Relative Something

Just in case you are following my saga of solving the problem with my beloved hand plow, I have progress to report. The best thing I did thus far is write about it, and talk with as many people as possible about it. My ideas for ways to add support to prevent future bending, have expanded significantly with the input I have received from a wide variety of sources.

The solution that thrilled me the most, and was much easier than fabricating a bracket, is simply attaching a length of angle iron and using ring clamps to secure it.

I drew my idea for a brace, on this image, in red: It was suggested that a bracket underneath, in the area I was considering, should be much longer, to reach further up the handle. Here it is with the suggested bracing:Laying a piece of angle iron over the top and clamping it seemed like a much easier plan. I stopped by the hardware store on my way home yesterday, and picked up parts. It didn’t take me long to realize an oversight. There is a plastic piece that needs to float back and forth for adjustment of the blade angle. I won’t be able to clamp the angle iron over that. Unfortunately, it is in the exact area that most needs to be braced.

Luckily, it was also suggested to me that if the fit was right, the angle iron could be inserted inside the tube. Walaa! That will work nicely! So, that is the avenue I am pursuing. I think I am close to succeeding, but I still need to work out a problem in one spot where the angle iron is interfering with my getting a bolt through.

I have some work-arounds in mind for that, and hope to be back in business by the next snowfall.

Wish me luck!