Hey gang, Digging out another little tree with my TB016 has got me thinking about a ripper w/ a 'saw' edge face that would allow me to just cut through roots. So far the conception is 18-24 inches long,atypical ripper tooth profile. 2 pieces 1/2" thick A-36 steel (thats what my local steel guy has) flush bolted together from each side (FH allen head machine screw),with a 1/2 X 1/2 piece of something harder than A-36 facing the concave edge (the 1/2 X 1/2 being ground in an alternating/opposing pattern to give some saw action). Please advise. Thank you. Jay.:usa
Made me think of this post.
Thanks hvy 1ton, I've never seen that thread.Kinda validates my thinking. Skies. Jay.
That's a great idea. I've dug up small trees too and found the work tedious. I just wonder how long the teeth would stay sharp sawing through dirt.
$129.00 for 2sq.ft. of 3/4" A-36 plate!!! $35.00 is for the flame cutting though.Think I'll re-measure. Now if I could just find some 30mm ID heavy wall tube nearby.I would even go with 1-3/16 but all I can find is DOM. ! Actually,with the pins running through it, the DOM might be A-OK. Wish I thought of that sooner. I'm not too concerned about 'sharp' teeth, I think (hope) with the digging force concentrated in such a small zone it shouldn't take much of an edge to sever the roots. Trying to keep this simple to help git'r done I figured I'd just start with the 3/4" plate and bevel the work surface a touch then maybe a few notches with the angle grinder. I would like to angle it off to one side or another (30deg.?) to aid in reaching in and around though.That will prolly have to wait for the 2.0 version. Skies. Jay :usa
Well, my ripper blank should be ready to pick up today. 3/4" A-36 plate.I started with a 10" X 24" rectangle and just drew a tooth with a section on top for pin holes. Initially I planned a series of 1/2" through holes along the ripping edge that the pattern cutter would just slightly trim leaving a slight, chisel shaped, tooth for both up and down stroke cutting. I didn't think I could trust the cutter to cut that close so I will drill the holes after the tooth pattern is cut. This will mean I'll need to keep the holes behind the edge and grind the edge just past the hole periphery (hmm,spell check didn't freak-that must be a real word!). This will make the edge slightly wavy but that might help the roots to slip towards the teeth. Having a dickens of a time trying to find some 1-3/16" ID tubing nearby.Looks like I may have to mail order.Can you believe that? Now if only I could hollow grind the edge... Skies. Jay.
If you're having a hard time getting the exact size of tubing you need, just get something with a thicker wall and get a local machinist to bore out the tubing to the correct size on a lathe.
Thanks Sasquatchman, I was hoping to get this expedited w/o a circus,but alas you've called it. I might be able to sneak in a project like this at work.There's an old Atlas lathe that might work-depends on if there is tooling or not. IIRC I'll only need ~4-1/4" to span the Y-link.I should be able to bore that deep.And then I can get the correct 30mm I need and not the slightly larger 1.1875. Soooo,w/o further ado. Here's some preliminary picts of Tigger's claw. 1) The overview planform. An 8 X 24 X 3/4" piece of A36 rendered down to this.$80.00 to have this cut I really expected a better edge for that kind of money. 2) With the 'teeth' bored $40.00 for a 3/8" 4-flute end mill.Sheesh.But Oh what fun.Had to repair the drill press to get the RPM up.No one could figure why the infinitely variable speed adjustment wheel would not work.Can you say 'set screw'?Worked a charm but the old girl really made some noise @ appx 4500rpm. 3) Teeth close up. Had a few issues like the drill table rotating ever so slightly. I determined what angle I felt would be functional for the 'bite' and came away with a 3/32" offset.Then gave it the TLAR onceover for a 5/8" CC spacing. Laid it all out with a circle chart and a sharpie.Line it up,clamp it down and DUCK! I don't think I've ever seen such a mass of needle like chips in all my life.I ended up shrouding the cutter with a soup can and a magnet.It took 3 to 5 times longer to clean after each bore than to make the hole. 4) Ta Da. Next up,source the tubing for the mounting pins,prep and weld up the tubes then some finish work.
Looks vicious!!!!
Indeed! You should see what I do with a weed wacker.Scares the neigbors.You don't se a trend here do you?
what about a tooth in the end , is inexpensive and you do a better job , need a shank welded on . http://thomasnet56.reachlocal.net/Asset/H&L834-3CAdapter.JPG They are a lot of teeth style out there , ex : http://thomasnet56.reachlocal.net/Asset/H&L250TTigerTooth.JPG
Is that blade your own design or a standard one?
That blade looks like a skil saw or miter saw blade!
Yes,that is an off the shelf,7-1/2" saw blade.Freud IIRC.I was hoping to use a 10-12" but the weight and cost persuaded me otherwise. From my bamboo eradication project.Originally I was just digging it up but the 20+ ft. tall stalks were a bit cumbersome.So I cut it down to 6-12",dug it out,and gave the root stock to a friend from work. Yes razvy, a tooth would be great! Not totally necessary as this will be used for picking/cutting roots & and clearing growth from along side structures but I would like to have a tooth. Do you know where in the S.F. Bay Area a tooth/shank can be purchased (w/o blood) ? Skies. Jay.
I am getting mine on line from Romac industries , great price and quality http://romacindustrialparts.reachlocal.com I well try building one mysealf , I found on line a company and I like the way is made ... http://www.amiattachments.com/attachments.php?link=mini_excavator-rippers
Hey Jay, The Ripper Is looking sweet I'm not sure what stage your at on your build, But those teeth that you have can be hardened up a tad And that killer wipper snipper must work real fine, Great Idea Danny
Your to kind Danny,thank you. I'm still waiting on the tube stock for the mounts.I picked up some 1/2" plate to suspend the beast. I would like to have the teeth hardened. Do tell. Two 1/2" plates will sandwich the stick & Y-link (using the tube bored to 30mm). The rip/saw will attach to the 1/2" plate material using 2 or 3, 3/4" grade 8 bolts & spacers.This will allow the rip/saw to mount @ center or to one side should the need arise.I'm also considering offset holes to allow for an angle change.2 hole mounting would really help that along but the 3/4" bolts leave me a bit squeamish.Wish I could source some 1" around here. The "wipper sniper" does work.Grabs alot but can sure trim the bamboo. Funny though,when I use it my feet start to hurt.I think it's from my toes curling up tight . SKies. Jay. P.S. Shopping for an appropriate tooth is making my head spin.
Jay have you got a picture of what the mount should look like? I hear your trying to get some tube to match........1 trick that I use, as long as the tubes can be short....I take solid shaft, And drill the hole to size for your pins.....on the lathe. I allways have small pcs of shaft (Cold rolled) around the shop. Danny
No picture as yet Danny.Just a pair of flat plates that will catch the pins on the stick & carry the bolts that suspend the rip/saw. I was pullng my hair trying to find some 1-3/16 ID DOM tubing w/o success so I ordered a piece of 1-3/4" X 3/8" wall tube and open it up at work.If I can get the lathe to work. Skies. Jay
Finally had some progress with the ripper saw.It's a bit cheesy but will let me know how it works. Bought a second hand drill press & vise and managed to make some holes.3200rpm sure drills sweet! Did you know a 3/4" hole saw makes a 13/16 hole! Grrrr. The RipSaw will be centered between the plates w/spacers.I'll be able to swap them around if I need to move the RipSaw over to one side. The edge of the plates sitting on the ground will get a pair of ~30mm holes to accept the stick & Y-link pins.Eventually some tube stock will be used to carry the pins.I'm having an Outrageous time getting the 1-3/4 tube opened up from 1" to 30mm.$100.00 & $60.00 estimates from local shops.I'm not even going to try the shop recommended by the welder. Tried doing this at work but found no tooling to allow boring.Even tried making my own boring bar w/o success.The little Atlas is very limited. I really expected the $80.00 I paid a Pro weld shop to yield a better edge and a truer arc.Totally Not pleased!I see an Oxy-Acetylene kit in my future. Skies. Jay.
Ripper Saw draws first Blood! Finally got this thing attached,if only for a trial run.I still need to make the bushings and sort out the geometry. But it worked. The concave arc is a bit too much.With a simple 'up' movement of the boom,the arc mimics the boom motion and can pull away from the target.Maybe half as much arc would be good. I'm thinking now it could have been a foot longer.As it is I need to be very careful I don't poke my boom cylinder. I worked on a 3-4 year old camphor sapling that was situated between a slab and a cyclone fence (about a 10" gap).It was tricky getting in there and I did manage to pick up the slab.And crack it! Da@@it!. Hope things are well for you folks down under & back east over here. I think I got a little sunburned.
Good to see you got the ripper rigged up......Looks good
Just be carefull and keep check of the blade. I did the same thing, worked great until............... the day the blade snaped and shot accross the yard and stuck into a tree about waste high, glad no one was around.
the ripper blade looks great
Thanks Danny,wish it had the panache of your projects.It's a start. The geometry isn't right,the concave face of the rip/saw teeth mimic the bucket arc when you boom-up.This releases any pressure against the workpiece. Compensating w/curl is limited by your access/approach to the work and complicates the process.I'm a simple home owner/operator so this needs some refinement. I've since obtained a milling machine & lathe so I hope the drama re: pins & bushings is over.Found an old truck axle in the garage-look out!
Waist High!!! Ugh! Thanks for the warning MD.Maybe some chain maile chaps? Now if I could only get the ripper to spin. Mmm.... Thanks again.
I'm just looking at your ripper.......JMO......I would have not made the tip so pointed....Thats your weakest point from were I sit....If the point started at 3"....then curved back to the mount, It would save that tip from getting bent. On the other hand, It wouldent get between the roots as good as the way you haveIt....But just a thought...I can see that tip bending.......What grade of steel did you use?
Hi Danny, Nice to hear from you. I used 3/4" AR-36. At this point I just wanted to get something working. I can see modding this to be a standard ripper and doing up another 'rip-saw' version. Skies Jay
Hey Danny Just a follow up-didn't get notified of your last PM till today.And am unable to edit my posts (edit tool not here).Thanks for the hardening tips. I've been logging on to the 'Welding Web' & picking up info.Seems another hardening method is to heat your metal to some level of incandescence using a carburizing flame. The idea being that the carbon from the flame infuses the metal surface.Appropriate tempering would be required also. Skies. Jay.
Those are some good ideas. HPF (Highline Portafab) makes a rake with a 'rooster head' splitter on the back of the center tooth. I used one on a EX200 I was clearing with. The thing works awesome. It easy to get all of the dirt out of the stump for burning. I need a ripper for a few properties I have been working on so I decided to put that style of stump splitter on the back of it. I almost have all of the parts. I'll post a pick when it is done. If I can expain this right: the back of the ripper will extend out in a curve from the back of the tiger tooth. The out side of the curve is serrated using pieces of 'wear guard' for sharp edges on the serrations. Then there are pieces of steel that 'V-out' on both sides if you were looking at it while sitting in the machine. After you saw through the stump a ways the bars engage the stump and split it. It works good for cutting roots to. I can't decide if it is work the added expense to use T-1 for it since the ripper will be made of inch and a half anyway. They want $1.08 a pound for 1.5 T-1 plate and it weighs 61 pounds a square foot. Then I have to worry about messing it up when I weld it together. 1" x 6" x 1/4" pieces of that wear-guard are only 5 or 6 bucks. If you make them a little wider than the shank it will let you saw the stump without binding. Like the curf on a hand saw. Here is a link to a pictue of the full size on. It has the rake on it so picture it with out the rake part. It should do a number on the Alder around here. http://www.hpf.com/_pic.asp?txt=Splitter+Rake&img=splitterRake_420.jpg
Well.....let me try this again Hello SKB, welcome to the board. That's a wild looking bucket saw,reminds me of a Mel Gibson movie.Great idea! Let the roots hold'er steady while you split it up. What material would you use if not T-1?Would it pay to use a cheaper,thicker material? I think I used AR-36.Not really sure if it's AR but it's apparently the toughest my steel guy carries. Skies. Jay
Hey there Jay I have never seen AR 36....But lots of A-36 (Mild Steel) .anyway I use thicker materal some times for that reason....as long as the extra weight wont be a factor
Thanks guys. I was also think of using AR. I might have to sit down with the steel guy after I make my patterns so he can give me a price on programming and burning it. He was talking under $100 for that part. I figure I'll spend a good part of that one gas not to mention time. I'll post up what the steel guy thinks.
I spoke with the steel guy about T-1 and AR. After a conversation about my welding experience he told me that I would have no problem working with the T-1. So I just need to figure out if I am going with 2' or 1.5. It is $1.08 a pound with the plates weighing 81 and 61 pounds a square foot respectively. So I am looking at about $500 for the steel. I have all the stock to make the quick change adapter to fit my machine, the shank and a tiger for the ripper point. I need to scale up my drawing and see how small of a square I can fit them on! Between steel and diesel I am going to be in the poor house. I found some cool stuff for a cutting edge on the teeth. I was looking at your saw and thought it would work good on it. I certainly would add a lot of life to your saw. It is narrow strips of 'Wear Guard". The stuff they use on the mining buckets and machines. I bought some 1" by 4" strips then cut them into one inch squares (approx). Then I welded them onto the face of the teeth of the side cutters I made for my bucket. They worked great. You have to be carefull of how hot you get them when you weld them on, but other than that, they went on easy. I tried to post a photo on the other thread I started, but I can only get the link to past in the thread, not the photo. Take a look at it if you get time and tell me what you think. After looking at your saw I think I am going to put teeth on the front of my ripper-splitter too. Combine the ripper, splitter and your saw all in one attachment. Have a good one. OOPS. I can tell I am tired and just got off work. I read my previous post on this thread and this one repeats half of what I put in the other post. Oh well. I never clamed to be too smart!
Hey Airbornone How is ur ripper saw doing? Anymore design updates?
Yair . . . Old thread I know but have you blokes thought about cutting edge? I made a doover to go on a sixty hp wheel tractor for cutting tree-roots along the edge of golf-course fairways . . . I just flame cut it out of used D9 cutting edge with pretty aggressive two inch teeth . . . blown and then ground to a sharp edge with a ten inch grinder. It worked well and cost nothing but gas and a few of hours time. Cheers.
Hello Pondo, No updates at this time,just some thinking.I would like to add a tooth and use some of that "wear guard" that skb mentioned for the cutting edge and re-profile the arc. Aside from needing to repair some leaking cylinders I Really want to fabricate a quick change system for my TB-016. I have an auger,the ripsaw,and after some repairs/modification,I'll have a plate vibrator to attach. Skies Jay
Hey Scrub, That sounds like a smart project,you should post a photo or two. Where does a fella find used D9 cutting edge? Oh wait a minute,you run a 60hp wheel tractor on a golf course!? Must be an April fool's joke eh? Cheers back at ya. Jay
Yair . . . AirBorneOne Sorry mate, it was years ago no piccys. Old Massey with a bucket was pretty handy. Any sort of used cutting edge would do . . . maybe council/county or local contractor? Even if you have to pay scrap price it is still pretty cheap high grade steel. Cheers.
Ripper/Saw strikes again! The owners of the vacant lot behind me we're instructed by the city to perform some abatement.Seems some 'locals' liked to hide in the bamboo & perform various native rituals. However,the palm was neglected. I fixed that. Bolted up the ripper saw and proceeded to prune the palm. Actually had to use the blade to stretch up for the higher branches. And while the rip/saw had no trouble grabbing onto any of the branches,my 'temporary' mounting worked lose in no time,letting the ripper dangle @ various angles-slipping down the branch. I so need a QC... Kinda liked the sound a palm branch makes as it snaps. I tried to get some action photos but the ripper virtually disappeared once in the canopy. Ta for now and be sure to remember those that made our freedom a reality & those that have,and continue to,ensure our ongoing freedoms :usa From the top... TB016 meets palm tree; Ripper Saw poised for action; Palm Carnage;Daylight.The locals are such artists