Anybody tried to build a snow blade from scratch?

[thenrie]

Looking at how badly my blade is worn, I began to wonder how hard it would be to build a blade. Looks like it's only about 16 gauge metal. I could cut the braces out with my torch and probably form the sheet metal over a sonotube or barrel or something. I might even get my steel supplier to form it for me on their equipment.

I have an almost new MTD blade that would not be hard to convert, but I hate to use it, since I plan to sell it with my Lowe's tractor to pay for my Cub overhaul.

Anybody tried to build a blade?

[mstetar]

i saw the pics of your blade and to be honest it didnt look all that bad... new wear edge and bolts and you should be good to go. and probably skid shoes

[fdinger]

Not from scratch , but I did reface mine " it was rusted through " extended the plow frame supports out about 4 ins. on each side and had a sheet of metal " about 1 gauge thicker " rolled and bent on the top like the old plow face, but also added about 6" to the top ,really makes the snow roll better , rewelded it to the frame and put a 3"x 49" x 1/4" steel cutting edge on it . Cost was about $100 darn thing looks like it came off a jeep. The snow doesn't come back over the top anymore like it did with the old face 42" plow and is a lil heavier, don't need much down pressure. This is on my 149, it did break the lift arm picking it up had to make a new one and beefed it up a lil.
If I can ever figure how to post pics. I've got some neat ones ready.

[jkier]

We've made a couple plows.
An old 1000 gallon oil tank and a sawzall is a good start.

[cubby]

go to the testing area and look at the post, how to post once more
it;ll so how to upload pics

[thenrie]

Mstetar,

Those pics are the ones I got off CL. If you could see the bottom edge of the blade, you would see what I'm talking about. It is ground off all the way up to half-way through the bolts that hold the cutting edge on the blade. In other words, there is nothing to bolt a new cutting edge to! I'm going to have to weld a strip of 1/4" steel about 1" wide to extend the bottom edge back out where it can be re-drilled for bolts. For all that trouble, I might as well do what fdinger did and just rebuild the blade part. I think I can probably get my steel supplier to make the bends, or maybe I can set up a makeshift brake on my workbench.

At least the framework is ok. I saw on one of our sponsors' sites that the sub-frame is about $155 and the swivel frame is $70, used. I paid $75 for what I got, so I'm still feeling pretty good about it. Just needs repair on the blade and some paint.

[TEET]

I thought about making a poly blade using the rear rib framework from a rusted out 42" IH plow I have in the shop. I was thinking of using a poly drum possibly...

good luck

[thenrie]

Let us know how that turns out. Seems it might be too flexible. Hard to keep bolts from hogging out the holes during hard use.

[TEET]

Originally Posted by thenrie

Let us know how that turns out. Seems it might be too flexible. Hard to keep bolts from hogging out the holes during hard use.

Its a project for the future....I have 2 near mint 54" blades, and a nice 42" that get used frequently, so its on the back burner right now

I was planning on using the arched ribs as a form, and mounting points, but welding cross members the width of the blade to aid in support. It would almost copy the style of the newer poly blades that can be found for atv's..

Good luck with yours as well..

[thenrie]

Yeah. Mine's on the back-burner as well. I gotta get my 1650 prettied up and back together before I can even think about doing the blade!