D10 Dozer blade conversion

[Frank S]

Digging around in my archives reminiscing over some of the things I have built, seeing the pictures of how I converted a Caterpillar D10 dozer blade from a "U" shaped configuration to a straight blade style
In order to do this I first had to figure out the right places to cut it apart in order to salvage the parts I would need to make it look like a factory blade.
I may have been the first person to do this. I know that others have done it since because I taught the method to several welders over the years.
Here was how the blade started out before I began to transform it.
I did about 10 of these blades though out the years so not all photos are from the same blade however I did not deviate from my process through out all builds. All of the same cutting edges were reused by exchanging ones from the left to the right
Cutting the blade open is tricky, you first have to cut off the cheeks from both sides then you need a torch that is at least 4 ft long to reach far enough inside to cut the ribs where they weld to the face. You see a cat blade is made originally laying face down then a series of formed angles and U shaped pieces make up the ribs and the back of the blade After the cutting edge of teh mold board is welded back in place the face of the blade must be returned. This requires a broom handle to be clamped to the mig gun and the switch wired shut so you can reach the full depth to weld the face to the ribs If this is not done the first time the blade is used the face will peal off like removing the skin of an orange after all welding and grinding is done a good sand blast will prepare the blade for painting the final product should look exctly as if it were assembled in the factory For welding wire I used either Hobart Excell 550 or Tri-Mark 771 with CO2

[DIYer]

Thanks Frank S! We've added your D10 Bulldozer Blade Conversion to our Heavy Equipment category, as well as to your builder page: Frank S' Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

D10 Bulldozer Blade Conversion by Frank S

tags: blade, modification

[Manitoba Man]

Frank-Greetings from Canada

Beautiful work. my old Dad who was a Cat man would have loved to see this. Who knows, maybe he is dozing clouds now.

Bob

[Frank S]

Bob; I worked in a cat equipment broker's yard as an independent contractor. He would buy equipment that sometimes looked as if it would be better to haul it to the scrapers. He built a shop so we would have a place to work I did contract welding mechanic and machine work from the back of my truck almost steady for 10 years.
The Idea of the conversion was mine if I remember correctly because he had several that had been in inventory for years and couldn't sell them. It took me 80 hours or more to do the first one but by the time they were all processed into straight blades I had my time down to a single week but he still paid me as if it was the first one plus a nice bonus. A couple of the guys I taught how to do this eventually got their time down to a week and a half
We made sure that even under the closest inspection you shouldn't be able to tell our repairs from factory parts

[kbalch]

Hi Frank,

Very nice work, indeed! That blade looks just like a factory component. Your D10 Bulldozer Blade Conversion is the 'Tool of the Week'!

As you've already received one of our official HomemadeTools.net T-shirts, we'd be glad to award you a $25 online gift card.

Just let me have your email address via PM and we'll get things processed directly.

Congrats!

Ken

[Toolmaker51]

My contribution; about D10's for sure but not building blades. Warning, Thread Hijack!!
Heavy metal to me is cast iron, Monarchs, Axelsons, Niles, Americans, Kings and Bullards.....on and on. I'd love to run an earthmover sometime. So for you CAT guys, a little present.

Do a quick web search for "Heavy Metal (Don't mean rock and roll to me)" by Johnny Cash, a cover of song written by Guy Clark.
Here's a link

Here's the lyrics;


Some days I think this old machine is out to get me
Some days she does what I tell her
It's like dancing with the widow-maker forty hours a week
I'm talkin' 'bout a big old D10 Caterpillar

I don't know why I like to drive 'em like I do
It ain't nothin' but a hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds of steel
Could be the money babe, could be the power
Could be I love the way it feels
Could be I love the way it feels

But you know she's mighty unforgivin' and you got to pay attention
'Cause the d-10 can be the death of you
But I get her all fired up and I can feel it in my soul
And it's hard to tell just who's drivin' who

I can move Alaska all the way to Beirut
I can bulldoze a beeline from here to Peru
I can push the rocky mountains into the sea
You know heavy metal don't mean rock and roll to me

I'm like a modern day mule skinner, drivin' ten thousand mules
So say a little prayer every day
Lord, just let me get her turned around without fallin' off this mountain
You know the boss man don't like us treatin' his D10 that way

I don't know why I like to drive 'em like I do
It ain't nothin' but a hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds of steel
Could be the money babe, could be the power
Could be I love the way it feels
Could be I love the way it feels

Could be I love the way it feels
Could be I love the way it feels

[Frank S]

My contribution; about D10's for sure but not building blades. Warning, Thread Hijack!!
Heavy metal to me is cast iron, Monarchs, Axelsons, Niles, Americans, Kings and Bullards.....on and on. I'd love to run an earthmover sometime. So for you CAT guys, a little present.

Do a quick web search for "Heavy Metal (Don't mean rock and roll to me)" by Johnny Cash, a cover of song written by Guy Clark.
Here's a link

Here's the lyrics;


Some days I think this old machine is out to get me
Some days she does what I tell her
It's like dancing with the widow-maker forty hours a week
I'm talkin' 'bout a big old D10 Caterpillar

I don't know why I like to drive 'em like I do
It ain't nothin' but a hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds of steel
Could be the money babe, could be the power
Could be I love the way it feels
Could be I love the way it feels

But you know she's mighty unforgivin' and you got to pay attention
'Cause the d-10 can be the death of you
But I get her all fired up and I can feel it in my soul
And it's hard to tell just who's drivin' who

I can move Alaska all the way to Beirut
I can bulldoze a beeline from here to Peru
I can push the rocky mountains into the sea
You know heavy metal don't mean rock and roll to me

I'm like a modern day mule skinner, drivin' ten thousand mules
So say a little prayer every day
Lord, just let me get her turned around without fallin' off this mountain
You know the boss man don't like us treatin' his D10 that way

I don't know why I like to drive 'em like I do
It ain't nothin' but a hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds of steel
Could be the money babe, could be the power
Could be I love the way it feels
Could be I love the way it feels

Could be I love the way it feels
Could be I love the way it feels

Well I'm a little late in posting to TM51's comment this one apparently flew under everyone's radar just like mine
like I have heard said by a staunch compatriot here at HMT.net they don't make songs about milling machines & Volvos
but the big old D 10 gets its lime LOL

[suther51]

Very impressive, I grew up around an uncle that is what I call a junk yard fabricator. Take a combine front axle and cut it narrower, clock the gear reduction outputs and build a tractor out of it, or a factory cart turned into a frame for a magnatrack size home built bull dozer with a 4 way blade but this is in another league. Impressive. Frank S, do you have any pics of the truck you worked out of? Would like to see some. Thanks Eric

[Frank S]

Suther 51 I have a big hole in my picture history but here are a couple of survivors not good shots of the rig this was my rig I built and ran from 1980 through 1988 when I retired it I had over 500,000 miles on it
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[Frank S]

Here are a couple more pics of the blade