# Hello! New to the forum/Building my own plow.



## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Hey guys I've been plowing for a years now. I live in ohio. I have an old meyers plow on a 93 blazer. The frame on the plow is rusted out to the point that if I hit a curb too hard I gurantee it will break. SO! I decided to build my own plow, I am more interested in pushing snow then rolling it so I designed it to have 2 - 150 degree bends. the plow is 6'9" in width. It will have 5 braces behind it with angle iron on the top and bottom as well. I will eventually gusset those braces. The arms and pivot point for the plow are yet to be decided completely. Any suggestions or ideas would be great to hear. =) here are some pics!


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

lol or not


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## hydro_37 (Sep 10, 2006)

Welcome to the site and good luck with the build


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## big acres (Nov 8, 2007)

rosswidebeef;900174 said:


> lol or not


lol... at your screen name (insert beavis and butthead laugh).


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Hello got to work on the plow earlier today, here is all we got done. after drilling 15 holes and trimming everything to size and breaking my chop saw blade. the frame and blade are done. just need to mount the brackets to make the plow pivot up and down and side to side and mount the springs. heres some pics!


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## Pristine PM ltd (Oct 15, 2005)

looks like you have a good plan. I am worried that because of the bends in your supports they won't act as the support you may want though. You have basically made crumple zones if you know what I mean. It looks solid, but that is my only concern. Good luck and I respect what you are doing, I couldn't do anything close to that!


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## f8lkx450 (Sep 17, 2009)

Just my opinion but it looks like that is going to bend back open. If you caught the corner of the blade on something it seems like it would bend out pretty easy or break the welds. None of the metal is strong in the position of being flat.
I would cut some pieces with the angles in them and weld perpendicular to the back of the 5 vertiacal supports. It would also give a place to mount pivot point on 2nd and 4th brace if cut out right. 
If the pieces went all the way to the angle stock it would help support that weld that connects braces to angle stock on bottom edge. The welds of braces to angle on bottom are going to have leverage pulling and shocking on them trying to roll it under. 
It would also help because there is going to be at least 2 feet of levrage on the lower angle stock and cutting edge if bottom corner hits something
I did a little picture below incase I didnt explain it well. the "o" would be the pivont point. The bottom would have to be on a little angle to match angle iron but you get the idea. 5 of those and it would be solid for sure. If you dont have anything to cut like below you could cut and weld angle stock or bar stock (lighter).

Just my thoughts. I like the project. Are you using hydros and stuff off of other plow?


ignore the dots.
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l....l 
l....l 
l.o.l 
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## poncho62 (Jan 23, 2004)

Yep...needs more support, I think.....Angle iron would have more strength..Also, I would be concerned with the bends instead of a continuous curve.......I may be just fine, what do I know?, but I would think if that is the way to go, one of the manufacturers would have done it.......

Waiting for the end result, will be interesting.


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## f8lkx450 (Sep 17, 2009)

I agree they are made how they are for a reason. I would copy a big name plow to a T. Only reasons I can think they are curved is a continuous curve helps curl the snow over sooner and prevents creating so much up force on the plow picking it up off the ground. At a good speed with heavy snow it might reduce down pressure of plow. Also rocks and ice chunks would roll through it better and do less damage to skin instead of hiting angles. I dont think bends will unbend if braced like I said above.


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Well I planned on gusseting with 20 triangle pieces, 10 on top 10 on bottom so the angle iron doesnt rip off. I originally planned on doing 5 - 1-1/2 inch wide sections that are shaped like the bracing to help gusset but decided against it. I may still go with it, having a plasma cutter would be amazing right about now. Either way I'm doing it for fun and just to see if I can make something like this work. I had it bent instead of rolled because it would possibly be better for pushing rather than rolling the snow off to the side. we'll see how it holds up though. I will be using all the hydraulic stuff off of the other setup till I snag another old meyers pump for 50 dollars again haha. this plow I'm building now HAS GOT to be atleast a little stronger than the paper thin meyers I have right now.if I hit a curb with it, it may rip apart without thinking twice unfortunately.


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## poncho62 (Jan 23, 2004)

My Meyer 6 footer was getting pretty rough.......I covered the mold board with a piece of acrylic plastic, maybe its plexiglas....it was free regardless


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

so after my severe case of flash burn to the eyes and missing work because I couldnt see... btw I do wear a mask, when my buddy was welding I may have been too close...

We were going to do a bunch of work to it today but my buddy got somthing lodged in his eye at work and we decided not too.

bad luck with the eyes right? haha

But I went out today to get the plate for it to pivot right and left on, hopefully this weekend the plow will be close to finished if not finished... still have yet to pick up springs. Buying bar ends from suicidedoors.com for the attatchment to the truck frame itself tonight. updates soon to come.


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

poncho62;905969 said:


> My Meyer 6 footer was getting pretty rough.......I covered the mold board with a piece of acrylic plastic, maybe its plexiglas....it was free regardless


looks good but your cutting edge is looking pretty dull.


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Time for an update. Ive been hitting this plow pretty slow. I wrecked my kia (Kia vs. Deer) and had a lack of funds. Thank you deer... Atleast the kia won. anyways I have the plow just about done I need a blade for the bottom and to hook up the springs and put the bar ends on the part where it pivots on the frame to go up and down. Other than that this thing is just about done! Heres some pics!


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)




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## ranger88den (Sep 4, 2007)

Good job keep us posted!


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## Turf Commando (Dec 16, 2007)

Fabrication isn't easy good luck on the project...


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Any input?


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## heavyiron (Dec 7, 2007)

Like some of the other guys said, I'd be concerned with the moldboard bending backwards - but that depends on what you're pushing with and how much you beat on it... Your work looks pretty tidy - it'd take me a lot of tries to make something come out that good.


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

I agree when standing on it, it bends a tiny bit while jumping. I plan on getting pieces made to go behind all those 5 braces to gusset it so it doesn't move at all. Thanks for the compliments. =)


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## poncho62 (Jan 23, 2004)

Not to be critical, but I think you are going to have trouble where the blade is attached to those 3 pieces of square tubing. I think there will be too much leverage on those 3 pieces....I would shorten them as much as I could, get the pivot point as close to that cross piece as I could. Maybe more bracing in that area would do it.


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Leverage? Please explain thanks again. Critical is fine.


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## caddytruck89 (Oct 12, 2008)

Very nice. Some gussets are inorder though. I'm a steel fabricator by trade, and i must say i'm very impressed with your work and ideas. How thick is the moldboard?? Did you have it bent. We just got a new 400ton press and it is awesome!!! Keep up the good work..


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## poncho62 (Jan 23, 2004)

rosswidebeef;941070 said:


> Leverage? Please explain thanks again. Critical is fine.


I am no engineer......I am just saying that because my Meyer blade has the cross piece tight in close to the blade....and over the years, that is where it has bent the most......I figure there is a lot of stress there.


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Ahh gotchya


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

caddytruck89;941093 said:


> Very nice. Some gussets are inorder though. I'm a steel fabricator by trade, and i must say i'm very impressed with your work and ideas. How thick is the moldboard?? Did you have it bent. We just got a new 400ton press and it is awesome!!! Keep up the good work..


Thank you! gussets are coming. I have a lack of resources or else I would make some myself with a plasma so I will have to have them made more than likely. I built this one off the top of my head actually I just built it as I went and tried finding the best way to make things work. I did have the pieces bent at 150 degrees at a machine shop close to me. I've spent around 330 in parts so far including springs and pump to lift it. the bracing is 1/4" and the angle on top and bottom is 3/8ths


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Plow is 95% - 98% done, painting it today. pics tonight!

Gussets are in on sides (No more flex). springs are on. blade is on. bar ends are on wishbone looking thing. Its ready to be mounted. =) 

I'm way beyond excited about this thing =))


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## c.schulz (Dec 21, 2004)

Nice job!!! I can appreciate a person wanting to take on projects like this. Cant wait to see how this turns out.

Chris


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## Lugnut (Feb 25, 2006)

very nice fab and welds


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## Pristine PM ltd (Oct 15, 2005)

Getting antsy... are you done?


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## AbsoluteH&L (Jan 5, 2006)

We want picts! We want picts! We want picts! LOL just kidding, really want to see the finished product.


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)




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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Alright, so I hate rustolieum professional paint. takes forver to dry, feels dry, then sticks to your hand when you go to lift it. but the plow itself, is done... thank god... between working nights as a medic in youngstown and plowing I finally had a week off from the snow to take on this project to finish it. The blade is 7 inches, I thought it would be smaller in my head but I'm sure it will go down fairly quick. the way the springs are set up the plow position angle whatever is fully positional to my liking. it weighs around 250-275lbs minus mounting stuff. I think, keyword think, I'll be alright with using the explorer I just got. especially if I jack up the torsion bars. the plow is 6'9" and 26" high with that blade, hopefully the blade goes down soon haha.

I recieved the 3" bar ends for mounting to the truck are from suicidedoors.com and were $9 a piece. 
Let me know what you guys think!

I'll have to tally up the total cost of the build when I get all the metal for mounting the pump, lights, and plow.


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

ps sorry that the images are so dark with the black paint


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## c.schulz (Dec 21, 2004)

Kick Ass!! Cant wait to see the how the lift works. And how it pushes snow. Congrats.

Chris


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## Pristine PM ltd (Oct 15, 2005)

Glad to see you finished. Can you explain how it will work a little more, Manual lift? Will it freely move to the path of less resistance?


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Pristine PM ltd;964374 said:


> Glad to see you finished. Can you explain how it will work a little more, Manual lift? Will it freely move to the path of less resistance?


it will be lifted with a ram and old dump truck hydraulic pump which will later be hooked up to 2 sets of valves to lift the plow as well as move it side to side. the pump stays on constantly while using it till the valves are used then shut off whenever. when not using side to side there is a 5/8ths pin behind that one bolt holding it in place. =)


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Update: Plow is now on the truck. Hoop and ram setup not done yet to actualy lift it. Shouldnt take long. I am taking this as an opertunity to make a new front bumper for the explorer. Pics soon to come.


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## rosswidebeef (Dec 11, 2009)

Update, Plow is done used it on about 20 driveways on some thick snow about a foot tall. Love it. I need to put the valves for side to side motion on but for right now its on and the seasons almost over.

Here are some pics!

Btw the bumper is also an air tank =)




























comments anyone?


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## ranger88den (Sep 4, 2007)

Good job ross!


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## VEGGIEPLOW (Sep 25, 2009)

outstanding job my friend!!!


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## ScottPA (Nov 11, 2009)

All I can say is WOW! Get some pictures of it in action as soon as you can! Good job.ussmileyflag


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## ranger88den (Sep 4, 2007)

Did you ever get the lights on?


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## mtnzone (Apr 8, 2008)

Wow Im totally impressed!!! 

Few questions. if you dont mind answering them.
1. Why did you take on such a huge project when you could have just bought a good used blade??
2. The cost of all that material and time must have been immense?? have you figured out your total cost? and time??


anways incredible job by the looks of it. Hope to hear how good it worked after the first storm


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## ProSeasons (Nov 30, 2000)

That's freakin' cool! Where did you get that piece of stainless and how much was it? I can't wait to see that thing push some snow.

Makin' wings? End plate style wings (Box wings) on that would be SICK and might offer some moldboard rigidity since your'e only really intrested in pushing.


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