Had to do a bit of maintenance on the old rake after hitting a hidden immovable object....broke the tow bar and cracked a weld on one of the spines!...ouch!....but, it needed some minor repairs anyway and gave me the excuse to do everything properly.
the metal I used for the towbar was given to me by a buddy who was throwing out some supports for scaffolding. ( x braces) They are very lightweight, but must have a high carbon content as they dont like to bend more than once without breaking...even with heat, they still just cracked when I tried to bend the bar back into shape where it attaches to the rake body. So I cut the bar there on both sides and welded on some new metal. much better.
1 new spine, fixed minor cracks in 2 other welds and we are good to go again. It has gotten lots of use and really does a good job....Im happy with the welds I did early on in my experience with the hobby and though I can do them faster now, and much neater, they held well.....
just remember, this is not supposed to win any contests for paintwork! Its a down and dirty work implement.....
sporting a new "tine" for disrupting the rocks...
and the whole deal...you know, I suppose it could use a coat of paint.....
It works best after it has rained and the ground is soft...it tends to pull the rocks up and leave the dirt underneath...then over time, they switch places and it needs doing again.......