Welding receivers to blade

repowerguy · Oct 2, 2021

That rhythmic pop is caused by a loose or poor fitting tip. Take the nut off, check the seat and clean, and re-install the tip. Second, you are running with a carburizing flame, and too small of one also. You'll be running the LP at 10 psi if not more. Crank up the flame bigger than where you are now and it will cut.

BrianGrenier · Oct 2, 2021

Thanks, I followed your advice and checked the seats at the tip and at the handle, good orings and then soaped all the fittings.

I looked up carburizing flame and you may be saying that there's too much fuel, right?

This last time, I turned propane on a half turn, 10psi, 60psi O2, got it to roar then it flames out. I didn't keep cranking the fuel down when adding O2.

Delmer · Oct 2, 2021

you have to get the cones burning, then turn the gas up a little at a time. That's the only way I can get it to work anyway. Light it like the first video, then turn each up a little at a time.
I'm not familiar with the three knobs either, find a video that explains what's going on with them. I have two knobs at the base, and a trigger for cutting.

repowerguy · Oct 3, 2021

He’s running a combination torch @Delmer they have two at the base if you use it for welding or a rosebud.
You’re getting close @BrianGrenier .
Place the tip at an angle on a flat piece of steel, light it and start adding oxygen.

crane operator · Oct 3, 2021

With a three knob torch, I crank the lower oxygen (closest to the hoses) up and leave it up. Then only adjust at the top knob. A number 2 tip should do everything you need.

But if you aren't any better with a welder than you are with a torch, you don't have any business welding anything on your grader that you intend on staying there.

The grader you have posted pictures of, has a front mount scarcifier on it, if you really need a front plow, why don't you just mount the thing to that? Its made to go up and down and its already attached to the machine in a way that is intended to push. You could also lift your front plow all the way up and out of the way with that, and use the scarcifier raise and lower, as a way to hook your snowplow up and unhook it. With the extra lift of the front attachment, and the lift of your blade, you should be able to pile snow up in banks if you need to.

Why try and reinvent the wheel?

BrianGrenier · Oct 3, 2021

I can accept the advice of honest critics, no shame in that. I'm more of a nail bender then a door slammer but I can slam doors and bend nails and I like to think I can weld like I make love, ie not very often not very well and it's kind of messy.

Back in the nail bending days I might be handed a combination torch and hear "go cut 24 5/8 at 24 long" , and I can get the job done. But this propane oxygen torch doesn't light the same way as oxygen acetylene and I imagine it's a small percentage of ironworkers who use this setup.

We'll see how it goes.

@crane operator The new plow will mount to the scarifire but that scarifier is only going to be used for raising/lowering

crane operator · Oct 3, 2021

Most ironworkers will run acetylene, not propane, the propane is a lot slower to heat up. I have both at my shop, and mostly use propane because I can fill it off my big shop tank, and its a lot cheaper, and I'm not usually in a big hurry, I don't spend all day cutting.

The propane takes a lot longer of heating to get started off, but once you get cutting its not bad. I have the best luck turning the propane kind of high on the knob, lighting, then adding oxygen, and finally turning down the propane to get the tip I want. Its less likely to blow itself out using that method - for me.

Sorry if the criticism seemed harsh, your posts on what your trying to do, seems to give the impression you don't know what you're doing. Everything I saw (110v welder, sample designs, issues lighting torch) pointed that your skill set might not be up to the forces that grader is going to put out.

I guess if I see something, I'm going to say something. Good luck!

BrianGrenier · Oct 3, 2021

@crane operator
That's honest criticism and I don't mind. Actually I was wondering when the dang fool comments would start cuz I do seem like a dang fool on an errand. Went over to the welding supply store several times told them I'm an amateur and I just need to get this job done, but it seems that coming to The forum has always been good for me and it's good this time too as well I'm learning a lot and I think that's the idea. Read the manual is first on the list or as they say rtfm. And explosive gases are nothing to f with. I bought two small of cylinders and a too small of a torch and the bigger gauges I had to rebuild didn't have the right tips, the handle

was junk, I didn't want to buy an oxy and acetylene tank so working with the small oxy tank and propane which I have bottles of. But I ran out of oxy in this fool's errand. The trusty Milwaukee band saw managed to cut close enough and I finished cutting it off with big club and I have the part off.

So here's a picture of the mock-up. It's all 1-1/2" with a 1-1/4" dowel for the plow to hang off.

colson04 · Oct 3, 2021

Well, I guess I'm wondering why a grader with a functional moldboard needs a snow plow. I've only lived in the north in snowy areas where graders are used as snowplows all winter long with nothing more than chains on the drives, if that. Some counties might hang a v-plow on the front for breaking big drifts, my county doesn't bother. They just run a stock grader when they need it to plow.

So, I ask, why re-invent the wheel by adding a snow plow to the front of a machine that already has a nice blade?

colson04 · Oct 3, 2021

Also, @Tugger2 had a nice write up on a different thread about lighting an oxy-propane torch. I think it was the same tip that @repowerguy mentioned above. Hold torch tip at an angle against a flat plate while lighting. I use an oxy-propane torch at my place and do what @crane operator does by gradually increasing propane and oxygen until the torch starts to scream. I looked at my gauges and I had propane at 10 psi and oxygen at 40 psi and I'm using a Victor 100FC torch body, and 3-GPN tip.

BrianGrenier · Oct 3, 2021

colson04 said:
Well, I guess I'm wondering why a grader with a functional moldboard needs a snow plow. I've only lived in the north in snowy areas where graders are used as snowplows all winter long with nothing more than chains on the drives, if that. Some counties might hang a v-plow on the front for breaking big drifts, my county doesn't bother. They just run a stock grader when they need it to plow.

So, I ask, why re-invent the wheel by adding a snow plow to the front of a machine that already has a nice blade?

There are times!...

When the snow is twice as high as the moldboard, traction gets to be a problem.

The video here shows on of those times
The blade isn't stuck and I'm able to paddle my way out but effective plowing is really diminished. That was the day that I went 5 MI back to Lynx Lake and got seven trucks back up to the highway.

Keeping some of the snow out from underneath the blade is the goal and a front plow is going to be a worthy addition to the blade.

I can imagine when you see a front plow on a road grader, it's a real snow day.

I do some "free" snowclearing on our road that the State and the county don't think it's their responsibility, even though the state subdivided and sold acreage accessed this way. The borough says the road isn't up to their standards but they accepted it into their inventory.

BrianGrenier · Oct 3, 2021

colson04 said:
Also, @Tugger2 had a nice write up on a different thread about lighting an oxy-propane torch. I think it was the same tip that @repowerguy mentioned above. Hold torch tip at an angle against a flat plate while lighting. I use an oxy-propane torch at my place and do what @crane operator does by gradually increasing propane and oxygen until the torch starts to scream. I looked at my gauges and I had propane at 10 psi and oxygen at 40 psi and I'm using a Victor 100FC torch body, and 3-GPN tip.

Great tips, thanks!
The thread was:
"cutting torch acetylene regulator to propane tank question"

I think I should search for what a good cutting flame using propane and oxygen should look like.

56wrench · Oct 4, 2021

Blades on the front of graders are common in towns and cities for clearing parking areas, etc. They prevent you from having to back up, dragging the front wheels back over the pile that the moldboard left. Otherwise, for rural road plowing, a V-plow on the front and a wing on the side are almost necessities

Willie B · Oct 4, 2021

Gee, I didn't know we were arguing the value of front blades on a grader.
Next town once had a D6 crawler mostly for winter use. It was outfitted with only a V blade far taller than me. The storms we once got, they'd break through with the crawler, then drop the plow, & widen the road with the dozer blade. My father was an employee as a teenager before World War II, told of drifting conditions. A drifting snow storm, Blood street was drifted stone wall to stone wall, 8' deep much of the way. Snow was impacted hard. They could hear something approaching. Asil Ricketts came into view in his Ford Model A. He was driving on top of the stone wall.

More recently, Danby uses front blade on a grader to move BIG drifts.

I'm only asking for functional plow mounts.

BrianGrenier · Oct 9, 2021

@Willie B Asil Rickets driving his Model A on the rock wall, that's a good story there.

The mount for the plow is coming along. Choices now are:
Weld it on in place, permanently, as is.
Tack it and remove to weld the back, then reinstall and either weld it all up permanently or have the mount removable.

crane operator · Oct 10, 2021

Burn it home.

You'll need the torch out anyways to cut the shaft when it bends after hitting your first big frozen in rock. While you have the torch out to cut the shaft, you can cut the rest of the brackets off the frame.

BrianGrenier · Oct 17, 2021

That's assuming I can ever get the torch running right. I got a new Chinese Victor (Radnor) attachment to go with my new handle and got a nice flame. But the fn Victor Oxygen regulator that leaked out the first tank of O2, I rebuilt the sucker and it leaked out another tank of O2.

Was real careful to shut the valve off when not using.Old hoses maybe and not "T" rated. New hoses, new regulator on the list. It will burn, that I am sure of.

I'm taking the mount and blade to my friend Joe who likes to burn rod. Then I'll burn it all home and never bend anything.

BrianGrenier · Oct 17, 2021

I cut one of the ears off the plow. Talk about crappy welds.

put a 1" bolt through it and
Need to bend it a bit and weld it up.

Ready to head down the road.

BrianGrenier · Dec 1, 2021

Here it is.
I welded it up with a cheap inverter welder and it did a pretty good job.

56wrench · Dec 2, 2021

I would recommend a few more passes

Welding receivers to blade

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