, it was a real milestone to be able to run the trail with my loader tractor. The lighter color is the sand and rock mix I've put down this month. Still plenty of fill to add, about 6" on top and a foot wider on either side. After working with a shovel and a wheelbarrow getting full size equipment in here makes all the difference.


Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

mike_belben

Thats a lotta butt bustin roundhouse.  Nice job doin what ya can with what ya got.  


I suggest finding truck chains to cut down for all 4 corners of the skid steer.  Huge difference in the woods.  Weld extra chain patterns into em if you need to.  
Praise The Lord

Roundhouse

Quote from: mike_belben on July 11, 2021, 07:57:38 PM
Thats a lotta butt bustin roundhouse.  Nice job doin what ya can with what ya got.  

Thanks, it's rewarding seeing it come together. I was getting ready to sell the F350 and replace with a dump trailer when this "one more job" came along. As happened when I did the road into my sawmill it's tempting to buy equipment for dirtwork but this job is the exception to the long term task of moving logs to the mill and sawmilling out here. I've resisted the urge to go shopping and gotten the work done with existing machines. I could probably buy and later sell a dozer but I like avoiding the hassle of arranging for transport, selling etc.
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

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