A HOMEBREWED SCRAPE BLADE

Enlarge Image Image Gallery [I]The home built blade can be used to push or draw-with equal ease. [2] A vertical pivot allows a full range of scrape angles for such tasks as grading and smoothing. Note the reinforcing framework at the blade's edges. [3] At horizontal pivot enables the cutter to be used for shallow ditching and crowning.

Our mini-tractor's first implement will work with any Category 0 tractor hitch!

Just last year, in MOTHER NO. 78 (on page 172), we completed a three-part feature article about a sturdy home built mini tractor that our research crew put together for about half the price of the factory-made offerings. The photos included in that piece depicted a handy little Category 0 scrape blade that, if you remember, we promised to detail in a future issue . . . and, with the winter season upon us, we thought that now would be a perfect time to describe the construction of that particularly versatile implement.

The heart of our budget blade is nothing more than a 12" X 48" section cut from the wall of a discarded water-heater tank. With its fairly heavy-gauge material and ideal contour, it provides an excellent starting point, but be aware that-unless you can locate a 66- or 82gallon "highboy"-style tank (these models have a diameter of at least 20", and a length of 48" or more)-you'll have to cut two sections from a short, squat tank (30-, 40-, or 52-gallon capacity), and then weld them together to achieve the desired dimensions. Keep in mind, too, that galvanized vessels give off harmful fumes when welded, so you may want to limit your search to standard black steel tanks.

To prevent the blade from flexing under stress, you'll need to weld stiffeners to its back to form a perimetric framework. The horizontal ones are 45-1/2" long, and can be made from 1/4" X 1" angle iron. The vertical braces-which have to assume the curve of the tank-can be either cut from 1/4" plate or formed (with heat) from 1/4" X 1-1/4" X 12" flat stock.

Once all that's done, you can tackle the blade's main frame. It consists of an 11 gauge rectangular tubular steel base (measuring 1-5/8" X 4" X 21-1/2") that's fastened at right angles to a 1-5/8" X 4" X 18-1/4" arm made of the same material. Of course, if you have stock of another size lying around, use it . . . because a substantial piece of square, round, or even channel steel will work just as well.