Making a box blade

So I find myself wondering if I can make a box blade out of my regular old blade. Simple enough to weld up tabs on the sides of the blade that I can use to bolt on (and remove) the sides of the box. And it sure seems like I could bolt on harrow tips using the bolts that hold on the hardened lip of the blade.

So am I totally wrong for suspecting I could make this work? Am I missing something in my only vague knowledge of what makes box blades nifty?

Sage advise and smart allek comments actively sought.

I have side wings that bolt on my Woods RB700 that I bought from Woods. They are 1/4" thick steel. They are aproximately a rectangle, but with one side trimed to fit the blade curve. There is a flange, 1/4" thick and bent to again fit the blade curvature, and welded to the rectanglar piece. There are matching holes in the flange and moldboard of the blade to bolt the two together. The opposite side from the blade attachment side, has the corners trimed off - like a slight chamfer - so there is not a sharp corner to dig in to the dirt (and act stupid! grin). As I recall they are about one foot long (maybe as much as 18") and the height of the blade.

While these wings are not strong enough to pull as much material as a "real" box blade, I think they are a good addition to a rear blade. You still have all the rear blade functions AND it can function as a small box blade when you need it to.

IF, you added a front support to hold the wings from bending out under load from the material you are dragging, you could make the wings longer. Of course, the front support would need to be securely fastened to the blades center strut.

With this adaptation for a rear blade, I would think your idea for attaching scarfacers would probably work. But I think I would attach the points to a piece of HD pipe/square tubing that would hang over the top edge of the blade. They might also have some way to hook under the bottom of the blade edge. That way you could avoid the bolding/unbolting process. Of course, maybe just a single section of a 3 point hitch chisel tooth harrow could do the same job.

Regards,
Larry

Looks like the side plates are the meat, they keep the dirt piled up on the blade so you can drag it around with you.

Mine also has another blade hinged to the back of the main blade so you and push also.

I'm just cogitating on the notion of improving my straight blade. I've listened to people wax poetic about the vast superiority of the box blade, and if I can cob up the advantages onto mine, it would seem worthwhile. I'm not planning to go grating the world with it, so "heavy duty" needs are pretty nill. I'll just nibble and take polite bites.

There is something you could tell me to help me understand, and that is what makes the box blade so wonderfull. As I look at them and think, it seems to me that their superiority has to do with the sides simply keeping the dirt in, and not slipping dirt off the sides, and that the rippers are for digging in, as opposed to the way normal blades like to just skid along the surface of hard dirt. Am I right, or is there more to it then that? If I am right, then with some carefull but not very difficult modifications to my regular blade, I could have a bolt on light weight box blade, no?

The chippers digging in cause the blade to angle down some and dig in also. Once it starts biting and building up on the blade the draft control will almost run it, but it needs to be sensitive. I have used the upper holes on the center mount for more pressure with some success.